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The quetzal plays a central role in Mesoamerican mythology and is associated with the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl. The word quetzal was originally used for just the resplendent quetzal , the long-tailed quetzal of Guatemala , (more specifically the area of Northern Guatemala known as the Petén) which is the national bird and the name of the ...
The resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is a small bird found in Central America and southern Mexico that lives in tropical forests, particularly montane cloud forests. They are part of the family Trogonidae and have two recognized subspecies , P. m. mocinno and P. m. costaricensis .
The object's identification as a quetzalapanecayotl (a quetzal bird feather headdress) is attributed to American anthropologist Zelia Nuttall in her research paper "Standard or Head-dress?". [12] [13] Nuttall put forth the theory that the objects represent a quetzal bird with its wings extended, tail pointing upwards, and head pointing ...
The complex may have also been used for ceremonial purposes. The name Quetzalpapálotl comes from the reliefs of mythological birds on the courtyard pillars [2] and is from Nahuatl quetzalli, precious feather, and pāpālōtl, butterfly. The complex was rediscovered in 1962 by archaeologist Jorge Acosta. [3]
The most important of feathers in central Mexico were the long green feathers of the resplendent quetzal which were reserved for deities and the emperor. [15] One reason for their rarity was that quetzals could not be domesticated as they died in captivity. Instead wild birds were caught, plucked and released. [19] Other tropical birds were ...
The male resplendent quetzal boasts iridescent blue-green tail feathers measuring up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) long that were prized by the Maya elite. [12] The blue-green feathers symbolized vegetation and the sky, both symbols of life for the ancient Maya, while the bright red feathers of the bird's chest symbolized fire. [12]
In agreement with this pattern, detected both in the Maya Lowlands [9] and elsewhere in Mesoamerica, [10] the north (and main) face of the temple of Kukulcán at Chichén Itzá has an azimuth of 111.72°, corresponding to sunsets on May 20 and July 24, separated by 65 and 300 days (multiples of 13 and 20). Significantly, the same dates are ...
His name is translated as "Radiant First Quetzal Macaw" or "Sun-Eyed Green Macaw" or even "Sun In The Mouth of the Quetzal Bird". The Chʼortiʼ belong to the Meridional Mayans, and are closely related to the Mayans in Yucatán, Belize and Northern Guatemala. They are also somewhat related to the Choles, Mayans who currently live in Chiapas.