Kukulkan: The Plumed Serpent

The ancient Maya worshiped one deity above any other. This mystical and highly respected plumed serpent demanded respect from the Maya culture.

Named Kulkulkan, he was one of the three original deities who created the world in Maya beliefs. He was the deity responsible for bringing them civilization, agriculture and medicine-- the three cornerstones of the success of the Maya civilization. Surprisingly, he would also be the responsible for the eventual downfall of their entire culture.

Much like Quetzalcoatl of the Aztec faith, Kukulkan had a human form. He was a fair-skinned, bearded man wearing plumes of feathers from his headdress. After he helped the Maya set up their civilization and prepare them for greatness, he returned to the sea. Upon his departure, he promised to come back in the future to lead them to greatness.

There are a few theories on the origins of this deity. His arrival to the Maya was said to have been shortly after a great flood. Many believe that Kukulkan was not a deity but, was a citizen of Atlantis who fled after a great flood.

Atlantis is rumored to have been an incredibly advanced civilization, which would explain why he was able to teach the Maya so much about civilization. When he left them and traveled across Mexico, he came to the Aztecs and taught them the same things he did the Maya. The only difference is that the Aztecs called him Quetzalcoatl.

The Maya were ahead of their time. They devoted much of their intelligence into developing architecture to honor this great deity. All throughout their pyramid structures, they painstakingly created optical illusions during certain celestial lights. The shadows thrown across their pyramid steps would seem to slither like a snake. On one equinox, the snake climbed the tower steps and on the other it would slither down them.

Many years after his departure, the Spanish arrived on the coasts. Kukulkan's legend said he would return via the ocean, riding thunder and carrying lightning. The Spanish, led by Cortes, came with muskets on horseback both of which struck fear into the native people.

When they saw the Spanish up close, they were pale-skinned, bearded men, Cortes wearing a feather in his hat and the Maya believed he was their deity Kukulkan returning. He was welcomed and trusted in their community.

Cortes used this semblance to both the Maya deity of Kukulkan and the Aztec deity of Quetzalcoatl to his advantage. It allowed him to get close to their leaders with a natural ease. He used that trust to sway them to a new religion, away from their deities of before.

By the time either the Maya or the Aztecs realized he was not the return of their deity and was, in fact, the imposter that the oracles foretold, it was too late. But, although he waged war on their civilizations, their extraordinary legacy lives on through their famous star-based science, art and architecture.