Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent)

Origin and tradition

Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, is a deity of Mesoamerican traditions with associations including wind, learning, and creation. Representations and meanings differ across societies and periods. A divine figure should not be treated as a zoological monster, and later conquest narratives require their own historical scrutiny.

Illustration in this atlas

A feathered serpent with decorative ornaments. The plate selects the serpent image associated with Quetzalcoatl; human representations also occur, and the specific ornaments here are interpretive rather than a copied historical artifact.

References and further reading

1. britannica.com — Quetzalcoatl

These references offer further reading. Accounts and depictions vary; the atlas illustration is interpretive artwork, rather than historical or scientific evidence.