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Aztec Messenger God
Question by Ethan Gelber

The Question:

The great Aztec sovereign, Moctezuma II, ruler at the time of the Spanish invasion of Mexico (1519) believed that the newcomers were messengers from the gods.

On whose behalf did Moctezuma II think that Hernan Cortis had come?

The Answer:

Quetzalcsatl is one of the most important deities of ancient Mexico. Revered in many ways  a vegetation god by the 3rd to 8th century Teotihuacans, god of the morning and the evening star to the 9th to 12th century Toltecs, patron saint of priests (symbol of death and resurrection) and wind god to the 14th to 16th century Aztecs  he appeared in as many guises, from a plumed serpent to a bearded man.

Moctezuma's belief that Cortis had been sent by Quetzalcsatl finds its origin in the legend of the triumph of the Toltec god of the night sky, Tezcatlipoca, over Quetzalcsatl and the latter's banishment from Tula, the Toltec city at the center of his cult. This may be a fictional explanation of the historical triumph of the Toltec civilization over the stratified priest-led culture of the Teotihuacans. One tale has Quetzalcsatl disappear into the eastern ocean on a raft made of snakes. Some people also believed that he would return from the east in a year associated with his calendar name Ce Acatl (One Reed). Sure enough, Hernan Cortis appeared from the east in 1519, a One Reed year. No god, Cortis, with his Spanish troops, succeeded in destroying a 3000-year-old civilization in just two years.

The Winners:

Ed Berkowitz, Brian Palmer, Linda Hicks, Margaret Womble, and Karen Newton were our first five winners and will be receiving the much coveted bag of GORP.com GORP.

Extra thanks to all of the following for also contributing correct answers: Debbie Sue Engel, sjokstad, Ingrid Stamatson, Elizabeth Mays, Mark Ziegler, someone from the Big Bear Lake Convention Center, Mike Noble, Patty Wise, Michelle Arnett, Michael McCormick, Ellen, ou812don, Torsten L|dge (from Australia!), and Mike Mackerer.

Lex gets a special salute for correcting our spelling of Montezuma (should have been Moctezuma), and Trevor's contribution of "Funky Monkey" was, well, much appreciated.