In The Shadow Of Quetzalcoatl

The gripping story of a pioneering anthropologist whose exploration of Aztec cosmology, rediscovery of ancient texts, and passion for collecting helped shape our understanding of pre-Columbian Mexico. Where do human societies come from? The drive to answer this question inspired a generation of archaeologists and treasure-seekers who, following Darwin, began to look beyond the Bible for the origins of civilizations. Proud, disciplined, ferociously territorial, the inimitable Zelia Nuttall threw herself into the study of Mexico's past, eager to bring the tools of science to the study of ancient civilizations. A child of the San Francisco Gold Rush, Zelia immersed herself in the tales of conquistadores and pored through records of the Inquisition. She knew Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec and Toltec, and was skilled at deciphering their pictographic stories. She was also conversant with their gods and myths, as well as the stars by which they regulated their rituals and other activities. The first to fully decode the Aztec calendar stone, Zelia Nuttall was a protégé of Frederick Putnam, who offered her a job at Harvard's Peabody Museum. But as a divorced mother with a dwindling fortune, she preferred to live in Mexico, her mother's birthplace, where she became a vital bridge between Mexican and American anthropologists through war and revolution. The first biography of a true original, In the Shadow of Quetzalcoatl reveals how, from the 1880s to the 1930s, scholar-collectors like Zelia Nuttall shaped America's museums. Merilee Grindle captures the appeal and contradictions of this trailblazing woman, who contributed so much to the new field of anthropology until a newly professionalized generation trained in universities overshadowed her remarkable achievements.

The first biography of Zelia Nuttall (1857-1933), a pioneering Mexican-American anthropologist whose work on Aztec cosmology and mastery of ancient codices helped shape our understanding of pre-Columbian Mexico. Grindle captures the appeal and contradictions of this trailblazing woman, who brought a new rigor to the study of ancient civilizations.

Mexico, 1517. The Aztec capital is awash with fear and rumors. A strange figure has been seen running through the streets. A being with the face of a snake, his body covered with glittering green plumage: Quetzalcoatl---the Feathered Serpent. Is it an omen? Or is it the god himself, come to warn of impending disaster? Yaotl, the chief minister's slave, has more immediate matters to worry about than omens and portents. Engaged in a desperate search for his son, he's on the run from his vengeful master, the all-powerful Lord Feathered-in-Black. If the chief minister catches him, Yaotl can expect a grisly fate. Attempting to escape his master's bloodthirsty warriors, Yaotl stumbles upon a dismembered, unrecognizable corpse. As he pieces together the clues to who the dead man was and how he died, Yaotl finds himself drawn into an affair of greed, jealousy, and lust among the ancient, secretive society of the feather workers, the Aztecs' foremost craftsmen. And, as he is to discover, the answers to those clues will provide the key to the search for his son. But before he can solve the mystery, Yaotl will need his wits about him simply to stay alive---for Lord Feathered-in-Black and his henchmen are never far away.... "An exhilarating, fast-paced tale . . . plenty of plot, well-rounded characters, and some black humor to make this second book a delight." ---Historical Novels Review

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading Gilgamesh, Hercules, Aeneas, and Lancelot are instantly recognized as mythological heroes in the West, evoking visions of Persian monsters, ghastly labors, and the founding and glorification of cities, but the name Quetzalcoatl is as mysterious as its spelling. Even those who have come across his name when learning about the history of Mesoamerica - particularly the Aztec and the god's role in the Spanish conquest of their empire - are often unaware that the Mesoamerican deity has tales that equal any of those in the repertoire of the mythological figures mentioned above, and the tale of his transmission into modern times is no less fascinating. As archaeologists quickly learned, there are numerous temples dedicated to Quetzalcoatl all across Mesoamerica. From the Aztec to the Maya, Quetzalcoatl - the Feathered Serpent - rears his beautiful head from magnificent relief carvings in temples no less grandiose than the largest pyramid in the region, that of Cholula in Mexico. Furthermore, thousands of people still gather in the great Mayan city of Chichén Itzá during the spring and autumn equinoxes to watch the shadow of the Feathered Serpent slither its way down the temple known as El Castillo. Worship of the Feathered Serpent can be traced back 2,000 years, and the Serpent's cults appear all across Mesoamerica. The Olmec, the Aztec, and both the Yucatec and K'iche Mayans all had different names for this deity, including Kukulkan, Q'uq'umatz, and Tohil, but his iconography is curiously consistent over several centuries across the region. Depending on who was worshipping him, the Feathered Serpent was a creator-god, the god of the winds, the god of the rains, or merely a near-divine ancestor whose militaristic ways won his followers land and riches before he was eventually marred by lavishness and iniquity, resulting in his demise. To some of the invading Spanish conquistadores, Quetzalcoatl was little more than another demon the "natives" had been worshipping before they were kind enough to bring God to the New World. To others, however, Quetzalcoatl was precisely evidence of the spread of Christianity reaching Mesoamerica long before the conquistadores ever arrived. Much of what modern scholars depend on to understand Quetzalcoatl, however, comes from the period of the Spanish invasion of Mesoamerica, and therefore stories of his blowing the sun across the sky have become mixed with those linking him with Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, this makes for a fascinating picture of a deity whose image has been shaped by some of the most famous civilizations in history and continues to be adopted by people today, often for more than spiritual purposes (as is evident in the adoption of Quetzalcoatl imagery in Mexico's struggle for independence). As a result, Quetzalcoatl was and remains one of the most interesting and enlightening stories ever to have come out of any civilization, and his stories offer a better understanding of the Mesoamerican world. Quetzalcoatl: The History and Legacy of the Feathered Serpent God in Mesoamerican Mythology examines the origins of the deity and his place in the pantheon of gods. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Quetzalcoatl like never before.

In this comprehensive study, Enrique Florescano traces the spread of the worship of the Plumed Serpent, and the multiplicity of interpretations that surround him, by comparing the Palenque inscriptions (ca. A.D. 690), the Vienna Codex (pre-Hispanic Conquest), the Historia de los Mexicanos (1531), the Popul Vuh (ca. 1554), and numerous other texts. He also consults and reproduces archeological evidence from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, demonstrating how the myth of Quetzalcoatl extends throughout Mesoamerica.

This is a love story and its history lies deep in the heart of Ancient America. The story is set within the framework of a terrible and wonderful prophecy, the Prophecy of the Thirteen Heavens and the Nine Hells. The Little People (Pockwatchies and Tlaloques) were believed to be the servants of the Rain God (Tlaloc) and thus guardians of the Earth Mother. These all appear in the song found in this book about the Quetzalcoatl, a Great One who brough spiritual awareness and enlightenment to the Indians of America. He founded a new religion based on peace and changed the face of Ancient America by religious and social reform. He founded the first "Confederation of the Tree" and laid down the prophecy, which this book is about.

On the heels of Mark Hitchcock’s prophecy bestseller 2012, the Bible, and the End of the World comes a suspenseful novel (coauthored with bestselling novelist Alton Gansky) about the supposed expiration date of planet earth—December 21, 2012. Andrew Morgan is a wealthy oil executive in search of the meaning of life. In his quest for answers he encounters the ancient Mayan predictions that the world will end in 2012. That the claims seem supported by math and astronomy drives him to check on them. Then he meets Lisa Campbell, an attractive Christian journalist also researching the Mayan calendar. When he learns that she is a Christian, he quickly dismisses what she has to say. As the time draws closer to December 21, 2012, a meteorite impact in Arizona, a volcanic eruption, and the threat of an asteroid on a collision-course with earth escalate fears. Are these indicators of a global apocalypse? Will anyone survive? Does Lisa’s Christian faith have the answers after all? Or has fate destined everyone to a holocaust from which there is no escape?