Gukumatz
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In Maya mythology, Gukumatz ("feathered serpent" or "sovereign plumed serpent") was a feathered snake god, one of all three groups of gods who created Earth and humanity. He taught mankind civilization and agriculture. Gukumatz was the K'iché Maya name for the deity in the highlands of what is now Guatemala; in Yucatán he was known as "Kukulcan". He was the Maya equivalent of the central-Mexican Quetzalcoatl (see that article for a longer discussion of this Mesoamerican Deity). All these names mean specifically "quetzal-feathered serpent".
Gukumatz was a culture hero who taught the Toltecs, and later the Maya, the arts of civilization, including codes of law, agriculture, fishing and medicine. He came from an ocean, and eventually returned to it. According to one Mayan legend, Gukumatz will return to the Earth during the End times. He also represents the forces of good and evil, similar to the yin-yang paradigm of Oriental religions.
Gukumatz was a god of the four elements of fire, earth, air and water, and each element was associated with a divine animal or plant:
In Mayan writing and sculpture, Gukumatz can be represented by at least six symbolic images. First, he is found as the plumed serpent. He can also be represented as an eagle, a jaguar, a pool of blood, a conch shell or snail, and finally as a flute made of bones.
[edit] Other names
- Gucumatz
- Gugumatz
- Kucumatz
- Kukulcan
- Kulkulcan
- Kukumatz
- Quetzalcoatl (Aztec)
[edit] References
- Preuss, Mary H. "Gods of the Popol Vuh: Xmucane, Kucumatz, Tojil, and Jurakan." Labyrinthos, Culver City, California, 1988.
- Tedlock, Dennis, translator. "Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Maya Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings." Simon and Schuster, New York, 1985.
