In Maya mythology, Gukumatz ("feathered 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". This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ... Yucatán is the name of one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. ... 74. ... Quetzalcoatl in human form, from the Codex Borbonicus Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent or plumed serpent) is the Nahuatl name for the Feathered-Serpent deity of ancient Mesoamerican culture. ... The cultural areas of Mesoamerica The term Mesoamérica is used to refer to a geographical region that extends roughly from the Tropic of Cancer in central Mexico down through Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua to northwestern Costa Rica, and which is characterized by the particular cultural homogeneity... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binomial name Pharomachrus mocinno (De la Llave, 1832) Ref: ITIS 553589 For other uses, see Resplendent Quetzal (disambiguation). ...

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. A culture hero is a historical or mythological hero who changes the world through invention or discovery. ... The Toltecs (or Toltec or Tolteca) were a Pre-Columbian Native American people who dominated much of central Mexico between the 10th and 12th century AD. According to pre-hispanic traditions (compiled in the Historia Tolteca Chichimeca, a codex written between 1547-1560), they may have spoken the language Nahuatl... Equality and the balancing of interests under law is symbolised by a blindfold and weighing scales For other senses of this word, see Law (disambiguation). ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering animals not classifiable as insects which breathe in water or pass their lives in water. ... medicines, see medication and pharmacology. ... Many religious faiths teach that the end of the world will occur at some point in the future. ... Taoists Taijitu The concept of Yin Yang originates in ancient Chinese philosophy, most likely from the observations of day turning into night and night into day. ...

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: It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Flame. ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ... Chinese Wood (木) | Fire (火) Earth (土) | Metal (金) | Water (水) Hinduism and Buddhism Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind Agni / Tejas — Fire Akasha — Aether Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth Ap / Jala — Water Air is one of the classical elements. ... Impact of a drop of water. ...

• Air --Vulture
• Earth --Maize
• Fire --Lizard
• Water --Fish

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. Orders Falconiformes (Fam. ... Corn redirects here. ... Families Many, see text. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Genera Several, see below. ... For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... A conch shell A Conch is a sea creature, a marine gastropod. ... The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. ... The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ...

Other names

• Gucumatz
• Gugumatz
• Kucumatz
• Kukulcan
• Kulkulcan
• Kukumatz
• Quetzalcoatl (Aztec)

The Aztec civilization recognized many gods and supernatural creatures. ...

Modern Influences

• In the Star Trek Animated Series episode How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth Captain Kirk and crew run into a being who claims to be Kukulkan the ancient god of the Mayan and Aztec peoples of Earth. He states he is actually a very long-lived benevolent entity who wants the humans to worship him just as the Mayans and Aztecs did centuries ago.
• There is a Quetzalcoatl class starship at the Starfleet Muesum website
• In Final Fantasy X-2, Gucumatz is a basilisk-like enemy.
• In Seven Kingdoms, Kukulcan is the greater being of the Mayan race, causing fervor in their soldiers.
• In Apocalypto, Kukulcan is the god for whom the human sacrifice ceremony is performed.

Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. ... How Sharper Than a Serpents Tooth is an episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series. ... Final Fantasy X-2 ) is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. ... Woodblock print of a basilisk from Ulisse Aldrovandi, Monstrorum historia, 1642 Cityseal of Zwolle from 1295 with Saint-Michael killing a basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk (from the Greek βασιλίσκος basiliskos, a little king, in Latin Regulus) is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and... Seven Kingdoms is a real time-strategy computer game developed by Trevor Chan of Enlight Software. ... Apocalypto is an Academy Award-nominated 2006 film directed by Mel Gibson. ...

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.