Mythology · 2
Some scholars debate whether the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was seen as fulfilling a returning-god prophecy tied to which feathered deity?
Answer
Quetzalcoatl
Later colonial-era accounts claimed the Aztecs associated Hernán Cortés's arrival with the legendary return of Quetzalcoatl, though modern historians debate whether this prophecy predated the conquest or was invented afterward.
💡 Did you know?
Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec feathered serpent god, was so revered that some scholars debate whether Spanish conquistadors' arrival fulfilled a genuine prophecy or a post-conquest myth invention.
Other options people guess
- Tlaloc
- Coatlicue
- Huitzilopochtli
Topics
- aztec
- mesoamerica
- mythological-creatures
- conquest
Know your mythology trivia?
Play a free Mythology quiz and see how many you get right — no signup needed to start.
More Mythology facts
Mythology
Which Aztec deity is traditionally depicted as a serpent adorned with the feathers of the quetzal bird?
Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec feathered serpent god, was so revered that some scholars debate whether Spanish conquistadors' arrival fulfilled a genuine prophecy or a post-conquest myth invention.
Mythology
In which ancient Mesopotamian epic does a great flood story appear that predates the biblical account of Noah by over a thousand years?
Gilgamesh's flood story predates Noah's by over a thousand years, appearing on Sumerian clay tablets written before the Hebrew Bible existed.
Mythology
Which Roman poet's work Metamorphoses recounts the story of Medusa's transformation from a beautiful priestess into a monster?
Medusa wasn't always a monster. Ovid's Metamorphoses reveals she was a beautiful priestess cursed by Athena for being assaulted in her temple.
Mythology
In Roman mythology, which god of beginnings and doorways is depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions?
The Roman month of January is named after Janus, making him one of the few ancient gods whose name is still embedded in the modern calendar every single year.
Mythology
Which Greek hero killed the eagle that had tormented Prometheus by eating his regenerating liver each day?
Prometheus's eternal torture—an eagle eating his regowing liver daily—only ended when Heracles killed the eagle. Prometheus didn't suffer forever, contrary to popular belief.
Mythology
In Japanese folklore, how many tails does a kitsune fox grow to become a nearly immortal, immensely powerful spirit?
Japanese kitsune foxes gain tails by reaching age milestones, and a nine-tailed fox becomes nearly immortal—inspired by actual fox behavior and Chinese folklore.