The Animals of Mesoamerican Myths Online Quiz | Humanities

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Quetzalcoatl is probably the best known of all Mesoamerican deities. He is known as the feather serpent, meaning he is part bird and part snake. What type of animal is the quetzal, for which he is named?

Answer: A long-tailed bird

Though originally a Nahuatl word, quetzal has come to be the common name of these beautiful colorful birds. Because they were held sacred to Quetzalcoatl their long tail feathers were used as a currency. Quetzalcoatl was originally believed to be a god of the Teotihuacan culture or possibly the Toltec empire.

He was also related to the Mayan Kulkulcan. Since the Aztecs acquired much of their myths and culture from the Toltecs, he also became a major Aztec god.

2. Huitzilopochtli, the patron deity of the Aztecs, was associated with this bird, which the Aztecs associated with the dead.

Answer: Hummingbird

Huitzilopochtli was more important to the Aztecs than even Quetzalcoatl. As patron deity, he was associated with the Aztecs' favorite prowess, war. He was also a sun god and god of light. The Aztecs believed that those worthy would join him in his palace after death. Similar to the Norse Einherjar, these would be men who died in battle or women who died in childbirth.

When these dead spirits chose to visit the living world, they would travel through it as hummingbirds. Huitzilopochtli was often associated with Tlaloc, the god of the rain as well and the Great Temple built in Tenochtitlan was dedicated this pair of gods.

3. Of course all great gods need their counterparts. The rival of Quetzalcoatl was a god named Tezcatlipoca. He was a god of darkness and bad things in general. What animal, which commonly killed people in the jungle, was believed to be an incarnation of him?

Answer: Jaguar

The Aztecs believed that Tezcatlipoca had the ability to turn himself into a jaguar and roam this world, killing people as he pleased. As one of the largest cats in the world, these animals were quite frightening to these people. Some of the most prominent Aztec warriors would gain the honor of wearing a Jaguar pelt in battle to show their distinction.

In Toltec myth, Tezcatlipoca was blamed for the destruction of their capital city Tula (or Tollan). Both Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca were believed to be human rulers of the Toltecs. Quetzalcoatl was a fair and great leader, while Tezcatlipoca was jealous and conniving.

It was believed that Tezcatlipoca evicted and banished Quetzalcoatl from the city, leading to its downfall.

4. According to their foundation myth, the Aztec people were told by Huitzilopochtli to build their capital city, Tenochtitlan, on an abandoned desolate island in Lake Texcoco. He instructed them to build their city where they would find this animal perched on a cactus, clasping a snake.

Answer: Eagle

The fiercest and bravest of all birds, the eagle was well venerated by the Aztecs as well. Similar to the jaguars, some elite warrior were given the distinction of an eagle warrior. The Aztecs, who called themselves the Mexica, gave not only their name to the modern country of Mexico, but also the iconography of the flag which since the First Mexican Empire in 1821 has had the image of the eagle, snake, and cactus.

5. Another important Aztec god was Xolotl who was believed to be the twin of Quetzalcoatl. He was a god of weather as well as a god of death. In this capacity he was often depicted as this animal which guided the spirits of the dead. This animal was also a common food source since Olmec times.

Answer: Dog

Dogs had been domesticated from very early times in America. They were used for protection, hunting, and as a food source. Since they were very effective in guiding humans during life, Mesoamericans believed they could do the same for their masters after death. Sometimes people would even sacrifice dogs just for this purpose when someone died. Xolotl himself appears to have several aspects both benevolent and malevolent. He was seen as a god of fire and lightning, which can be both frightening and beneficial.

6. One of the most important Mayan deities was the rain god Chaac. He roamed around the heavens carrying his axe of thunder. When he wished the rain to fall, he would strike these animals with his axe and they release rain upon the world. He was also sometimes depicted as one of these creatures or at least with the head of one.

Answer: Snakes

Sometimes viewed as multiple individual gods, Chaac was one of the most ubiquitous of Mayan gods. He is heavily associated with the Aztec rain god Tlaloc. The Mayans believed that they had to sacrifice humans and other animals to offer blood to the gods.

The gods in turn would do the same to give life to humans. Mayans believed that at the beginning of this age the gods sacrificed themselves to give life to humans. Throughout the age though they sacrifice animals to continue life. One of these examples is Chaac who kills snakes that drip blood which turns into life-sustaining rain.

7. Another common animal depicted in Mayan art is this one which is believed to have symbolized the earth. These bones of these animals were also used as musical instruments. Which one?

Answer: Turtle

The surface of the earth may also have been depicted as a frog or toad. The Mesoamericans believed that the surface of the earth floated upon the ocean. Because of this, they equated the way a turtle swims with its carapace above the water to the earth floating in the ocean. The shell of the turtle was also commonly depicted in art as an instrument.

8. Probably the most famous of all Mesoamerican codices is the Mayan "Popol Vuh." This manuscript follows the exploits of the brothers Hunahpu and Xbalanque. One of their first deeds is to kill the celestial giant demon named the Vucub Caquix. His name translates to seven of what animal?

Answer: Macaws

The Seven-Macaws and his two children were extremely arrogant. This angered the brothers so they plotted to kill both Seven-Macaws and his monstrous children. Generally, in Mesoamerican mythology, gods of the heavens or sky are depicted as birds or flying animals. Seven-Macaws is believed to be a celestial god since he claimed to be the sun and moon and compares himself with the sky.

He has also been compared with other earlier bird monsters from as early as Olmec times. One common bird depiction known as the Principal Bird Deity has been identified with Seven-Macaws though many still argue they are not the same.

9. Another animal found multiple times in the "Popol Vuh" is this one. As a prologue to the story of the brothers there is a section describing the creation of multiple races of mankind. Those who were not killed prior to the current race were turned into these animals. Later in the story Hunahpu and Xbalanque turned their lazy step-brothers into what animals, which became gods of music in the Mesoamerican pantheon?

Answer: Monkeys

Monkeys were common in the rainforests of Mesoamerica. Since their appearance and behavior were similar to humans, the Mesoamericans believed monkeys to be a lesser race of themselves. The gods of music, commonly called Howler Monkey Gods, were usually a pair found in several statues and reliefs all over the ancient Mayan territory.

10. Going back to the earliest known Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmecs, not much is known of their religion. A common trio of gods often depicted together are in the form of a dragon, a bird, and this animal. They are believed to be a representation of the world. What is the third animal in the trio?

Answer: Fish

As in many other pantheons, the world was split into three parts: the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. The bird was the ruler of the sky or heavens, the dragon was the ruler of the earth, and the fish belonged to the domain of water which the Olmecs believed was underneath and surrounding the ground.

This motif, as well as many other myths, were believed to originate with the Olmec and pass down through the other cultures like the Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec. The Vucub Caquix of the Maya may have been derived from this bird of the heavens.

The dragon likely became Quetzalcoatl of the Toltecs.

Source: Author theskink

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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The Animals of Mesoamerican Myths Quiz

This quiz is based on the animals found in Aztec, Mayan, and other Mesoamerican cultures' myths. Even though this quiz is difficult, I hope you will try it and hopefully learn a lot!

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