What does the serpent on the Chichen Itza mean?
Equinox at Chichen Itza At Chichen Itza, during the spring and fall equinoxes — this pyramid dedicated to Kukulcán (or Quetzalcoatl) serves as a visual symbol of the day and night. Symbolically, the feathered serpent joins the heavens, earth and the underworld, day and night.
What is the animal design that shows on the pyramid of kukulcán?
Around the spring and autumn equinoxes, the late afternoon sun strikes off the northwest corner of the pyramid and casts a series of triangular shadows against the northwest balustrade, creating the illusion of the feathered serpent “crawling” down the pyramid.
What does the serpent on El Castillo represent?
This staircase has huge serpents’ heads representing the God Kukulcán.
What does the serpent on the structure represent?
The sinking sun seems to give life to the sinuous shadows, which make a decidedly snaky pattern on their way down the stairs. Thousands of people gather to see this phenomenon, which may have been viewed by the ancient Maya as the manifestation of the god Kukulkán, the feathered serpent.
Is kukulkan a good god?
A lesser-known equivalent of the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, Kukulkan was worshipped by the Yucatan Maya in the region that is now modern-day Mexico. Temples to Kukulkan can be found throughout the Yucatan region. As the god of rain and water, he was an extremely significant god to his devotees.
What did the Maya believe about Kukulkan the feathered serpent?
El Castillo The feathered serpent god, whom the ancient Mayans called Kukulkan, was a prominent deity worshipped by a majority of Mesoamerican people. The Mayans believed that Kukulkan had a human form as well. The feathered serpent god was one out of the three main gods that the Mayan believed created the world.
How was El Castillo in Chichen Itza created?
El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan, is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid built by the Maya civilisation in around 1000 AD. The pyramids consist of intricate carved stone in a stair-stepped design, topped with a flat platform upon which a smaller temple was constructed to honour a particular Maya deity.
What was the purpose of El Castillo in Chichen Itza?
Design. Typical of Mayan pyramids, El Castillo serves as a monumental representation of the Mayan calendar. The structure is made up of nine levels which represent the nine levels of the ‘afterlife’. Each of the four sides consists of a series of terraces which total 18 – the number of months in the Mayan year.
What is the feathered serpent pyramid?
The Feathered Serpent Pyramid is a six-level step pyramid built in the talud-tablero style. The outside edges of each level are decorated with feathered serpent heads alternating with those of another snake-like creature, often identified as Tlaloc.
Who is chaac?
Chaac (also spelled Chac or, in Classic Mayan, Chaahk [t͡ʃaːhk]) is the name of the Maya rain deity. With his lightning axe, Chaac strikes the clouds and produces thunder and rain. Chaac corresponds to Tlaloc among the Aztecs.
Who is the serpent god in Chichen Itza?
The temple is dedicated to Kukulkan, a Mayan feathered serpent deity. For years, adventurous tourists climbed El Castillo. But in 2006, the monument’s management closed access after an 80-year-old American woman plunged to her death after reaching the top.
When to see Kukulcan’s Shadow in Chichen Itza?
Kukulcan, the mythical feathered serpent of the ancient Maya, still shows up every year on the pyramid named after him in Chichen Itza. At least his shadow does. It happens during sunset during each equinox. But you don’t need to be there on the exact day of the equinox and battle the inevitable crowds to see it.
When is the best time to see the snake at Chichen Itza?
Tourists love to visit Chichén Itzá during the spring and autumn equinoxes to watch for the snake. During the equinoxes, when the late-afternoon sun hits El Castillo’s northwest corner, triangular shadows cascade down the balustrade and end at a decorative serpent’s head, creating the look of a feathered serpent slithering down the pyramid.
Why do people go to Chichen Itza for the equinox?
On every equinox, the sun of the late afternoon creates the illusion of a snake creeping slowly down the northern staircase. Symbolically, the feathered serpent joins the heavens, earth and the underworld, day and night. Thousands of people travel from around the world and gather to Chichen Itza each year, to admire this astronomical spectacle.