This amalgamation reflects the duality in Quetzalcoatl's nature as both a feathered creature and a snake. The Maya used the name Kukulkan to refer to the same feathered serpent god. According to ...

Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec name, comes from the Nahuatl language, combining quetzal, a species of brightly feathered bird, and coatl, “snake.” The Mayan name, Kukulkan, is derived from the ...