Chapter 50

Pedro Martin reached behind him and flipped through a book and then showed it to María Elena.

“My husband’s showing me the different names here. This deity, shown on the death mask was also known as Q’uqu’umatz by one Mayan tribe, and Kukulkan, by another. He was the patron god of learning, science, and knowledge,” she added. “The Spanish made up this story that Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, believed Hernando Cortes was Quetzalcoatl who’d returned. This is how the Spanish became rulers here. Spreading confusion, and having the different groups fight amongst each other. The legend about Quetzalcoatl was he would return to the people. While other legends believe he walks among us, like an ordinary human.”

“So he wasn’t supposed to return and rule?” asked Eli, curious on what legend or twist of a legend or two María Elena believed.