ABSTRACT
Leader of the Toltec civilization that dominated what is now central Mexico from the tenth to twelfth centuries. Over time, the historical figure Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl became associated with the Mesoamerican god named Quetzalcoatl, an important Toltec deity. This merging of the two Quetzalcoatls gave rise to competing legends about the Toltec ruler’s birth, life, and accomplishments. It also produced a legend that some scholars assert played a role in the downfall of the Aztecs, the culture that supplanted the Toltecs as rulers of Mexico.
