Myth of Quetzalcoatl

Alfredo López Austin is emeritus researcher and professor of history at the Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. A specialist in Mesoamerican history and culture, he is best known for his extensive writings on and investigations into the belief systems and religion of pre-Columbian and conquest-era indigenous cultures in Mexico.Russ Davidson is curator emeritus of Latin American and Iberian collections and professor emeritus of librarianship at the University of New Mexico.

“Mesoamericanists from a variety of fields already recognize the importance of this book and the role it has played in the revitalization of research in their specialized areas of study. López Austin is a master in the field."—Alan Sandstrom, Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne"[W]hile archaeologists and historians continue to investigate the puzzle of Quetzalcoatl and of Mesoamerican religion and politics more generally, anthropologists and religion scholars can adapt the author's views and employ them to understand religious and political legitimacy across history and culture, which typically claims some special personified divine quality—some role of prophecy or result of inspiration—that conjoins the godly and the human in select men (and women)."—Anthropology Review Database​"The Myth of Quetzalcoatl, López Austin’s first masterpiece, meticulously translated by Russ Davidson and Guilhem Olivier, is cause for celebration. . . . For all those truly interested in the intricate enchantments of Mesoamerican history, the book remains indispensable."—Hispanic American Historical Review​"​A gift to all those engaged in precolumbian history. . . ​. ​this book rewards ​[scholars] with a thought-provoking model of mythologized history that continues to be relevant today.​"​—Journal of Anthropological Research