Quetzalcoatl / ˌ k ɛ t s æ l k oʊ ˈ ɑː t əl / (Spanish: Quetzalcóatl pronounced [ketsalˈkoatl] (); Classical Nahuatl: Quetzalcōātl [ket͡saɬ’koːaːt͡ɬ] (modern Nahuatl pronunciation (help · info)), in honorific form: Quetzalcōātzin) is a deity in Aztec culture and literature whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means “Precious serpent” or “Quetzal-feathered Serpent”.