The Náhuatl name for the principal Aztec god of Late Postclassic central America, usually depicted as a feathered serpent. He was the god of self-sacrifice, patron of the arts and crafts, and inventor of agriculture and the calendar. In another form he was also the wind god and god of the morning and evening star. The name was also used as the official title of high priest among Aztecs. His cult can be recognized in the Classic period at Teotihuacán, at Tula, Cholula, and at many Mexican sites. He was an important figure in the early Toltec pantheon (becoming identified with a local ruler), and his effigy appears in the Maya territory after the Toltec invasion of Chichén Itzá. According to legend, Quetzalcóatl was driven away from Mexico, but before leaving he gave a promise to return. For a while, the Aztecs believed that the invading Spaniards were the god and his followers returning to fulfill this prophecy - this belief leading to the downfall of the Aztec empire.