Final answer:
Quetzalcoatl, in Aztec mythology, was a creator and boundary-maker deity, associated with wind, dawn, merchants, and knowledge. Represented by the symbol of the feathered serpent, his worship extended beyond the Aztec culture. Quetzalcoatl also played an essential role in creation myths and was significant in the ritual practices of the Aztecs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role that Quetzalcoatl played in Aztec mythology and cosmology is multi-faceted, but he is most commonly identified as the god of wind, dawn, merchants, and knowledge. Far from the options given like being a god of war or the ruler of Tenochtitlán, Quetzalcoatl was a boundary-maker and creator deity, deeply involved in the creation of life and associated with the feathered serpent, a key religious symbol in Mesoamerican cultures.
He is represented in various forms of art, notably in the Borgia Codex, and his worship was widespread, not just among the Aztecs but across multiple Mesoamerican cultures, under different names such as Kukulcan to the Maya. In the myths, Quetzalcoatl was also considered the god of the morning and evening star and played a significant role in the Aztec story of creation.
Aztec cosmology and religious practices were closely tied with the pantheon of gods, where each played a specific role in maintaining the balance of the world. The ritual of human sacrifice was believed to sustain the gods and, by extension, the world itself, which includes nourishing deities like Quetzalcoatl.