Hello,

Considering Nahua or Aztec hero legends, it could just be a lack of existing sources or simply different interests in other subjects at the time.

The only surviving hero legend was one about the legendary Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl or «Our Prince, 1-Reed Feathered Serpent/Precious Twin», the Toltec ruler and priest of Tollan (present day archeological site of Tula, Hidalgo), which actually had different versions in different regions and probably existed as a real person.

Not to be confused with the deity Quetzalcoatl (it was okay for prestigious followers to have names of their primary deity worshipped at times), Topiltzin was said to be the one that the Aztecs were reminiscent of after hearing about the Spanish arrivals. The misunderstanding about Cortes being a ‘God’ is seen here as well. Topiltzin was attributed to having facial hair and lighter skin, which is where this misconception may have taken part in.

Topiltzin was born on 1-Reed (~843 CE) and swore an oath of returning to his people on another year of Ce-Acatl, hence his name. He left to Mayan occupied territories, near present day Yucatan, for solid reasons to be, well, solid and consensus. Another misunderstanding between the ruler, Topiltzin, and the deity, Quetzalcoatl, was that Quetzalcoatl brought cacao to exist when it was the ruler, Topiltzin, that made it possible to cultivate and trade in Central Mexico since it was previously found in the lowland rainforests of the Chiapas and further southward. Along with what Topiltzin’s admiration, he helped teach about cultivation of crops, jewelry work, and other characteristics as a wise man himself. The confusion for them being the same (Quetzalcoatl & Topiltzin) may come from Topiltzin’s supposed death on 1-Reed (~895 CE), burning himself to ash at the age of 52 and being dressed similar to this picture of the deity, Quetzalcoatl.

Topiltzin was also revered locally in what is now Central Mexico for his care about his people. He was said to prefer self sacrifice and animal sacrifices. Consequently, he was indebted by the deities because Topiltzin prevented traditional sacrifices. Therefore, Topiltzin was said to have founded the worship of Quetzalcoatl as a priest on a wide scale in response to the deity Tezcatlipoca, who brought plague and other misfortunes at times, to his people from this debt. Eventually coerced to flee by Tezcatlipoca and sorcerers (being a deity of sorcery), Topiltzin was later accredited for the harsh relationship between Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca along with the fall of Tollan.

Continuing on with his flee to what is now the Yucatan, near Chichén Itzá, another person known as Kukulcán «Feathered Serpent» (also a Mayan deity not to be confused with) was thought to be Topiltzin under a different name. From there that’s why people think he’s partly associated with the site today looking at the resemblance of the tlachtli (mesoamerican ball court game) architecture similar as in Tula. Along with Chichén Itzá, some like Salvadorians even say they’ve learned about Topiltzin being the founder of the Pipil capital, Cuzcatlan «(Place) among jewels/precious stones». Though, there aren’t exact reasons how or why this came to be. Just as Kukulcán was the same as Topiltzin, up to the questioning of his existence. But, maybe he did just as a myth since the Aztecs respected and continued some traditions from their Toltec ancestors otherwise.

Unfortunately, in the end, that’s what happens when there aren’t enough solid sources, to the point of questioning if this legend was really a ‘legend’ and there being no consensus between the legend. Therefore, we can say that either there were other interests prioritized, destruction, and/or loss of sources.

Hopefully this answered your questions otherwise. You may read more from a pdf like this, mostly beginning to mention about Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl on chapter 1 (pg. 30). Or search for other sources if interested.

Sources:

• Iverson, S.D. The Enduring Toltecs: History and Truth During the Aztec-to-Colonial Transition at Tula, Hidalgo. J Archaeol Method Theory 24, 90–116 (2017)

• Ringle, William M., et al. “THE RETURN OF QUETZALCOATL: Evidence for the Spread of a World Religion during the Epiclassic Period.” Ancient Mesoamerica, vol. 9, no. 2, 1998, pp. 183–232.