Word: quetzal
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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What the eagle is to the U. S., the quetzal is to Guatemala. The quetzal (rhymes with pretzel) is a rare, lovely bird with bright green plumage, blood-red breast, fuzzy topknot, yard-long tail feathers. Quetzal is also the name of the Guatemalan money unit, and the bird's graven image appears on the national seal, coins, stamps. The quetzal was venerated by the ancient Aztecs, Toltecs and Mayas as a colleague of the plumed serpent god, Quetzalcoatl (rhymes with pretzelcowatle), god of metallurgy, agriculture, wisdom, health. Only priests and nobles could wear quetzal plumes in their headdress...
Last week the first full-grown, live (but molting) quetzal ever to reach a northern city arrived in Manhattan in charge of its captor, voluble Explorer Victor Wolfgang von Hagen. Its destination: The Bronx for a rest, then St. Louis...