How did D.H. Lawrence’s visits to Mexico influence The Plumed Serpent?

D.H. Lawrence’s visits to Mexico in 1923 and 1924 were instrumental in shaping his 1926 novel, The Plumed Serpent.1

During this period, Lawrence developed the conviction that the regeneration of a crumbling, postwar society required a return to indigenous religious roots, particularly in regions where Christianity was perceived as dead. Influenced by his observations, he centered the novel on a prophet-hero—a Mexican general—who revives ancient Aztec rites to establish a new theocratic state where authoritarian leaders are worshipped as gods.1

The novel reflects Lawrence’s exploration of these themes, featuring a European woman as his representative who marries one of these leader-gods while remaining conflicted by the inherent violence and irrationality of the movement. By pursuing this narrative to its conclusion, Lawrence sought to project his theories on the necessity of a religious foundation for social renewal, drawing heavily on the cultural and historical atmosphere he encountered in Mexico.1