March 19, 2005
The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico
Miguel Leon-Portilla. Beacon Press: 1962.
Leon-Portilla draws from numerous indigenous accounts of the Conquest of Mexico. He introduces briefly each chapter, then lets the natives speak for themselves.
It is interesting how much the Aztec life was dominated by omens, prophecies, magic. Everything that happened had been "foretold", yet the mixed signs (and his advisors' advice) clearly were confusing to Moctezuma and may help explain his actions. The Aztec account shows none of the fight or cunning of Montezuma that the Spanish accounts do.
Also of interest were the accounts by the allies of the Aztecs and the Spanish.
The book ends with some Aztec poetry that is truly moving, and reminds one of the unimaginable suffering caused by the complete destruction of their city, history, gods, and culture.
Miguel Leon-Portilla. Beacon Press: 1962.
Leon-Portilla draws from numerous indigenous accounts of the Conquest of Mexico. He introduces briefly each chapter, then lets the natives speak for themselves.
It is interesting how much the Aztec life was dominated by omens, prophecies, magic. Everything that happened had been "foretold", yet the mixed signs (and his advisors' advice) clearly were confusing to Moctezuma and may help explain his actions. The Aztec account shows none of the fight or cunning of Montezuma that the Spanish accounts do.
Also of interest were the accounts by the allies of the Aztecs and the Spanish.
The book ends with some Aztec poetry that is truly moving, and reminds one of the unimaginable suffering caused by the complete destruction of their city, history, gods, and culture.
Labels: history
posted by Scott Givens at 10:19 AM
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