Description
Book SynopsisFor many generations, the Nahuas of Mexico maintained their tradition of the xiuhpohualli (SHOO-po-wa-lee), or year counts, telling and performing their history around communal firesides so that the memory of it would not be lost. When the Spaniards came, young Nahuas took the Roman letters taught them by the friars and used the new alphabet to record historical performances by elders. These written texts were carefully preserved and even expanded upon for over a century. The annals, as they have often been called, were written not only by Indians but also for Indians, without regard to European interests. As such they are rare and inordinately valuable texts. But they have also been difficult for recent generations to understand. They have often been assumed to be both largely anonymous and at least partially inscrutable to modern ears. Now Nahuatl scholar Camilla Townsend, by dint of careful research, has been able to deduce authorship in the case of most of the texts, allowing her t
Trade ReviewTownsend is an elegant writer, her book a pleasure to read. It covers much ground geographically and chronologically. The analysis of authorship and patterns of expression within this genre alone makes the book worthwhile for Mesoamerican specialists. * Susan Kellogg, Journal of World History *
[A] masterly anthology ... Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Glossary Introduction Chapter One: Old Stories in New Letters (1520s-1550s) Chapter Two: Becoming Conquered (the 1560s) Chapter Three: Forging Friendship with Franciscans (1560s-1580s) Chapter Four: The Riches of Twilight (c. 1600) Chapter Five: Renaissance in the East (the 17th century) Epilogue: Postscript from a Golden Age Appendices The Texts in Nahuatl Historia Tolteca Chichimeca Annals of Tlatelolco Annals of Juan Bautista Annals of Tecamachalco Annals of Cuauhtitlan Chimalpahin, Seventh Relation Don Juan Bautista Buenaventura Zapata y Mendoza Annals of Puebla Notes Bibliography Index
