Synopses & Reviews
For at least two millennia before the advent of the Spaniards in 1519, there was a flourishing civilization in central Mexico. During that long span of time a cultural evolution took place which saw a high development of the arts and literature, the formulation of complex religious doctrines, systems of education, and diverse political and social organization.
The rich documentation concerning these people, commonly called Aztecs, includes, in addition to a few codices written before the Conquest, thousands of folios in the Nahuatl or Aztec language written by natives after the Conquest. Adapting the Latin alphabet, which they had been taught by the missionary friars, to their native tongue, they recorded poems, chronicles, and traditions.
The fundamental concepts of ancient Mexico presented and examined in this book have been taken from more than ninety original Aztec documents. They concern the origin of the universe and of life, conjectures on the mystery of God, the possibility of comprehending things beyond the realm of experience, life after death, and the meaning of education, history, and art. The philosophy of the Nahuatl wise men, which probably stemmed from the ancient doctrines and traditions of the Teotihuacans and Toltecs, quite often reveals profound intuition and in some instances is remarkably and#147;modern.and#8221;
This English edition is not a direct translation of the original Spanish, but an adaptation and rewriting of the text for the English-speaking reader.
Review
"The Aztecs were an incredible and proud people who developed from a nomadic group into builders of a great and complex civilization. From rich documentation codices and accounts written in their native language, Nahuatl, but using the Latin alphabet Dr. León-Portilla has presented a superb analysis of how and why the Aztecs developed as they did." Library Journal
Review
"León-Portilla has made an outstanding contribution to our understanding of Aztec religious thought. Along with his analysis of this philosophical revolution León-Portilla also provides us with a superb summary of the official cosmological and cosmogonic system. His analyses are among the most dramatic illustrations of the integrative functions of religion and the functional interrelationships between religion and socio-political organizations." American Antiquity
Review
"Dr. León-Portillas definitive work will be a model, and, quite possible, and object of envy to anthropologists with similar interests in other New World high civilizations." El Palacio
Review
"León-Portilla reminds us that the New World, conquered so long ago by Europeans, still cries out for attention and understanding. As the legend of the plumed Serpent reveals, the present can gather new life from an adventure into the past. Few books have to read, but for a citizen of the Americas, this is one of them." Journal of the West
Synopsis
For at least two millennia before the advent of the Spaniards in 1519, there was a flourishing civilization in central Mexico. During that long span of time a cultural evolution took place which saw a high development of the arts and literature, the formulation of complex religious doctrines, systems of education, and diverse political and social organization.The rich documentation concerning these people, commonly called Aztecs, includes, in addition to a few codices written before the Conquest, thousands of folios in the Nahuatl or Aztec language written by natives after the Conquest. Adapting the Latin alphabet, which they had been taught by the missionary friars, to their native tongue, they recorded poems, chronicles, and traditions.
About the Author
Director of the Inter-American Indian Institute in Mexico City, Miguel Leon-Portilla is a significant young Mexican scholar. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees (summa cum laude) form Loyola University at Los Angeles and the Ph.D. from the National University of Mexico. La Filosof¡a N