Description
The essential guide to the world of Aztec mythology, based on Nahuatl-language sources that challenge the colonial history passed down to us by the Spanish.
How did the jaguar get his spots? What happened to the four suns that came before our own? Where was Aztlan, mythical homeland of the Aztecs?
For decades, the popular image of the Mexica people - better known today as the Aztecs - has been defined by the Spaniards who conquered them. Their salacious stories of pet snakes, human sacrifice and towering skull racks have masked a complex world of religious belief.
To reveal the rich mythic tapestry of the Aztecs, Camilla Townsend returns to the original tales, told at the fireside by generations of Indigenous Nahuatl-speakers. Through their voices we learn the contested histories of the Mexica and their neighbours in the Valley of Mexico - the foundations of great cities, the making and breaking of political alliances, the meddling of sometimes bloodthirsty gods - and understand more clearly how they saw their world and their place in it. The divine principle of Ipalnemoani connected humans with all of nature and spiritual beliefs were woven through the fabric of Aztec life, from the sacred ministrations of the ticitl, midwives whose rituals saw women through childbirth, to the inevitable passage to Mictlan, 'our place of disappearing together' - the land of the dead.
The essential guide to the world of Aztec mythology, based on Nahuatl-language sources that challenge the colonial history passed down to us by the Spanish
About the Author
Camilla Townsend is Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers University and a vocal supporter of the rights of indigenous peoples. She is the author of numerous books, including Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs, which won the Cundill History Prize in 2020. Her other books include Malintzin's Choices: An Indian Woman in the Conquest of Mexico, Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma and The Annals of Native America: How the Nahuas of Colonial Mexico Kept Their History Alive.
Reviews
'Townsend succeeds magnificently in conjuring up the world of Mexico-Tenochtitlan ... It is a tale of high politics, spy dramas and divine intervention, where gods and sorcerers mingled with rulers and wise women. It is a credit to the author that she succeeds in packing so much nuance and detail into this enjoyable and accessible short text. The book shows a world that matters ... To centre these histories is an act of resistance that enriches our understanding and enlivens our imagination' - Caroline Dodds Pennock, BBC History
Book Information
ISBN 9780500025536
Author Camilla Townsend
Format Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 470g
How did the jaguar get his spots? What happened to the four suns that came before our own? Where was Aztlan, mythical homeland of the Aztecs?
For decades, the popular image of the Mexica people - better known today as the Aztecs - has been defined by the Spaniards who conquered them. Their salacious stories of pet snakes, human sacrifice and towering skull racks have masked a complex world of religious belief.
To reveal the rich mythic tapestry of the Aztecs, Camilla Townsend returns to the original tales, told at the fireside by generations of Indigenous Nahuatl-speakers. Through their voices we learn the contested histories of the Mexica and their neighbours in the Valley of Mexico - the foundations of great cities, the making and breaking of political alliances, the meddling of sometimes bloodthirsty gods - and understand more clearly how they saw their world and their place in it. The divine principle of Ipalnemoani connected humans with all of nature and spiritual beliefs were woven through the fabric of Aztec life, from the sacred ministrations of the ticitl, midwives whose rituals saw women through childbirth, to the inevitable passage to Mictlan, 'our place of disappearing together' - the land of the dead.
The essential guide to the world of Aztec mythology, based on Nahuatl-language sources that challenge the colonial history passed down to us by the Spanish
About the Author
Camilla Townsend is Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers University and a vocal supporter of the rights of indigenous peoples. She is the author of numerous books, including Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs, which won the Cundill History Prize in 2020. Her other books include Malintzin's Choices: An Indian Woman in the Conquest of Mexico, Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma and The Annals of Native America: How the Nahuas of Colonial Mexico Kept Their History Alive.
Reviews
'Townsend succeeds magnificently in conjuring up the world of Mexico-Tenochtitlan ... It is a tale of high politics, spy dramas and divine intervention, where gods and sorcerers mingled with rulers and wise women. It is a credit to the author that she succeeds in packing so much nuance and detail into this enjoyable and accessible short text. The book shows a world that matters ... To centre these histories is an act of resistance that enriches our understanding and enlivens our imagination' - Caroline Dodds Pennock, BBC History
Book Information
ISBN 9780500025536
Author Camilla Townsend
Format Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 470g
