In this book Miguel León-Portilla’s objective is to recount the ancient history of central Mexico from the most “primary” sources, i.e. the records written by Indians or those that lie closest to original Indian informants. It is an impressionistic survey of selected themes rather than a detailed history of events. The student of Mexican codices and annals will not find here any close analysis of codical meanings or any historical-genealogical reconstructions similar to those published in recent years by Philip Dark, Alfonso Caso, and others. The method is general and interpretative rather than precise and factual. Its value lies in its use of “literary” evidence, the songs, philosophical expressions, figures of speech, and aesthetic language that figure so plentifully in Aztec writing.
The Indian informants of Sahagún provide a substantial portion of the materials on which the interpretation is based. These and the songs have received much study recently in the Seminario de Cultura Náhuatl. Additional data are provided by the Crónica mexicayotl and more traditional texts such as Durán and Ixtlilxochitl. In each instance León-Portilla searches for the larger psychological or spiritual meaning, much as in his earlier work, La filosofía náhuatl.
Indian origins, the Classic period, Tula, and the beginnings of Aztec history are all described as later Indian peoples understood and wrote of them. As in the literary narratives, the figure of Tlacaélel is accorded much attention in the process of Aztec state-building. The religious features of the state and the abstract qualities of Aztec civilization in general receive emphasis rather than more mundane matters such as tribute or commerce. Aztec man in his own terms was ixtli (face) and yollotl (heart), representative respectively of the moral and the dynamic qualities that governed his life and history.
Illustrations are adapted from Indian originals by Alberto Beltran. The book has an index and a bibliography.
