One of the great documents of colonial Mexico, the Codex Chimalpopoca chronicles the rise of Aztec civilization and preserves the mythology on which it was based. Its two complementary texts, Annals of Cuauhtitlan and Legend of the Suns, record the pre-Cortesian history of the Valley of Mexico together with firsthand versions of that region's myths. Of particular interest are the stories of the hero-god Quetzalcoatl, for which the Chimalpopoca is the premier source. John Bierhorst's work is the first major scholarship on ...
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One of the great documents of colonial Mexico, the Codex Chimalpopoca chronicles the rise of Aztec civilization and preserves the mythology on which it was based. Its two complementary texts, Annals of Cuauhtitlan and Legend of the Suns, record the pre-Cortesian history of the Valley of Mexico together with firsthand versions of that region's myths. Of particular interest are the stories of the hero-god Quetzalcoatl, for which the Chimalpopoca is the premier source. John Bierhorst's work is the first major scholarship on the Codex Chimalpopoca in more than forty years. His is the first edition in English and the first in any language to include the complete text of the Legend of the Suns. The precise, readable translation not only contributes to the study of Aztec history and literature but also makes the codex an indispensable reference for Aztec cultural topics, including land tenure, statecraft, the role of women, the tribute system, warfare, and human sacrifice.
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Add this copy of History and Mythology of the Aztecs: the Codex to cart. $50.00, like new condition, Sold by Moe's Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Berkeley, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by University of Arizona.
Add this copy of History and Mythology of the Aztecs: the Codex to cart. $83.58, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by University of Arizona Press.
Add this copy of History and Mythology of the Aztecs: the Codex to cart. $144.46, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by University of Arizona Press.
Bierhorst's book is an inestimable value for those that search for the origin of the Mexica. As an amateur historian and mexicanist, this book has given me such an amount of data (with its controversies) that I am busy for several months. It is a real scholarly book, with hundreds of ancient Mexican calendric dates, names of rulers and places, etc. But you need a basic education and to know some Mexican history in order to understand or enjoy it. I enjoyed it on my long flights to China and back, but you may find it dry and boring if you are not curious about Mexico or such chronicles (or annals) at all. It goes far back before the conquest of Cortes, and not an easy reading: it does not deal with post-conquest times. It is like an old Irish annal. It has no illustrations. The Legend of the suns as a chapter was very useful for me. In 1984, I demonstrated in my first English book that Mexican history began on October 23, 4004 BC, which year apparently ended up in archbishop James Ussher's hands and then in the King James version of the Bible. Thanks to the book of Bierhorst, read together with Ross Hassig's book about Time, History, etc. of the Aztecs, three days ago I was able to solve the riddle of the 5 suns, identifying the 5 absulute dates astronomically, when a new sun "was born." These two books ofered me most of the solution.
