Maya and Aztec

Ancient Mesoamerican civilizations

Posts Tagged ‘Nahua’

Hernan Cortes and the Conquest of the Aztec empire (Mexico) by Spaniards

Category: Aztec

Cortes was born in the city of Medillin, on the banks of the Guadiana River, in the province of Estramadura, in the country of Spain. This was in 1485, in the last years of the Middle Ages. Estramadura was a poor and un­forgiving place that was void of opportunities. Its summers brought blinding heat and […]



Aztec and Maya Were Rubber-Making Masters?

Category: News reports

Rachel Kaufman, National Geographic News, June 28, 2010. Ancient civilizations in much of Mexico and Central America were making different grades of rubber 3,000 years before Charles Goodyear “stabilized” the stuff in the mid-19th century, new research suggests. The Aztec, Olmec, and Maya of Mesoamerica are known to have made rubber using natural latex—a milky, […]



Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco

Category: Aztec

During the fifteenth century the cities of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco rose side by side. Both towns were built around their great temples. The Aztec’s considered these two temples to be the most important in their entire empire. Each of the great temples (cues) sat on top of pyramids that were the highest points in each […]



Motecuhzoma (Montezuma)

Category: Aztec

Motecuhzoma (Montezuma) I ruled from 1440 to 1468. He was solely focused on the expansion of the Aztec Empire. Following his death, the Aztecs were probably ruled for three decades by weak and ineffective leaders. Then, in 1502 Motecuhzoma II came to power. Under his leadership the practice of human sacrifice expanded. He ruled between […]



Ancient Nahuatl Poetry ||| Preface

Category: Ancient Nahuatl Poetry

ANCIENT NAHUATL POETRY, CONTAINING THE NAHUATL TEXT OF XXVII ANCIENT MEXICAN POEMS. BRITON’S LIBRARY OF ABORIGINAL AMERICAN LITERATURE, NUMBER VII. WITH A TRANSLATION, INTRODUCTION, NOTES AND VOCABULARY. BY DANIEL G. BRINTON 1890 It is with some hesitation that I offer this volume to the scientific public. The text of the ancient songs which it contains […]



Ancient Nahuatl Poetry ||| Introduction

Category: Ancient Nahuatl Poetry

§ 1. THE NATIONAL LOVE OF POETRY. The passionate love with which the Nahuas cultivated song, music and the dance is a subject of frequent comment by the historians of Mexico. These arts are invariably mentioned as prominent features of the aboriginal civilization; no public ceremony was complete without them; they were indispensable in the […]



Ancient Nahuatl Poetry ||| SONG AT THE BEGINNING

Category: Ancient Nahuatl Poetry

I. CUICAPEUHCAYOTL. I. SONG AT THE BEGINNING. 1. Ninoyolnonotza, campa nicuiz yectli, ahuiaca xochitl:—Ac nitlatlaniz? Manozo yehuatl nictlatlani in quetzal huitzitziltin, in chalchiuh huitzitzicatzin; manozo ye nictlatlani in zaquan papalotl; ca yehuantin in machiz, ommati, campa cueponi in yectli ahuiac xochitl, tla nitlahuihuiltequi in nican acxoyatzinitzcanquauhtla, manoze nitlahuihuiltequi in tlauhquecholxochiquauhtla; oncan huihuitolihui ahuach tonameyotoc in […]



Ancient Nahuatl Poetry ||| A SPRING SONG, AN OTOMI SONG, A PLAIN SONG

Category: Ancient Nahuatl Poetry

II. XOPANCUICATL, OTONCUICATL, TLAMELAUHCAYOTL. II. A SPRING SONG, AN OTOMI SONG, A PLAIN SONG. 1. Onihualcalac nicuicani nepapan xochitlalpan, huel teellelquixtican, tetlamachtican, oncan ahuach tonameyoquiauhtimani, oncan cuicuica in nepapan tlazototome, on cuicatlaza in coyoltototl cahuantimani inin tozquitzin in quellelquixtia in tloque in nahuaque yehuan Dios, ohuaya, ohuaya. 1. I, the singer, have entered many flower […]



Ancient Nahuatl Poetry ||| ANOTHER PLAIN SONG, TO THE SAME TUNE

Category: Ancient Nahuatl Poetry

III. OCCE AL MISMO TONO TLAMELAUHCAYOTL. III. ANOTHER PLAIN SONG, TO THE SAME TUNE. 1. Xochicalco nihualcalaquia in nicuicani, oncan icac in chalchiuhuehuetl, oncan chialon ipalnemohuani in teteuctin xochitl tzetzeliuhtimani, tolquatectitla, xoyacaltitlan, onahuiaxtimani in xochicopal tlenamactli huel teyolquima, cahuia ca ihuintia in toyollo ixpan in tloque in nahuaque. 1. I, the singer, entered into the […]



Ancient Nahuatl Poetry ||| AN OTOMI SONG OF THE MEXICANS

Category: Ancient Nahuatl Poetry

IV. MEXICA OTONCUICATL. IV. AN OTOMI SONG OF THE MEXICANS. 1. Nicchalchiuhtonameyopetlahuaya, nictzinitzcanihuicaloaya, niquilnamiquia nelhuayocuicatla, nic zacuanhuipanaya yectli yancuicatl nicuicani, nicchalchiuhtlazonenelo ic nichualnextia in xochicueponallotl ic nicellelquixtia in tloque in nahuaque. 1. I, the singer, polished my noble new song like a shining emerald, I arranged it like the voice of the tzinitzcan bird, I […]