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, sap-like [...]
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) 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,
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 offers extreme and peculiar difficulties to the translator, and I have [...]
§ 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 religious services held in the
temples; [...]
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 oncan mocehcemelquixtia; azo
oncan niquimittaz intla onechittitique; nocuexanco nictemaz [...]
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.
[...]
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.
[...]
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 [...]
V. OTRO MEXICA TLAMELAUHCACUICAYOTL.
V. ANOTHER PLAIN SONG OF THE MEXICANS.
1. Zanio in xochitl tonequimilol, zanio in cuicatl ic huehuetzi in
tellel in Dios ye mochan.
1. I alone will clothe thee with flowers, mine alone is the song
which casts down our [...]
