A Scattering of Jades: Stories, Poems, and Prayers of the Aztecs - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0816523371 ISBN 13: 9780816523375

Publisher: University of Arizona Press, 2003

Synopsis

Long before Europeans came to America, the Aztecs created a unique culture based on myth and a love of language. Myths and poems were an important part of their culture, and a successful speech by a royal orator was pronounced "a great scattering of jades." A Scattering of Jades is an anthology of the best of Aztec literature, compiled by a noted anthropologist and a skilled translator of Nahuatl. It is a storehouse of myths, narratives, poems, and proverbs-as well as prayers and songs to the Aztec gods that provide insight into how these people's perception of the cosmos drove their military machine. Featuring a translation of the Mexicayotl-a work as important today for Mexico's concept of nationhood and ideology as it was at the time of the Conquest-these selections eloquently depict the everyday life of this ancient people and their unique worldview. A Scattering of Jades is an unsurpassed window on ancient Mesoamerican civilization and an essential companion for anyone studying Aztec history, religion, or culture.

About this title

About the Author:

Timothy J. Knab is the author of A War of Witches: A Journey into the Underworld of the Contemporary Aztecs.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Arizona Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0816523371
• ISBN 13: 9780816523375
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 271