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Daily Life
Daily Life of the Aztecs
The Aztecs were fierce, honorable, death-obsessed, and profoundly religious. A famed scholar evokes the life of this complex culture on the eve of its extinction, when the Spanish arrived and conquered them--imprisoning Montezuma and strangling Atahualpa. "It is, without question, the most brilliant, the clearest and most readable portrayal of Aztec life available in any language."-- The Observer .
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 23, 2024
Alhoewel dit al een wat ouder boek is, bevat het veel interessante informatie over de Azteken, vooral hoe ze leefden ten tijde dat de Spanjaarden er toekwamen. Niet alleen het leven van de hoogwaardigheidsbekleders en de patriciërs wordt beschreven, maar ook het alledaagse leven van de gewone man komt ruimschoots aan bod.
Heel interessant vond ik ook hoe de Azteken hun rijk opgebouwd hebben; ze besloten zich te vestigen in een moerassig gebied, en ze slaagden erin om de grond vruchtbaar en solide te maken, en er zelfs steden te bouwen. Dat vind ik een geweldige prestatie!
Heel interessant vond ik ook hoe de Azteken hun rijk opgebouwd hebben; ze besloten zich te vestigen in een moerassig gebied, en ze slaagden erin om de grond vruchtbaar en solide te maken, en er zelfs steden te bouwen. Dat vind ik een geweldige prestatie!
June 11, 2020
When I say the words; human sacrifice, what do you think off? Most likely you have in your mind a stone slab upon which a human is held, a priest is holding a darkened knife and plunges it in the chest of the captive. It is the go to set when talking about human sacrifice that has eclipsed all other forms such as ritual drowning, suffocation and starvation all of which were practiced in classical age Europe. But these were at best distant memories when the Spanish conquistadores reached Mexico and saw the temple pyramids and the walls of skulls decorating the pathways leading to the moment for honoring and nourishing the gods with the most sacred of food; the blood of man.
It is easy to stare and obsess over this one, even if important, aspect of the meso-american culture, to the expense off all other aspects of these societies. In particular the Aztecs whom by the time of Spanish arrival early 16th century had come to dominate central Mexico and connect pacific and Atlantic under their dominance and influence. Jacques Soustelle, was a anthropologist specializing in these societies, this book was dedicated to widening the scope for a wider audience in the early post war period of the 1940ties and 50ties on what the Aztec society was all about. However, we have to get this out of the way now, Soustelles was also a French politician with a dubious path that involved a heavy hand in French colonial policies and connections to extremist French nationalists not unwilling to use violence and murder to further their goals. Although this book and most definitively the research behind it predates those involvements, it is something to keep in the back of once head when evaluating this book.
The book is, as one can expect from an anthropologist, a mostly anthropological approach to the Aztecs one does not really get a strict overview of the historical event that led to the moment of the Aztec- Spanish encounter but rather the Aztec past is referenced to as the building blocks of the daily lives as it was in the late 15th and early 16th century. For those looking to know when which emperor ruled and when which city was defeated, look elsewhere. What is here, is an extensive analysis and description of the culture and society ranging from cuisine, handcraft, societal differences in status, clothing, medicine and off course religion and war; he obviously could not leave it out. The descriptive part I was full on board for but the analysis however….The book out to prove two things; that the Aztecs were a dynamic society that was far from a decadent static/stagnant entity ready to topple over and the analysis is also meant to prove that the Aztecs should be placed on par with the Romans as a great civilization.
It is here that the date of publication and background of the author come into play. The whole decadent static society trope is a classic one and again bringing up the Romans, their supposedly increasingly decadence was what had brought them down in the end. But this is old fashioned and disproven ideological talk, a narrative framework not an analysis. In this book even more so because Soustelle is out to prove the opposite, that they weren’t decadent . Soustelle also increasingly makes analogies with the Roman republic and near the end no longer hides his intentions. He makes a claim that their language, Nahuathl, was ideally suited to be the language of a true civilization. I mean what does that even mean? He also goes on for quite a bit that their societal norms and behavioral values were similar to Roman Ideals and thus another proof of the Aztecs high civilization status and an example for all of mankind…ok…...
So is the book an outdated take on this society? No not really, because as said the descriptive parts are solid and likewise the first part of the analysis, that proves the dynamics of the Aztec society are definitely worth looking into as long as one does not read it a proof that they were not decadent. It is just to keep in mind that when Soustelle consistently talks about the “ancient” Mexican and Aztec (what struck as weird the first time I read it because the Aztecs are a medieval society not an ancient one) he is doing so to lay the foundation of his equation with the classical society of Rome.
What will most definitively stick with me and will be looking into further is the role of the merchants. The merchants are the group that Soustelle by far presents to be as the most dynamic factor of the late Aztec society. Highly autonomous with their own judges, priests, ideals and norms; the merchants played an important part in the growing grasp of late Aztec society that increasingly sought exotic resources and who acted more akin to how Vikings acted in Russia or the VOC in Indonesia then proto capitalist European medival traders. Armed, willing to fight, negotiating, trading but also not above raiding and looting if the need arose and fully sanctioned and backed by the Aztec political religious/military top group who followed in their wake.
Other aspects that get a lot of in depth attention was the emphasis on meritocratic, autonomous and democratic aspects of Aztec society supported by a (for those in the core of the empire/ confederacy at least) universal education system, a rigorous justice system and ideals of individual achievement that hindered the growth of a true aristocracy. But Soustelle mostly refrains from romanticizing; he points out that there was a push for the growth of an aristocracy and although still hindered by aforementioned supporting pillars of their society, could have shaped the Aztec society in the centuries to come, if they had had the chance. What was already true, was that the democratic and autonomous traditions of electing local district and village leaders as well as defeated cities keeping their own identity had come under stress due to governmental changes. The king of Tenochtitlan increasingly became the ruler of the whole triple alliance between Tenochtitlan, Texococ and Tlacopon instead of a co ruler. Governors were send out to some defeated cities and the local district elections required confirmation by the king.
For Soustelle these two contradictions stemmed from the origins of the Aztecs as a wandering northern band similar to the Chichimecs in the 15th century and as willing inheritor of the former Toltec society that had dominated central Mexico in the centuries before. This forms according to Soustelle the core of the Aztec identity and ideology. This dualism is reflected in their religion, education systems and so on with one set of ideals based on heroic warriorship and the other to work and endurance each with their own gods( the war sun god Huitzilopochtli whom had guided the Aztecs in their wanderings and the wise peaceful Quetzalcoatl whom they adopted form the settled neighbors) to please and fear. All of this brings us to the big twist as it were in the book; when you read up to this point the narrative is one of high expectations and possibilities but off course the Aztecs did fall to the Spanish and again this is not a history book so don’t expect an account the events except brief mentions of disease, the Spanish Talaxcan alliance and their guns/armor/horses. To Soustelle the big reason revolves around their completely different approach to war and violence, so dedicated it was to their religion that required noble warriors to sacrifice and ideals of individual heroism, diplomatic rules and a stoic acceptance that it could not hope to match the total war and intolerance brought by the Spanish. To Soustelle it is an easy answer who were supposed to be more civilized when the two sides met and one perished.
So yes, I do believe the book is still worthwhile to read and studied but I do think that the politics of the author comes into play, even if the research was done a lot earlier, it was still published when Soustelle was high ranking French politician and governor of French Algeria. That is not an irrelevant fact and especially relevant when it comes down to what exactly makes the Aztecs so praiseworthy as he almost literally asks the reader to emulate them. It also raises the question what was underplayed and what was overplayed. Read it with a wary eye.
It is easy to stare and obsess over this one, even if important, aspect of the meso-american culture, to the expense off all other aspects of these societies. In particular the Aztecs whom by the time of Spanish arrival early 16th century had come to dominate central Mexico and connect pacific and Atlantic under their dominance and influence. Jacques Soustelle, was a anthropologist specializing in these societies, this book was dedicated to widening the scope for a wider audience in the early post war period of the 1940ties and 50ties on what the Aztec society was all about. However, we have to get this out of the way now, Soustelles was also a French politician with a dubious path that involved a heavy hand in French colonial policies and connections to extremist French nationalists not unwilling to use violence and murder to further their goals. Although this book and most definitively the research behind it predates those involvements, it is something to keep in the back of once head when evaluating this book.
The book is, as one can expect from an anthropologist, a mostly anthropological approach to the Aztecs one does not really get a strict overview of the historical event that led to the moment of the Aztec- Spanish encounter but rather the Aztec past is referenced to as the building blocks of the daily lives as it was in the late 15th and early 16th century. For those looking to know when which emperor ruled and when which city was defeated, look elsewhere. What is here, is an extensive analysis and description of the culture and society ranging from cuisine, handcraft, societal differences in status, clothing, medicine and off course religion and war; he obviously could not leave it out. The descriptive part I was full on board for but the analysis however….The book out to prove two things; that the Aztecs were a dynamic society that was far from a decadent static/stagnant entity ready to topple over and the analysis is also meant to prove that the Aztecs should be placed on par with the Romans as a great civilization.
It is here that the date of publication and background of the author come into play. The whole decadent static society trope is a classic one and again bringing up the Romans, their supposedly increasingly decadence was what had brought them down in the end. But this is old fashioned and disproven ideological talk, a narrative framework not an analysis. In this book even more so because Soustelle is out to prove the opposite, that they weren’t decadent . Soustelle also increasingly makes analogies with the Roman republic and near the end no longer hides his intentions. He makes a claim that their language, Nahuathl, was ideally suited to be the language of a true civilization. I mean what does that even mean? He also goes on for quite a bit that their societal norms and behavioral values were similar to Roman Ideals and thus another proof of the Aztecs high civilization status and an example for all of mankind…ok…...
So is the book an outdated take on this society? No not really, because as said the descriptive parts are solid and likewise the first part of the analysis, that proves the dynamics of the Aztec society are definitely worth looking into as long as one does not read it a proof that they were not decadent. It is just to keep in mind that when Soustelle consistently talks about the “ancient” Mexican and Aztec (what struck as weird the first time I read it because the Aztecs are a medieval society not an ancient one) he is doing so to lay the foundation of his equation with the classical society of Rome.
What will most definitively stick with me and will be looking into further is the role of the merchants. The merchants are the group that Soustelle by far presents to be as the most dynamic factor of the late Aztec society. Highly autonomous with their own judges, priests, ideals and norms; the merchants played an important part in the growing grasp of late Aztec society that increasingly sought exotic resources and who acted more akin to how Vikings acted in Russia or the VOC in Indonesia then proto capitalist European medival traders. Armed, willing to fight, negotiating, trading but also not above raiding and looting if the need arose and fully sanctioned and backed by the Aztec political religious/military top group who followed in their wake.
Other aspects that get a lot of in depth attention was the emphasis on meritocratic, autonomous and democratic aspects of Aztec society supported by a (for those in the core of the empire/ confederacy at least) universal education system, a rigorous justice system and ideals of individual achievement that hindered the growth of a true aristocracy. But Soustelle mostly refrains from romanticizing; he points out that there was a push for the growth of an aristocracy and although still hindered by aforementioned supporting pillars of their society, could have shaped the Aztec society in the centuries to come, if they had had the chance. What was already true, was that the democratic and autonomous traditions of electing local district and village leaders as well as defeated cities keeping their own identity had come under stress due to governmental changes. The king of Tenochtitlan increasingly became the ruler of the whole triple alliance between Tenochtitlan, Texococ and Tlacopon instead of a co ruler. Governors were send out to some defeated cities and the local district elections required confirmation by the king.
For Soustelle these two contradictions stemmed from the origins of the Aztecs as a wandering northern band similar to the Chichimecs in the 15th century and as willing inheritor of the former Toltec society that had dominated central Mexico in the centuries before. This forms according to Soustelle the core of the Aztec identity and ideology. This dualism is reflected in their religion, education systems and so on with one set of ideals based on heroic warriorship and the other to work and endurance each with their own gods( the war sun god Huitzilopochtli whom had guided the Aztecs in their wanderings and the wise peaceful Quetzalcoatl whom they adopted form the settled neighbors) to please and fear. All of this brings us to the big twist as it were in the book; when you read up to this point the narrative is one of high expectations and possibilities but off course the Aztecs did fall to the Spanish and again this is not a history book so don’t expect an account the events except brief mentions of disease, the Spanish Talaxcan alliance and their guns/armor/horses. To Soustelle the big reason revolves around their completely different approach to war and violence, so dedicated it was to their religion that required noble warriors to sacrifice and ideals of individual heroism, diplomatic rules and a stoic acceptance that it could not hope to match the total war and intolerance brought by the Spanish. To Soustelle it is an easy answer who were supposed to be more civilized when the two sides met and one perished.
So yes, I do believe the book is still worthwhile to read and studied but I do think that the politics of the author comes into play, even if the research was done a lot earlier, it was still published when Soustelle was high ranking French politician and governor of French Algeria. That is not an irrelevant fact and especially relevant when it comes down to what exactly makes the Aztecs so praiseworthy as he almost literally asks the reader to emulate them. It also raises the question what was underplayed and what was overplayed. Read it with a wary eye.
December 11, 2012
Bill bought me this book for Christmas. I’ve read quite a few books about Mayan culture, but apart from a few books on art know very little about Aztecs. This book was very interesting. It was written in the 50s, but seemed to make good critical use of both European and Mexican sources. I have to say I learned so much, and found it fascinating. I learnt that the Aztec society was largely democratic, had no inherited nobility, and a lot of social mobility. It was interesting to learn about the role of women in their religion, which was quite impressive, with female priests, festivals, and ceremonies and participation in community rites. (But not human sacrifice). A woman who died in childbirth was given the same status as a man who died in battle, or was sacrificed; they became divine and lived in the western paradise of the sun. (191). I thought that this was particularly interesting. It was also interesting to learn about the Aztecs attitude towards alcohol, which was strongly condemned; nobles could be put to death for appearing drunk in public. (Oddly the Aztec justice system was depended on your position in society, so that if you were higher up you faced much stricter punishments.) Old people were allowed to drink and encouraged to get drunk because they were seen as having finished their responsibility. Soustelle mentioned that there was no mention in the Spanish records of alcohol being used by the Aztecs, but he did reproduce a passage that talked of them having mushrooms before a banquet and then acted “as if drunk”. I have to say it did make me wonder if part of the reason drugs are so strongly condemned in society today and alcohol so accepted is because of these being from other non-European cultures. Of course then I remembered how much the Victorians partook of such substances and suddenly it didn’t seem nearly that straight forward anymore. It was a very enjoyable book. I’d be interested to know how someone who is more familiar with Aztec culture views it. But I thought it was very good.
May 26, 2011
Este libro es muchísimo más de lo que promete. No sólo ayuda a entender de manera verdaderamente clara y exhaustiva cómo vivían los mexica en vísperas de la conquista, sino que explica muy bien la mentalidad mexica, sus formas de ver y entender el mundo, sus formas de verse a sí mismos...
En fin, si antes me interesaba la cultura mexica, después de leer este libro estoy completamente enamorada. Lo recomiendo cuatrocientas veces (<- entre los mexica, decir cuatrocientos era como decir 'infinito').
En fin, si antes me interesaba la cultura mexica, después de leer este libro estoy completamente enamorada. Lo recomiendo cuatrocientas veces (<- entre los mexica, decir cuatrocientos era como decir 'infinito').
August 18, 2019
The book completely lived up to it’s name. I learned alot about the ways of the Aztecs. Each chapter covered a specific subject such as commerce, war, society, clothing, language etc.
The book provided a situational awareness that goes beyond the Spanish invading and conquering the land and people. I can now see how and why history took the path it did. It is a huge shame that such a promising culture was destroyed. The sacrificing, whilst awful from the modern perspective, was understandable in those times as they were incredibly superstitious. They thought blood was needed to keep the sun alive. The people seemed to believe that sacrifice was an honour and a pre-determined fate depending on which day/month/year they were born.
It may have been that my level of interest was not high enough however it kind of felt like it was all factual like a documentary and therefore a bit dry. There was no real engagement or sense of direction. Having said that, the information provided was comprehensive. I was particularly interested in how they settled on a lake island, accessible by three causeways (inevitably leading to their defeat). I also appreciated their moral code and justice system for its time.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in history.
The book provided a situational awareness that goes beyond the Spanish invading and conquering the land and people. I can now see how and why history took the path it did. It is a huge shame that such a promising culture was destroyed. The sacrificing, whilst awful from the modern perspective, was understandable in those times as they were incredibly superstitious. They thought blood was needed to keep the sun alive. The people seemed to believe that sacrifice was an honour and a pre-determined fate depending on which day/month/year they were born.
It may have been that my level of interest was not high enough however it kind of felt like it was all factual like a documentary and therefore a bit dry. There was no real engagement or sense of direction. Having said that, the information provided was comprehensive. I was particularly interested in how they settled on a lake island, accessible by three causeways (inevitably leading to their defeat). I also appreciated their moral code and justice system for its time.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in history.
December 26, 2013
Fascinating review of classic Aztec culture
July 17, 2015
A very good, in-depth, and orderly account of the Aztec civilisation and culture.
The first two chapters were slighly tame at times, but considering it centers around the main cities of the Aztec Empire; the architecture, the population, it's origin story, weath and poverty, and the general appearance of the cities, it can become tedious if you're not particularily interested in architecture and standards of living.
However, the chapters after the first two are highly engaging and well-written. This is exactly the kind of book I love to read about ancient cultures; not so much the politics and general history, but rather a thorough review and account of the people there - what they ate, how they dressed, what their houses looked like, their education, literature, family and social life, rituals and religion, the construction of society, the philosophy of their time and their world.
I hate to sound like the People's Front of Judea, but I'm getting really bored of the Romans now when every book I pick up about the Roman Empire is all about the politics and general view of the time. I want the ordinary, common life of the people.
And I find it especially interesting when reading about the people of ancient Mexico because their ways of life, the culture, and philosophy is so vastly different from the European civilisations of the time, and even now.
A very well-written, informative, and engaging book on the people of all classes of the Aztec Empire.
The first two chapters were slighly tame at times, but considering it centers around the main cities of the Aztec Empire; the architecture, the population, it's origin story, weath and poverty, and the general appearance of the cities, it can become tedious if you're not particularily interested in architecture and standards of living.
However, the chapters after the first two are highly engaging and well-written. This is exactly the kind of book I love to read about ancient cultures; not so much the politics and general history, but rather a thorough review and account of the people there - what they ate, how they dressed, what their houses looked like, their education, literature, family and social life, rituals and religion, the construction of society, the philosophy of their time and their world.
I hate to sound like the People's Front of Judea, but I'm getting really bored of the Romans now when every book I pick up about the Roman Empire is all about the politics and general view of the time. I want the ordinary, common life of the people.
And I find it especially interesting when reading about the people of ancient Mexico because their ways of life, the culture, and philosophy is so vastly different from the European civilisations of the time, and even now.
A very well-written, informative, and engaging book on the people of all classes of the Aztec Empire.
January 10, 2018
Soustelle's book in Aztec life is very detailed. It tries to cover a variety of things through 7 chapters in dealing with things like war, social status, birth, death, marriage ceremony, etc. In it, the author takes the reader through activities of the different social classes in some detail.
What this book does not do, however, is directly cite many primary or secondary sources that are listed in the bibliography. Instead, we must assume that the author is correctly summarizing them. This can make reading the book a bit tiresome for some readers. The only time this trend is broken is near the end of the book in which Mr. Soustelle uses a few translated poems by classical Nahuatl speakers from the time period leading up to the Spanish conquest.
"Daily Life" also shows some serious dating in evaluating Nahuatl philosophy & thought. He continuously treats Aztec religion as polytheistic in the mode of the Greeks & Romans. He also almost never mentions teotl or ometeotl - central to the dualistic pantheistic thought that was the underlying core of this society as well as many other mesoamerican societites. That & the continuous use of Western European terms that can confuse a reader.
Overall, the reader will learn some new things from this book. But newer books will shed more light on this subject.
What this book does not do, however, is directly cite many primary or secondary sources that are listed in the bibliography. Instead, we must assume that the author is correctly summarizing them. This can make reading the book a bit tiresome for some readers. The only time this trend is broken is near the end of the book in which Mr. Soustelle uses a few translated poems by classical Nahuatl speakers from the time period leading up to the Spanish conquest.
"Daily Life" also shows some serious dating in evaluating Nahuatl philosophy & thought. He continuously treats Aztec religion as polytheistic in the mode of the Greeks & Romans. He also almost never mentions teotl or ometeotl - central to the dualistic pantheistic thought that was the underlying core of this society as well as many other mesoamerican societites. That & the continuous use of Western European terms that can confuse a reader.
Overall, the reader will learn some new things from this book. But newer books will shed more light on this subject.
Read
August 3, 2011A thorough, insightful and engaging introduction to Aztec civilization. Still the standard. Very readable
May 17, 2021
Todavía no tengo muy claro qué me pareció el libro.
A veces, me sorprendo de todo lo que me conozco a mí misma. Sospechaba que este libro (que me prestó un profesor de historia) me iba a parecer increíblemente pesado y que me iba a demorar bastante tiempo en leer, así que decidí organizar con unas amigas una competencia de ver quién lee más páginas en tres días, para impulsarme a continuar con el libro. Y vaya que me sirvió.
Las primeras 40 páginas son pesadísimas y, en mi opinión, muy aburridas.. Y, por favor, no es porque sea un libro histórico, porque hay libros históricos que he leído que son mucho más entretenidos. Mientras leía, me imaginaba a un profesor muy aburrido dando clases con una voz soporífera, y eso era lo que transmitían las palabras, básicamente.
Pero soy maniática, y me propuse acabar el libro, aunque eso me haya dejado con mucha desventaja en comparación con mis amigas. Y entonces todo se puso más interesante. Y es gracias a una gran variedad de factores: el primero, siendo que seguramente me acostumbré un poco al estilo de escritura del autor; el segundo, que pasamos de un tema que bien poco me interesaba (la arquitectura azteca y las opiniones de los españoles de ella) a temas que me llamaban mucho la atención (como la mitología, o la guerra, o su percepción del matrimonio). El tercero y último, es que Soustelle, por algún motivo que se me escapa, escribió de mejor manera el resto del libro. Si en las primeras 40 páginas se dedicaba a nombrar una por una las ciudades en donde había algodón, de la forma más aburrida que pudo, en las siguientes pude notar un esfuerzo para informar de temas similares de una manera que hacía que me interesara más.
Es un libro muy interesante, aunque el principio sea lento. Pero una de las razones que hace que tampoco tenga muy claro qué pensar de él son detalles mínimos, pero que no podía dejar de ver. Uno de ellos es que le dice a los aztecas mexicanos y Tenochtitlán, México (o eso creo, nunca matizó a qué se refería con México), y yo sé que parece una estupidez, pero sentía la necesidad de gritarle al autor que, por favor, ellos se llamaban aztecas o mexicas, no mexicanos, y que su capital era Tenochtitlán, no México.
Otra de las cosas que me afectaron bastante es que muchas veces no se molestaba en escribir con sus propias palabras ciertas cosas, sino que simplemente copiaba textual lo que decía en las cartas de Cortés a Carlos V, y las observaciones de otros españoles, escritas en castellano antiguo, y que, por tanto, me costó entender. Además, usaba mal las comillas cuando las utilizaba, diciendo cosas como:
«Tlateloco se convirtió en el principal barrio comercial de México. "Y desde que llegamos a la gran plaza, dice Bernal Díaz, que se dice el Tlateluco..."»
Y me molesta porque, naturalmente, en las anotaciones de Bernal Díaz, no aparece "dice Bernal Díaz", y yo sé que es realmente una tontera, pero me afecta. Eso, con el castellano antiguo, hacía que algunas veces me resultara difícil entender. Otra cosa, también relacionada con la edición, es que a veces se usan un poco mal los signos de puntuación, como, por ejemplo, aquí:
«Estos dos últimos títulos pueden parecer extraños, aplicados a comerciantes. Pero es que su negocio era una aventura perpetua»
Y me pregunto yo, ¿era necesario ese punto? ¿Enserio? Y yo creo que ha habido más errores de ese tipo de los que pude reconocer, porque tampoco me manejo mucho con los signos de puntuación, y no estoy segura de si fue la traducción, o si era así el texto original, pero definitivamente esos detalles hicieron menos placentero el libro para mí.
Además, muchas veces repetía la información a lo largo del libro, y de nuevo me asaltaban las ganas de gritarle. Esta vez que ya había repetido demasiadas veces que los últimos días del año eran nefastos. Lo tengo claro, no era necesario seguir. Y la última cosa que me molestó fue que, si durante el libro era capaz de rellenar 20 páginas explicando los tipos de algodón y cómo se repartían, ¿por qué no se había tomado la molestia de escribir una conclusión decente? No estoy satisfecha con ese pequeño párrafo que usó para hacer una especie de mini conclusión, y siento que el libro acabó de una forma demasiado abrupta.
En conclusión, si les interesan los aztecas, este libro es increíblemente interesante (y lo dice alguien que no está muy en la onda azteca, en realidad), pero tiene unos cuantos problemas. Lo que más aconsejaría sería que te lo consiguieras prestado y que en ese momento lo leas, porque si lo compras podrías llegar una cantidad de dinero en algo que, en realidad, puede que no te termine de convencer.
A veces, me sorprendo de todo lo que me conozco a mí misma. Sospechaba que este libro (que me prestó un profesor de historia) me iba a parecer increíblemente pesado y que me iba a demorar bastante tiempo en leer, así que decidí organizar con unas amigas una competencia de ver quién lee más páginas en tres días, para impulsarme a continuar con el libro. Y vaya que me sirvió.
Las primeras 40 páginas son pesadísimas y, en mi opinión, muy aburridas.. Y, por favor, no es porque sea un libro histórico, porque hay libros históricos que he leído que son mucho más entretenidos. Mientras leía, me imaginaba a un profesor muy aburrido dando clases con una voz soporífera, y eso era lo que transmitían las palabras, básicamente.
Pero soy maniática, y me propuse acabar el libro, aunque eso me haya dejado con mucha desventaja en comparación con mis amigas. Y entonces todo se puso más interesante. Y es gracias a una gran variedad de factores: el primero, siendo que seguramente me acostumbré un poco al estilo de escritura del autor; el segundo, que pasamos de un tema que bien poco me interesaba (la arquitectura azteca y las opiniones de los españoles de ella) a temas que me llamaban mucho la atención (como la mitología, o la guerra, o su percepción del matrimonio). El tercero y último, es que Soustelle, por algún motivo que se me escapa, escribió de mejor manera el resto del libro. Si en las primeras 40 páginas se dedicaba a nombrar una por una las ciudades en donde había algodón, de la forma más aburrida que pudo, en las siguientes pude notar un esfuerzo para informar de temas similares de una manera que hacía que me interesara más.
Es un libro muy interesante, aunque el principio sea lento. Pero una de las razones que hace que tampoco tenga muy claro qué pensar de él son detalles mínimos, pero que no podía dejar de ver. Uno de ellos es que le dice a los aztecas mexicanos y Tenochtitlán, México (o eso creo, nunca matizó a qué se refería con México), y yo sé que parece una estupidez, pero sentía la necesidad de gritarle al autor que, por favor, ellos se llamaban aztecas o mexicas, no mexicanos, y que su capital era Tenochtitlán, no México.
Otra de las cosas que me afectaron bastante es que muchas veces no se molestaba en escribir con sus propias palabras ciertas cosas, sino que simplemente copiaba textual lo que decía en las cartas de Cortés a Carlos V, y las observaciones de otros españoles, escritas en castellano antiguo, y que, por tanto, me costó entender. Además, usaba mal las comillas cuando las utilizaba, diciendo cosas como:
«Tlateloco se convirtió en el principal barrio comercial de México. "Y desde que llegamos a la gran plaza, dice Bernal Díaz, que se dice el Tlateluco..."»
Y me molesta porque, naturalmente, en las anotaciones de Bernal Díaz, no aparece "dice Bernal Díaz", y yo sé que es realmente una tontera, pero me afecta. Eso, con el castellano antiguo, hacía que algunas veces me resultara difícil entender. Otra cosa, también relacionada con la edición, es que a veces se usan un poco mal los signos de puntuación, como, por ejemplo, aquí:
«Estos dos últimos títulos pueden parecer extraños, aplicados a comerciantes. Pero es que su negocio era una aventura perpetua»
Y me pregunto yo, ¿era necesario ese punto? ¿Enserio? Y yo creo que ha habido más errores de ese tipo de los que pude reconocer, porque tampoco me manejo mucho con los signos de puntuación, y no estoy segura de si fue la traducción, o si era así el texto original, pero definitivamente esos detalles hicieron menos placentero el libro para mí.
Además, muchas veces repetía la información a lo largo del libro, y de nuevo me asaltaban las ganas de gritarle. Esta vez que ya había repetido demasiadas veces que los últimos días del año eran nefastos. Lo tengo claro, no era necesario seguir. Y la última cosa que me molestó fue que, si durante el libro era capaz de rellenar 20 páginas explicando los tipos de algodón y cómo se repartían, ¿por qué no se había tomado la molestia de escribir una conclusión decente? No estoy satisfecha con ese pequeño párrafo que usó para hacer una especie de mini conclusión, y siento que el libro acabó de una forma demasiado abrupta.
En conclusión, si les interesan los aztecas, este libro es increíblemente interesante (y lo dice alguien que no está muy en la onda azteca, en realidad), pero tiene unos cuantos problemas. Lo que más aconsejaría sería que te lo consiguieras prestado y que en ese momento lo leas, porque si lo compras podrías llegar una cantidad de dinero en algo que, en realidad, puede que no te termine de convencer.
November 28, 2021
Oeuvre plutôt descriptives et légèrement dithyrambique envers les Aztèques.
En plus des 18 mois des années de 165, chacun des 20 jours du mois avaient un nom propre:
1. Cipactli: crocodile (ou monstre aquatique)
2. Eecatl: vent
3. Calli: maison
4. Cuetzpalin: lézard
5. Coatl: serpent
6. Miquiztli: mort
7. Mazatl: chevreuil
8. Tochtli: lapin
9. Atl: eau
10. Itzcuintli: chien
11. Ozomatli: singe
12. Malinalli: herbe (morte) (foin?)
13. Acatl: roseau
14. Ocelotl: jaguar
15. Quauhtli: aigle
16. Cozcaquauhtli: vautour
17. Ollin: mouvement ou tremblement de terre (les petits tremblements de terre sont chaque année assez nombreux au Mexique)
18. Tecpatl: silex
19. Quiauitl: pluie
20. Xochitl: fleur
De plus, le jour de naissance de l’enfant, on utilisait souvent le nom du jour comme prénom, associé à un autre surnom. Ces noms démontrent les éléments essentiels dans la culture aztèque.
Le livre a tout de même été édité en 1955 et, n’aurait-il traîné chez moi, j’aurais lu un truc plus à jour…car depuis, bien des découvertes et compréhensions de cette fabuleuse culture nous ont été révélées.
En plus des 18 mois des années de 165, chacun des 20 jours du mois avaient un nom propre:
1. Cipactli: crocodile (ou monstre aquatique)
2. Eecatl: vent
3. Calli: maison
4. Cuetzpalin: lézard
5. Coatl: serpent
6. Miquiztli: mort
7. Mazatl: chevreuil
8. Tochtli: lapin
9. Atl: eau
10. Itzcuintli: chien
11. Ozomatli: singe
12. Malinalli: herbe (morte) (foin?)
13. Acatl: roseau
14. Ocelotl: jaguar
15. Quauhtli: aigle
16. Cozcaquauhtli: vautour
17. Ollin: mouvement ou tremblement de terre (les petits tremblements de terre sont chaque année assez nombreux au Mexique)
18. Tecpatl: silex
19. Quiauitl: pluie
20. Xochitl: fleur
De plus, le jour de naissance de l’enfant, on utilisait souvent le nom du jour comme prénom, associé à un autre surnom. Ces noms démontrent les éléments essentiels dans la culture aztèque.
Le livre a tout de même été édité en 1955 et, n’aurait-il traîné chez moi, j’aurais lu un truc plus à jour…car depuis, bien des découvertes et compréhensions de cette fabuleuse culture nous ont été révélées.
March 23, 2018
„It was she who addressed the baby and welcomed it, saluting it with the names of 'precious stone, quetzal-feather' and at the same time warning it of the uncertainty and the sorrows of this life - 'Here you are, come into this world where your parents live in toil and weariness, where there is over-much heat, and cold and wind... we cannot tell if you will live long among us... we cannot tell what kind of fate will be yours.“
May 16, 2016
The author gives us an in-depth look into the daily life, customs, practices, and laws that Mexica (Aztec) people lived under prior to the Spanish Invasion & Conquest. It is sometimes melancholy to think that the beautiful city of Tenochtitlan was a pristine, orderly and an architectuall gem that was leveled in favor of a dirty European city. This book left me saddened at whta was lost and happy about what was improved and gained.
August 10, 2007
Wow, I learned so much from this book! I think what stuck out the most was that the warriors wanted to reincarnate into hummingbirds. It is hard to think of any soldure I know wanting to die and return to Earth as a hummingbird. The cannal systems and social structure was also fascinating to read about. My only regret is that it didn't say more about the roles of women in their society.
November 10, 2015
The first history in French I read for sheer pleasure, during a resort vacation on Turkey's Turquoise coast. This "la vie quotiedienne" series dates back to the 50s but the historians involved, often members of the Acamedie Française, brought an erudite expertise to the text that only erodes as slowly as archaeology digs up a new version of the Precolombian past.
December 31, 2022
En 1955 el etnólogo Jacques Soustelle escribió “La vida cotidiana de los aztecas en vísperas de la conquista” editada en francés y publicada posteriormente por el Fondo de Cultura Económica. Hizo lo que la mayoría de los investigadores: acudió a las fuentes históricas de Sahagún, Durán, Torquemada, los soldados cronistas españoles así como algunos códices, que le ayudaron a ofrecer una perspectiva de los detalles de la vida diaria de los habitantes de la ciudad de Tenochtitlán. Nos cuenta qué comían, cómo adoraban a sus dioses, cómo enfrentaban las adversidades de la naturaleza, cómo se educaba a sus jóvenes (hay que recordar que en esa sociedad todas las niñas y niños tenían acceso a la educación), qué rituales se seguían para el matrimonio, para el nacimiento de un ciudadano, también narra los pormenores del trabajo de los artesanos y los mercaderes.
Según Raúl Olvera Mijares -colaboraborador del periódico La Jornada-, Jacques Soustelle fue un “incansable viajero y lector de una curiosidad prodigiosa que supo descubrir la innegable otredad de México y de sus civilizaciones, equiparables en complejidad y riqueza a Sumeria, Egipto, China, India y, por supuesto, Occidente. Verse en los ojos de otro para reconocerse a sí mismo: he ahí la gran lección para México de este humanista francés. (ver en https://www.jornada.com.mx/2008/10/05...)
Seguramente la lectura de este ameno libro ha ofrecido y ofrecerá una enorme luz para aclarar esas zonas tan oscuras de nuestra historia, descubriéndonos una parte de nosotros mismos.
Según Raúl Olvera Mijares -colaboraborador del periódico La Jornada-, Jacques Soustelle fue un “incansable viajero y lector de una curiosidad prodigiosa que supo descubrir la innegable otredad de México y de sus civilizaciones, equiparables en complejidad y riqueza a Sumeria, Egipto, China, India y, por supuesto, Occidente. Verse en los ojos de otro para reconocerse a sí mismo: he ahí la gran lección para México de este humanista francés. (ver en https://www.jornada.com.mx/2008/10/05...)
Seguramente la lectura de este ameno libro ha ofrecido y ofrecerá una enorme luz para aclarar esas zonas tan oscuras de nuestra historia, descubriéndonos una parte de nosotros mismos.
May 25, 2025
Un absoluto banquete para quienes disfrutamos de conocer sobre la cultura, el estilo de vida, la ideosincracia y la cosmovisión de un pueblo. No hay mejor forma de escribir sobre una civilización que con datos, análisis y acercamiento de forma respetuosa, pero no por ello, falto a la verdad o al sentido crítico. Este autor logra encapsular de forma concisa el florecimiento de los aztecas y la forma en la que su evolución y progreso quedaron por siempre estancados, y en la completa incertidumbre ante la llegada de extraños hombres en el lomo de fieras, cuyo concepto de la guerra, no solo difiere del propio, sino que les valdría la caída de su pueblo y en muchos sentidos, la desaparición de sus raíces. Una joya que sobre funciona como entremés literario en el tema, y aún con ello, es efectivo al transmitir un mensaje claro; y prepara el paladar para información mas compleja o especulativa.
February 26, 2023
This is an excellent little volume. The author draws on primary source material as much as possible to create a vivid picture of the daily life of the Aztecs on the eve of the Spanish conquest. Topics include a description of the city of Tenochtitlan, structure of society and government, worldview and religion, daily life, birth and death, war and the arts. The descriptions are supported by quotes from primary sources. The author also helps the reader build a vivid picture of what life might have been life like by creating descriptions of scenes such as walking into the the markets in the morning or attending school as a child. These are always presented using tentative language such as 'might have', but really help the reader get a sense of what it really could have been like to be there in the fascinating world of the Aztecs. All in all an enjoyable and very informative read.
May 24, 2023
Este libro es una excelente descripción del mundo y vida de los Aztecas, describiendo su forma de pensar y cosmovisión. Creo que debería ser una lectura obligada para todo mexicano, ya que muchas de las tradiciones y costumbres aztecas siguen hasta el día de hoy.
La redacción es clara y sencilla. Las descripciones son ricas y vívidas, y se contextualiza bien cada aspecto de sus vidas. Me gustaría que concluyera más contundentemente, o que incluyera alguna reflexión final, ya que termina siendo muy fragmentario. Aún así, lo recomiendo ampliamente.
La redacción es clara y sencilla. Las descripciones son ricas y vívidas, y se contextualiza bien cada aspecto de sus vidas. Me gustaría que concluyera más contundentemente, o que incluyera alguna reflexión final, ya que termina siendo muy fragmentario. Aún así, lo recomiendo ampliamente.
October 11, 2024
When I picked this up and realize it was written in the 60s, I was worried. I found that it delivers on exactly what it promises, with a certain poetry to it that I think makes this a special read.
"At long intervals, in the immensity of the world's life and in the midst of its vast indifference, men joined together in a community bring something into existence that is greater than themselves- a civilization. These are the creators of cultures; and the Indians of the Anahuac, at the foot of their volcanoes, on the shores of their lake, may be counted among them."
"At long intervals, in the immensity of the world's life and in the midst of its vast indifference, men joined together in a community bring something into existence that is greater than themselves- a civilization. These are the creators of cultures; and the Indians of the Anahuac, at the foot of their volcanoes, on the shores of their lake, may be counted among them."
February 8, 2018
Sehr schön geschrieben. Es ist eine Mischung aus sehr anschaulicher Sprache, die viele interessante (wissenschaftliche) Fakten und Erkenntnissen über das Leben und die noch rekonstruierbaren Ereignisse für das Volk der Azteken bevor die Spanier über sie kamen. Obwohl es bereits in den 50ern geschrieben wurde, hat es nichts von seinem Charme oder seiner Verständlichkeit verloren.
December 28, 2019
Aprendí tanto de mi cultura madre co este libro; me gustó sobre todo conocer todos esos elementos de nuestra cultura actual que seguimos repitiendo sin siquiera saber los antiguos que son.
Aprendí más de los aztecas en este libro que todas esas clases de historia en la primaria y secundaria (en México).
Aprendí más de los aztecas en este libro que todas esas clases de historia en la primaria y secundaria (en México).
January 19, 2020
A really interesting and informative book. It does an excellent job of making the Aztecs feel like a three-dimensional people instead of the one-dimension most sources show them as.
December 12, 2020
must read!
October 30, 2016
Interesting chapter on war and why the Aztecs were overcome by the Spanish invaders.
June 23, 2024
Este libro fue publicado en español originalmente en el año de 1956 por el Fondo de Cultura Económica. La edición que yo leí fue esa. El estudio de los pueblos mesoamericanos ha tenido grandes alcances en los últimos años y, como todo en la Historia, aún falta muchísimo por conocer e interpretar, pero existen obras básicas para partir de ellas. Ésta es, sin duda, uno de esos ejemplos. El mexicanista francés Jacques Soustelle vierte en esta obra una monumental serie de datos acerca del período "dorado" de los aztecas; justo, como bien lo indica el título, "en vísperas de la conquista". Ignoro (pero supongo) que Soustelle trabajó con asistentes en esta empresa que, no obstante la cantidad de información fáctica que provee, la lectura jamás se hace tediosa. Otro de los grandes logros de los intelectuales franceses del siglo XX: una escritura prístina. Como mexicana, mucha de la información me es familiar; supongo que para personas de otros países y/o culturas, los nombres propios, la topografía o los mitos fundacionales les resultará de difícil lectura, pero nada se comparará con la sorpresa de los sacrificios humanos. Y es que este libro describe con claridad esa dualidad que los mexicanos todavía conservamos: por una parte, las fiestas llenas de flores y cantos. Por otro, la necesidad del sacrificio con sangre para que justamente esas flores y la vida en sí, la comida, las cosechas, renacieran en comunión con los dioses. Los mexicanos actuales nos parecemos, creo, por otra parte, más a los españoles que a los mexicas en cuanto a que nos sorprendemos y reprobamos junto con ellos este proceder de los antiguos aztecas. Como sucedieron las cosas, termina uno la lectura con cierto sabor de boca agridulce. Aquí en la Ciudad de México tenemos a la mano los vestigios de esos templos, algo todavía de lo que fue la gran Tenochtitlán. No podemos separarnos de esa civilización puesto que la llevamos en la sangre y la vivimos a flor de piel todos los días en nosotros mismos, en nuestra gente, en nuestras calles. Esa parte indígena, orgullosa y ordenada sufrió una derrota tremenda durante la Conquista. Y ahora somos también parte españoles. A mí me encanta la combinación; ojalá y México algún día digiera verdaderamente su mestizaje y no enaltezca ni a una, ni a otra cultura, sino al resultado de ella. Por cierto, la figura de Jacques Soustelle es muy interesante. Fue un personaje muy cercano a Charles de Gaulle y para quien no lo sepa, fue gobernador de Argelia, la última colonia francesa en África y él fue el encargado de la entrega del gobierno cuando la independencia en 1962. También es sabido que mientras trabajaba en sus brillantes investigaciones en México, a la vez era un espía para el gobierno de De Gaulle en plena guerra fría, para contener el avance de la influencia norteamericana en Latinoamérica. Todo un personaje.
October 18, 2017
This book is old but still read--in other words, a classic. Soustelle places the Mexica among the first-rank of world civilizations and as part of the common fund of human culture. This approach, with its parallelism between the Americas and the Old World, has its many drawbacks but Soustelle is deft enough to avoid the worst of them. The Mexica require no special pleading for admission to "civilization" if it means urban-dwelling, literate, hierarchical society. But devotion to European definitions can hamper deeper understanding and I think Soustelle manages to use them more as examples or analogies to help the reader than as standards for the Mexica to meet.
He gives us Mexica life on the small, morning-to-night scale, and on the larger, birth-to-death scale, in a way that connects them both together and to the even greater rhythms of Mexican cosmos. It is a stunning achievement on its own.
He gives us Mexica life on the small, morning-to-night scale, and on the larger, birth-to-death scale, in a way that connects them both together and to the even greater rhythms of Mexican cosmos. It is a stunning achievement on its own.
February 14, 2017
Es un libro básico para conocer parte de la cultura prehispánica del centro de México. Lo importante de este libro es que se basa en muchas fuentes documentales de los siglos XVI y XVII. Haría más informativo tomar en cuenta los datos proveídos por la arqueología de su época, aunque, sería realmente poco lo que aportaría en la época en que se escribió, 1970. Ni siquiera se había descubierto el monolito de la diosa Coyolxauhqui, que terminaría en el descubrimiento del templo mayor.
February 9, 2013
Este libro esta muy completo, relata de manera entretenida y amena la vida del mexica antes de la conquista. Una gran civilización que apenas iniciaba su esplendor, que en menos de 200 años llegó a ser la más poderosa e importante de mesoamérica. Anexo un párrafo del libro: "Su cultura tan súbitamente aniquilada forma parte de aquellas de las cuales puede la humanidad enorgullecerse de haber creado. Debe ocupar ocupar un lugar en el corazón y el espíritu de aquellos que, como nosotros, hacemos patrimonio común de todos los valores concebidos por nuestra especie, en todos tiempos y lugares..." "..Algunos hombres reunidos en sociedad dan origen a algo que los sobrepasa: a una civilización. Y los indios del Anáhuac, al pie de sus volcanes, a orilla de sus lagunas, pueden ser contados entre esos hombres."
Temas que contiene el libro:
-La Ciudad.
-La Sociedad y el Estado.
-El mundo, el hombre y el tiempo.
-El día de un mexicano.
-Del nacimiento a la muerte.
-La guerra.
-La vida civilizada.
Temas que contiene el libro:
-La Ciudad.
-La Sociedad y el Estado.
-El mundo, el hombre y el tiempo.
-El día de un mexicano.
-Del nacimiento a la muerte.
-La guerra.
-La vida civilizada.
May 3, 2009
This book is GREAT! So much interesting information and great research. It's evident that much effort was put into this book and the author is very thorough in citing his sources/explanations. I don't think I will ever stop reading it. I keep going back and forth through this book. At times, I almost feel like I'm a fly on an Aztec wall seeing how this great civilization lived.
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