The book displays the emotions of these people well and, even though it gave them a stronger will to fight, they would only last so long. Broken spears broken spears general questions i whose. View broken spears from is 11 at university of california, irvine. The broken spears is a book on the aztec account of the conquest of mexico. A thing like a ball of fire comes out of its entrails. The questionandanswer section at the back of the book has more information on medical issues that come up in the book, including drug overdoses.
How did these indian accounts of the conquest of mexico originate. Until 1959, when this book was published for the first time, the. Although these desires were admirable, they were sought after at the expense of the aztecs and consequently. The broken spears 2007 revised edition by miguel leon. A literary analysis of the broken spears by miguel leon. The broken spears written by miguel leonportilla is a book that goes into depth about the conquest of mexico starting in 1519 from the point of view of the conquered aztecs. The broken spears by miguel leonportilla the future when the spaniards would eventually turn on them as well. The aztec account of the conquest of mexico, foreword summary.
The broken spears the aztec account of the conquest of. Author miguel leonportilla had undertaken the arduous task of translating key passages from the nativeamerican nahuati language accounts of the spanish invasion and conquest. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Read the broken spears 2007 revised edition the aztec account of the conquest of mexico by miguel leonportilla available from rakuten kobo. The broken spears the broken spears is a collection of many accounts of the destruction of mexico by cortes and the conquistadors in their invasion. Leonportillas selections of events portrayed in this b.
Those texts bear witness to the extraordinary vitality of an oral tradition that preserves the viewpoints of the vanquished instead of the victors. This account is meaningful in that its history from the conquered, which is often not heard. In this new and updated edition of his classic the broken spears, leonportilla has included accounts from native aztec descendants across the centuries. This study guide consists of approximately 21 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the broken spears 2007 revised edition. Broken spears by miguel leonportilla 1495 words 6 pages. It tells the story of the spanish conquest of mexico from the aztec perspective using a collection of primary source documents from the 16th century. Funny, heartbreaking, and alive with a potpourri of eccentric and irresistible characters, broken for you is a testament to the saving graces of surrogate families, and shows how far the tiniest repair jobs can go in righting the worlds wrongs. The broken spears, by miguel leonportilla, is a detailed and graphic account of the spanish conquest, told from the point of view of the conquered the aztecs. Miguel leonportilla has long been at the forefront of expanding that history to include the voices of indigenous peoples. Throughout the book the broken spears we are introduced to the array of emotions and perspectives of the indigenous people, as. Most history documents the spanish conquest of the aztec empire having taken place between 1519 and 1521, but as told in broken spears, there is record of the aztecs having received a bad omen almost ten years prior to the arrival of the spaniards. Get the details on what these assignments entail and how to write a great book report. Start reading with the introduction xxv and continue through p.
Chapter nine highlights two accounts of the massacre that occurred during the fiesta of. Miguel le\u00f3nportilla has long been at the forefront of expanding that history to include the voices of indigenous peoples. The motive behind this conquest was cortes desire to bring a fortune of gold, spices, and land that can be claimed, back to spain. He describes aztec cultural life amongst the nahua peoples, the importance of translators that spoke nahuatl, and the struggle of accounts that were written by eyewitnesses well after the spanish conquest of mexico. View the new experience and read this book on fulcrum. Motecuhzoma was shocked by what the messengers had to report. In this updated edition of the classic the broken spears, leonportilla has included accounts from native aztec descendants across the centuries. The aztec account of the conquest of mexico this is a classic first published in the 50s by miguel leonportilla. Portilla takes the approach of discussing the entire war, battle b.
The broken spears is the story of the conquest of mexico, as told by the conquered. Fascinating and moving native aztec descriptions of cortezs conquest of mexico. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. The broken spears talks about the conquest of cortes, although it dates back ten years before his arrival in the east coast of. The broken spears by miguel leonportilla free essays.
The broken spears is a book written by miguel leonportilla that gives accounts of the fall of the aztec empire to the spanish in the early 16th century. For hundreds of years, the history of the conquest of mexico and the defeat of the aztecs has been told in the words of the spanish victors. Leonportilla translates a very similar rendition of the issue of internal division. About the broken spears 2007 revised edition for hundreds of years, the history of the conquest of mexico and the defeat of the aztecs has been told in the words of the spanish victors. The aztec account of the conquest of mexico by miguel leonportilla is an account of the years 15191521 when cortes and his men entered mexico and began conquering it. Broken spears essaysthe author argues that the spanish were completely at fault for the total destruction of the aztec empire. I picked this book online to feed my interest in the history of my parents home country. The smoke that comes out with it has a pestilent odor.
Broken spears and other kinds of academic papers in our essays database at many essays. In this new and updated edition of his classic the broken spears, le\u00f3nportilla has included accounts from native aztec descendants across the centuries. The second chapters of the book, titled first reports of spaniards arrival, sightings of floating mountains were reported to have been seen off of coast. The indigenous people of the surrounding areas hated the aztecs and wanted their territories back. First collected in 1962, now in a new expanded and updated edition. In the book, the broken spears, miguel leonportilla provides the reader with a chronological account of the events that lead up to the spanish conquest of the aztec empire in mexico. The overall advantage of both the broken spears and columbian exchange accounts is that it has lead to advancement in medical fight against small pox and other diseases, as well as documentation of the effects of cultural exchanges.
The book the broken spears is a very interesting and illuminating scholarly work about the important historical event of the spanish conquest of the aztecs. The aztec account of the conquest of mexico 2nd edition by leonportilla, miguel isbn. The aztec account of the conquest of mexico boston. Broken spears general questions i whose account is being portrayed in the book. The book is much different from others written about the defeat of the empire because it was written from the vantage point of the aztecs. Your purchase of books or other items through links on this site helps keep this free educational site on the web. Foreword, the foreword, authored by mexican american university professor j. These texts bear witness to the extraordinary vitality of an oral tradition that preserves the viewpoints of the vanquished instead of the victors.
In the book originally written by miguel leonportilla, mirroring the event way back in 1519 when hernan cortes sailed from cuba to mexico and entered the capital of the aztecs, there were accounts that he gathered from the basic viewpoint of the aztec tribe. Also, as you read, make use of the map on the title page of the book. The broken spears is a book written by miguel leonportilla that gives accounts of the fall of the aztec empire to. The aztec account of the conquest of mexico this aztec account of the encounter between the spanish and the in dians of mexico was written some years after the events described. Narrative essay the broken spears broken spears narrative after reading the broken spears you will understand that the work is not intended to be an absolutely accurate reflection of the events during the colonization of mexico, rather various accounts, utilizing different means in which the nahua people were able to cope and survive through the events unfolding around them. The aztec account of the conquest of mexico author. These texts bear witness to the extraordinary vitality of an oral. The tale is told from the writings and images of the people who were conquered. The bulk of the book consists of a chronological reordering of excerpts from different codices and histories, though no attempt is made to. The monograph broken spears is structured through three distinct sections. The book talks about everything significant in the aztec society that took place during this time of conquest. Its a beautiful book that reads something like an epic, with all the elements of tragedy, comedy and poetry. The broken spears by miguel leonportilla 856 words. The aztec account of the conquest of mexico edited by miguel leonportilla with a forward by j.
One section describes attaching defibrillator electrodes to restart a heart. In broken spears, the author explains how many factors other than spanish power contributed to the downfall of the aztecs. A skilled, intimate, and remarkable portrayal of an enigmatic culture. The broken spears 2007 revised edition ebook by miguel. Chapter summary for miguel leonportillas the broken spears. Spanish christian monks helped a postconquest generation of aztec nahuatl speakers translate the illustrated manuscripts of the con quest period. For hundreds of years, the history of the conquest of mexico and the defeat of the aztecs has been told in the words of.