The Allure of Nezahualcoyotl: Pre-Hispanic History, Religion, and Nahua Poetics

296 Pages·2008·17.62 MB·English

by  Jongsoo Lee

Lee
HISToRy • LATIN AMeRICA
“Unlike the Franciscans, some friars of Nezahualcoyotl (1402–1472), the “poet­king”
other religious orders such as the Dominicans,
of Texcoco, has been described as one of the most Th
Augustinians, and Jesuits maintained a dif­
important pre­Hispanic figures in Nahua history.
fusionist rather than a millennial approach, e
Since the conquest, numerous historians and
arguing that the New World had already A
been preached to by Saint Thomas, one of literary critics have continually portrayed him as
the apostles whom Jesus sent to evangelize l
a symbol of Aztec civilization and culture, a wise
l
the world. These friars found several significant u
governor and lawmaker, poet and patron of the arts,
similarities between Christian and indigenous
and proto­monotheist. Their chronicles have served Jongsoo Lee is an associate r
religious practices, such as the use of the cross,
e
fasting, and self­sacrifice. . . . as sources for anthropologists, historians, and professor of Spanish and teaches “For the indigenous peoples, the conquest

“In the chronicles of the friars, Nezahual­ literary critics who focus on these contrived images o meant the brutal destruction of their
pre-Hispanic and colonial Latin f
coyotl and his city, Texcoco, began to appear world system under colonial exploitation,
and continually reproduce the colonial propaganda N
respectively as a wise and prudent king and American literature and culture whereas for the Spanish colonizers, it meant
on Nezahualcoyotl. This, as Jongsoo Lee argues,
a cultural center of pre­Hispanic Mexico. . . . the great inauguration of building a New
in the Department of Foreign e
By presenting Nezahualcoyotl as a religious subsequently leads to a misrepresentation of the World under Christianity. The Spaniards in
z
skeptic and prudent legal practitioner before history, religion, literature, and politics of pre­ Languages and Literatures at the the sixteenth century were fervent, religious
a
the conquest, the friars wanted to demonstrate men and considered the conquest of the
Hispanic Mexico that are altered to support University of North Texas.
h
that the indigenous people, who doubted their Aztec empire as God’s providence. . . . The
such images of Nezahualcoyotl.
own gods and maintained highly advanced u Spanish friars of the sixteenth century in
institutions, would welcome the new religion Lee provides a new assessment of New Spain actively engaged in examining
a
and would be capable of accomplishing the Nezahualcoyotl that critically examines and interpreting the indigenous world. . . .
l
friars’ dream of establishing the Indian church c The main purpose of friars’ writing about
original Nahua codices and poetry along side
founded on Christianity.” o indigenous society was not to record the
Spanish chronicles in an effort to paint a more
—from The Allure of Nezahualcoyotl past as it was, but to find a better way to
y
realistic portrait of the legendary Aztec figure. evangelize the natives. . . .
o
Urging scholars away from sources that reinforce Allure Nezahualcoyotl “The Franciscans in sixteenth­century
University of t The of New Spain tried to establish an ideal Indian
a Judeo­Christian perspective of pre­Hispanic l
NEW MEXICO Press church that would prepare for the arrival
history, Lee offers a revision of the colonial images
unmpress.com of the Messiah and construct the Christian
Pre-Hispanic History, Religion,
of Nahua history and culture that have continued 800-249-7737 millennial kingdom on earth. . . .
over the last five hundred years. and Nahua Poetics
—Continued on back flap
Jacket illustration: Nezahualcoyotl (1402–1472) in a warrior isbn 978­0­8263­4337­6
ËxHSKIMGy343376zv*:+:!:+:!
costume, Códice Ixtlilxochitl (1996:f. 106r). Reproduced with
permission of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
JoNgsoo Lee
Jacket design: Melissa Tandysh
The Allure of Nezahualcoyotl
Map of central Mexico in the Aztec period.
Allure
The of
Nezahualcoyotl
Pre-Hispanic History,
Religion, and
Nahua Poetics
Jongsoo Lee
University of new Mexico Press AlbUqUerqUe
© 2008 by the University of new Mexico Press
All rights reserved. Published 2008
Printed in the United states of America
13 12 11 10 09 08 1 2 3 4 5 6
library of congress cataloging-in-Publication Data
lee, Jongsoo, 1964–
The allure of nezahualcoyotl : pre-Hispanic history, religion, and nahua poetics /
Jongsoo lee.
p. cm.
includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-8263-4337-6 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. nezahualcóyotl, King of texcoco, 1402–1472. 2. Aztecs—Kings and rulers—biography.
3. texcoco de Mora (Mexico)—Antiquities. 4. nahuatl poetry—History and criticism.
i. title.
f1219.75.n49l44 2008
972’.018—dc22
2007048454
An earlier version of chapter 4 appeared as “Analyzing nezahualcoyotl’s texcoco: Politics,
conquests, and laws,” Estudios de Cultura Nahuatl 37 (2006): 231–52. reproduced by
permission. An earlier version of chapter 5 appeared as “nezahualcoyotl and the notion
of individual Authorship in nahuatl Poetry,” Confluencia 20, no. 1 (2004): 73–86. Parts
of chapters 6 and 7 were published in “A re-interpretation of nahuatl Poetics: rejecting
the image of nezahualcoyotl as a Peaceful Poet,” Colonial Latin American Review 12, no. 2
(2003): 232–49. reproduced by permission. see www.informaworld.com. Part of chapter 8
appeared as “westernization of nahuatl religion: nezahualcoyotl’s Unknown God,” Latin
American Indian Literatures Journal 19, no. 1 (2003): 19–48. reproduced by permission.
An earlier version of the epilogue appeared as “The colonial legacy in cardenal’s Poetry:
images of quetzalcoatl, nezahualcoyotl, and the Aztecs,” Hispania 87, no. 1 (2004): 22–31.
© 2004 The American Association of teachers of spanish and Portuguese, inc. reproduced
by permission.
book design and type composition by Melissa tandysh
composed in 11/13.5 Adobe Jensen Pro T Display type is brioso Pro
To Jiyoung and Gia

contents
list of illustrations / ix
Acknowledgments / xi
introduction / 1
Part One: The sources / 17
chapter one: The sources, colonial ideology,
and texcoca regionalism / 19
Part Two: revising Pre-Hispanic History / 47
chapter two: founding the texcoca Dynasty:
chichimec xolotl and toltec topiltzin
quetzalcoatl / 49
chapter three: revisiting Pre-Hispanic central
Mexico: texcoca reality before nezahualcoyotl / 73
chapter four: reexamining nezahualcoyotl’s texcoco:
Politics, Government, and legal system / 96
Part Three: revising the study of nahua Poetics / 129
chapter five: nezahualcoyotl and the notion
of individual Authorship in nahua Poetry / 131
chapter six: A reinterpretation of nahua
Poetics: nahua cosmogony, nahua songs,
and nezahualcoyotl / 151
chapter seven: A reinterpretation of
nahua Poetic Themes: ephemerality,
war and sacrifice, and nezahualcoyotl / 173
vii
Part Four: revising the study of nahua religion / 191
chapter eight: The westernization of nahua
religion: nezahualcoyotl’s Unknown God / 193
chapter nine: conclusion / 229
epilogue: nezahualcoyotl and the irony of
colonialism in ernesto cardenal’s Poetry / 233
notes / 241
Glossary / 254
references / 260
index / 271
viii contents
list of illustrations
frontispiece. Map of central Mexico in the Aztec period ii
fig. 2.1. quinatzin as the first ruler of texcoco and his reception
of the two immigrant groups, tlailotlaca and chimalpaneca 51
fig. 2.2. tlotzin’s and quinatzin’s foundation of texcoco 52
fig. 2.3. quinatzin-tlaltecatzin’s founding of texcoco 53
fig. 2.4. Three chichimec leaders of the eastern basin of Mexico 55
fig. 2.5. xolotl’s arrival at the basin of Mexico 58
fig. 2.6. xolotl’s reception of the three chichimec leaders 60
fig. 2.7. xolotl’s subject city-states 61
fig. 2.8. tenacacaltzin’s succession to nopaltzin and his departure
from tenayuca 62
fig. 2.9. chichimec leaders searching for the colhua princess 68
fig. 3.1. Huetzin receives tribute from yacanex and his subjects 77
fig. 3.2. chichimec war between Huetzin and yacanex 79
fig. 3.3. tepanec-Acolhuacan war 80
fig. 3.4. techotlalatzin’s attack on xaltocan 84
fig. 3.5. Acolman and its subject cities during Huehue ixtlilxochitl’s
and tezozomoc’s reign 85
fig. 3.6. Preparation for the tepanec-Acolhuacan war and the
appointment of nezahualcoyotl as the legitimate heir
of texcoco 88
fig. 3.7. tezozomoc’s distribution of Acolhuacan cities after
the tepanec-Acolhuacan war 89
fig. 3.8. tlotzin’s toltecization near coatlichan 92
fig. 3.9. quinatzin’s reception of the tlailotlaca 93
fig. 3.10. techotlalatzin’s reception of the four immigrant groups 94
ix