Abstract
Chapter 2 reads one of the Aztec songs preserved in the text called the “Cantares Mexicanos” as a popular commentary on and memory of the battle for Tenochtitlan. It names and mourns many of the heroic warriors who died in the war, describing them metaphorically as fish and other aquatic animals from Lake Texcoco. At the same time that the song speaks of death and destruction, it also speaks of resilience, and offers a promise of survival. The chapter guides readers to these references, moving them beyond the surface references to Christianity that were layered on top of an older song.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | After the Broken Spears |
| Subtitle of host publication | The Aztecs in the Wake of Conquest |
| Editors | Camilla Townsend, Josh Anthony |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Chapter | 2 |
| Pages | 30-44 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780197776216 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780197776186, 9780197776179 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 29 Dec 2025 |
User-Defined Keywords
- Cantares Mexicanos
- Aztec song
- Aztec poetry
- conquest of Mexico
- Mexican conquest
- Tenochtitlan
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