The original purpose of the Codex Mendoza seems to have been to provide royal policymakers with reliable information about the functioning of the former Aztec empire
Why is the Codex Mendoza important?
The Codex Mendoza is an Aztec codex, believed to have been created around the year 1541. It contains a history of both the Aztec rulers and their conquests as well as a description of the daily life of pre-conquest Aztec society .
Why was the Codex Mendoza created?
It was created just 20 years after the conquest of Mexico by Spanish forces, meaning that the creators were able to provide information about the pre-conquest Aztec Empire . De Mendoza meant the codex to be a gift for Emperor Charles V of Spain to provide him with information about his new subjects.
What does the Codex Mendoza represent?
The codex, now known as the Codex Mendoza, contained information about the lords of Tenochtitlan, the tribute paid to the Aztecs, and an account of life “from year to year .” The artist or artists were indigenous, and the images were often annotated in Spanish by a priest that spoke Nahuatl, the language spoken by the ...
What was the Aztec codex used for?
Overview: Aztec Codices One of the best primary sources of information on Aztec culture, they served as calendars, ritual texts, almanacs, maps, and historical manuscripts of the Aztec people , spanning from before the Spanish conquest through the colonial era.
Is the Codex Mendoza a primary source?
Compiled in 1542, and richly illustrated, the Codex Mendoza is one of the key primary sources from Aztec times . ... The original Codex Mendoza resides in the library of Oxford University.
Where was the Codex Mendoza originally intended to be sent?
Context/Collection History
The Codex Mendoza was originally sent, via Spanish flotilla, from Veracruz to Charles V, King of Spai. On this trans-Atlantic trip, French pirates seized it and other booty. The King of France, Henry II, thus became its first royal owner.
Who was the Codex Mendoza created for?
Sometimes the record of a culture is made by its conqueror. This manuscript was commissioned by Antonio de Mendoza, first Viceroy of Mexico 1535-1550, for presentation to the Emperor Charles V of Spain .
How was a codex made?
What is a codex? A codex is essentially an ancient book, consisting of one or more quires of sheets of papyrus or parchment folded together to form a group of leaves, or pages .
Who created the codex Magliabechiano?
It is named after Antonio Magliabechi , a 17th-century Italian manuscript collector, and is held in the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Florence, Italy. It was created on European paper, with drawings and Spanish language text on both sides of each page.
How did the Aztecs depict a wedding in the Codex Mendoza?
This famous scene from the Codex Mendoza reveals much about the background to a wedding in Aztec days... Aztec wedding ceremonies took place at night, with a torch-lit procession which escorted the bride to the groom’s house . ... The bride’s mother tied a cape on the groom but placed his new loincloth before him.
Why did they build their empire on swampy land?
Where was it located? Tenochtitlan was located on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco in what is today south central Mexico. The Aztecs were able to settle there because no one else wanted the land. At first, it wasn’t a great place to start a city, but soon the Aztecs built up islands where they could grow crops.
Where can I read the Florentine Codex?
The Florentine Codex can be seen at www.wdl.org/10096/ . Information about the Medicea Laurenziana Library can be found at www.bml.firenze.sbn.it/ . Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution.
Why did Aztecs build temples?
Temple-pyramids were used for religious ceremonies and sacrifice . ... The Aztecs believed their pyramids were the homes of their gods and places of worship. Burials have been found within their walls, and the pyramids were also used to perform rituals of sacrifice.
Who destroyed Aztec codices?
Most of the codices were destroyed by conquistadors and Catholic priests in the 16th century. The codices have been named for the cities where they eventually settled. The Dresden codex is generally considered the most important of the few that survive.
How many Aztec gods are there in total?
Scholars studying the Aztec (or Mexica) religion have identified no fewer than 200 gods and goddesses , divided into three groups. Each group supervises one aspect of the universe: the heaven or the sky; the rain, fertility and agriculture; and, finally, war and sacrifice.
