The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends

by Camilla Townsend

The essential guide to the world of Aztec mythology, based on Nahuatl-language sources that challenge the colonial history passed down to us by the Spanish.


From their remote origins as migrating tribes to their rise as builders of empire, the Aztecs were among the most dynamic and feared peoples of ancient Mexico, with a belief system that was one of the most complex and vital in the ancient world. Historian Camilla Townsend returns to the original tales, told at the fireside by generations of Indigenous Nahuatl speakers. Along the way, she deals with human sacrifice, the raising of great temples, and the troubling legacy of the Spanish conquest.


Few cultures are generally understood to have been so controlled by their religion as the Aztecs, and few religions are envisioned as being as violent and celebratory of death as theirs. In this introduction to the Aztec myths, Townsend draws from sixteenth-century historical annals and songs written down by Nahuatl-speaking peoples, now known as the Aztecs, in their own language to counter this narrative, inherited from the conquering Spaniards. In doing so, she reveals a rich tapestry of mythic tradition that defies modern expectations.


Townsend retells stories ranging from the creation of the world, revealing the Aztec cosmological vision of nature and the divine, to legends of the Aztecs’ own past that show how they understood the foundation of their state and the course of their wars. She considers the impact of colonial contact on the myths and demonstrates that Indigenous engagement with the new cultural customs introduced by the Europeans never entirely uprooted old ways of thinking.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mythology, History, Religion, Native American, Indigenous, Historical

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 4, 2024

About the author

Camilla Townsend (Ph.D., Rutgers University) is professor of history at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ). Her special interest is in the relations between indigenous peoples and Europeans throughout the Americas.

Reviews

[DinosaursAtWork · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really committed to one of my biggest non-fiction pet peeves: intermixing blocks of art and different topics into the main text, completely and repeatedly disrupting the reading flow.
I expected a stronger focus on myths and less history. The history was welcome but the myths were in part very short mentions and I wish more space would have been given to dive into them, their characters and relationships.
This book took me a very long time to read (largely but not only because I was busy with other things) and I would say that I retained little but a wish to learn more. If more time and space would have been dedicated to the characters and historical figures, I think I would have taken away more from the book.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sensitively written and thought provoking

[Jesse Koerhuis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very interesting look into the Nahua (Aztecs) history from ~1300 to ~1520. What initially drew me to this book was the mythology - culturally tied stories about gods, demons, monsters, etc. However, I expected these to be written more like a "novel" form. They are actually presented like you're sitting in history class and listening to a teacher explain how things were uncovered and translated. Still very interesting, but not what I hoped it would be. Nonetheless, the best thing about the book was learning about all the crazy divine characters from a culture we weren't taught much about (in the Netherlands). And on top of that you learn how to read and pronounce Nahuatl words, the language of the Nahuas, which is still spoken to this day in central Mexico! Strange languages from ancient cultures? Love that stuff. The words look so pretty. Take the life god Quetzalcoatl (kwe-tzal-ko-at), the word for flower "Xochitl" (shoh-chit), or the Axolotl which is actually pronounced as "Ah-shoh-lot". Give it a read if you love these things, but don't expect a compilation of mythological stories.

[Madeline]

amazing insight into the world of some Aztec myths- putting Spanish accounts aside! To those who take umbridge with the lack of reference to Spanish accounts, you must be forgetting that the Nahuas were and still are a people that can tell their stories themselves!

[Max Krijnen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and interesting read, but not what I expected. The book is more about the world behind the stories, not so much about the actual myths the Aztecs told.

[nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

que coisa mais linda .

[Tom Meade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this thinking it would be a straightforward collection of myths, legends and folktales. It turns out it's more of a slightly rambling interweaving of Mexican history and myths, drawn exclusively from Nahuatl sources and with the unsubtle aim of rehabilitating the reputation of the pre-Columbian Mexicans and providing context for the many brutal and sensationalist stories we've all heard. I felt a little cheated, really, but it's not the books fault it wasn't what I expected. I did enjoy it and find it interesting, more for the historical information than anything. I don't know that I really wanted the Aztecs to be rehabilitated - my ancestors, the Celts, Romans and Germanics, all inhabited shockingly brutal worlds, commited numerous atrocities, and practiced human sacrifice. And yet, like the Aztecs, they were also brilliant, complex and sensitive peoples who thought great thoughts and produced great art.

But this was an enlightening book and a good antidote to the sensationalism one usually encounters when reading about the subject.

[Michal Paszkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book very interesting. And that is in spite of the disappointment that the author happily rejects spanish texts, while at the same time acknowledging the bloodthirsty rituals that took place.

Particularly odd is that she writes that the Aztec authors don't write "like cruel people". Perhaps she needs to redefine her understanding of how cruel people write.

[Brendan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn’t live up to the title for me. Discussion of myths was interwoven with history, which is a nice idea, however in practice some chapters tended more toward the history end of the spectrum rather than the myths. I also felt the writing was a bit dry at times.

[Eduardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entry in a series by this publisher, Thames & Hudson, about different mythologies from around the world. Previously, the Celtic and Japanese mythology books have been reviewed; I have read the Egyptian one, but that was back in graduate school. I found this one here and picked it up to give it a try.

This one’s actually a bit disappointing. Camilla Townsend clearly knows her stuff; along with this, she’s written a book about the history of the Aztec Triple Alliance. The problem is that she seems not at all interested in the mythology itself, or at least telling it to us. The first section of the book tells some of the key bits of mythology, sometimes in rather vague terms (the first Four Suns are breezed through), before the book makes the switch to talk instead about the history and culture of the Mexica people.

Which is fine, I guess, but that’s not what the book is meant to be about. I understand that you’re going to need some cultural context to understand the people who believed in these myths, but I kept asking when we’d get back to actual myths, and we just… don’t. I suppose there are some legends, and discussions about misconceptions about Mexica culture, but that’s not the same thing. Gods and monsters! That’s why we’re here!

It’s not a bad book, especially for reference. It’s got a lot going for it. But it’s not really an ‘Aztec mythology’ book as much as a general culture book about the people. Which makes the book a bit disappointing.

[Milly Roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening and fascinating introduction to Aztec history and beliefs.

I had been meaning to read a bit about Mesoamerican civilisations and cultures and this was an excellent place to start. Townsend does a fantastic job of introducing every aspect of the Aztecs and helps guide the reader towards a comprehensive understanding of who they were and what they believed. Her insistence on using Nahuatl sources and attempting to avoid influence by the Spanish colonisers was particularly commendable and so it felt like real thought had been put into constructing an accurate representation of Aztec beliefs.

One thing to note is that this book serves as an excellent introduction to the history and myths of the people in the central Mexico basin pre-conquest, but goes further into detailing some of the historical context and thought processes behind sources used and post-conquest influence and so is not simply a re-telling of Aztec myths but an in-depth introduction to their culture with a view of their whole history including the conquest by the Spanish.

[Adam Hare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to pre-contact Náhua stories. Townsend endeavors to only cite pre-contact works or those likely to have minimal Spanish influence (although she includes a passage that seems to “predict” forthcoming Christianity). I quite like this approach, even though it limits what Townsend can cover as few of these texts exist.

The Aztec pantheon seems poorly understood from what I’ve read here and elsewhere, but Townsend does a good job of giving you the basics. Much of the text is dedicated to the Mexica (~Aztec) people’s history in the sort of quasi-historical form familiar to students of other mythological systems. Homer was likely remembering a real conflict at Troy, although the details have passed to myth; the stories presented here should likewise be understood to capture more the sense of historical events rather than the literal details.

This does cover a lot of the same ground as the early chapters of Fifth Sun, but with a different focus. If your interest is on pre-contact Mexica rather than the conquest, you should start here.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read for the author's commitment to challenging apparent centuries of lazy scholarship about the Aztec/Nahuatl beliefs and practices, a tendency to take at face value stories that clearly grew out of Spanish propaganda against the indigenous political and religious organizations they had overthrown. It is honestly surprising that there is so little scholarship drawing on the native-language sources recorded in the early post-conquest period. But it often left me wanting, providing only brief glimpses of what is recorded as the text provides a broad survey of beliefs and practices bundled together with an historical overview of the Aztec empire.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I haven't read a lot of books on Mesoamerican mythology or lore. I'm Mexican and I wanted to learn more about my Indigenous ancestors. I love this book.

The author is respectful and truthful. She doesn't lie like most books written by monks or Christians. But she also doesn't paint the Aztecs as perfect.

After reading this book, I understand that my Indigenous ancestors were just like my Celtic ones. If they banded together instead of going to war with each other the Spanish and the British wouldn't have taken over.

I wish there was more info on the Chicimeca because those are the people my parents are descended from.

Overall, I loved this book.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had great expectations for this book, listening up to a series of podcasts on the Mexicas and the fall of the Aztec empire. The premise to build on mostly on sources in Nahuatl and by Indigenous peoples over translations or stories by the conquistadors is brilliant. However, the structure of the book can be a bit confusing and with the introduction of so many words and names in Nahuatl it can be hard to follow. Nevertheless, it opens up a new and beautiful world for a culture we thought was long lost, but is still thriving and invites to be engaged with.

[ConfusedMagpie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautifully written book: An amazing introduction jnto Aztec culture, a loving tribute to their myths and traditions and a perfect starting point to further delve into ancient and modern Mexico. Not only that, but the book in itself is beautiful (something I rarely get to appreciate, since I tend to prefer run down paperbacks I wont feel guilty about destroying), with the most delicious paper and the nicest illustrations.

[Ronel Janse van Vuuren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The myths that were covered were interesting. I would have liked to learn more about other deities like Xochipilli (god of beauty, youth, love, fertility, sexuality, arts and flowers) as those stories would’ve been a good foil for all the violence in some of the other myths.
A good, if broad, introduction to Aztec culture, history and beliefs – though I expected more on the myth end of things based on the title.

[Dave Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected but still informative and enjoyable. I was expecting a direct retelling/translation of a selection of Aztec myths. Instead this book gives an overview of the history and culture of the groups that made up the Aztecs, and uses passages from their myths to illustrate. Well worth a read.

[K. Citlaly · Rating 4 out of 5]

me in hell: bring me the spaniards who burned all of the pre-conquest books

a good reminder to always keep in mind the goal of the author of a story, and how what they choose to highlight is sometimes a discreet way of implementing their agenda

[Matt Person · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads more as a history of the Mexica people than a compendium of Aztec myths necessarily, but well done, graphics as appropriate, and a good counter-narrative to the colonial saviorism of the Spanish against the non-Christian native peoples.

[Kieran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book using Nahuatl sources, explains and dispels myths around the Aztecs. Makes me really wish I could see the island on a lake city of Tenochtitlan in its prime, with all its temples and markets. Alas. The books brings the people to life. 4 stars because I wanted it to be longer.

[harvey ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was slightly all over the place for the layreader, but I enjoyed the religious and story anecdotes and I appreciated her devotion to dispelling popular contemporary myths about the Nahua (usually ones that characterize them as especially macabre.)

[Errol Orhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear, joyous and compassionate book. A real treat!

[Kimberlyyyreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always fuck the Spainards FRRRR

[Philtatos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the greatest ‘myth’ this book educated me was the ‘myths’ created by colonialism to justify their escapades against the people we call ‘Aztec’.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book on a subject I know very little about. It was a lesson in natural language with pronunciation guides interspersed in the reading. I enjoyed this little volume immensely.

[Alexa Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think an essential addition to Fifth Sun and an important read no matter what. Educational, deeply interesting and enlightening.

[Jeroen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit boek zit een beetje tussen een vertelling van mythes en vertelling van geschiedenis in. Het is een leuke intro voor geschiedenis over de Aztecen, maar mist wat diepgang.

[Ignacio Sanvicens Zilles · Rating 5 out of 5]

No book has kept me as engaged as this one has for a substantial amount of time.

[Siri Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Aztec Myths is the seventh book in the series on world mythology, following the Celtic, Norse, Egyptian, Greek and Roman, Japanese, and Chinese Myths. Like previous installments, the book offers a great introduction to the world of mythology, in this case the mythology of the Aztecs (or, more correctly, the Mexica). The Aztec Myths stood out to me esepcially for its approach, which largely discounts the testimonies of Spanish writers in favour of focusing on what has been preserved as written accounts and folk traditions from the Mexica themselves and from their descendants. This provides a fresh new look at the traditions and belief systems of the Mexica before, during, and after the arrival of Europeans, rendering the book an engaging and thought-provoking read with many interesting observations based on a combination of written sources, tradition, and archaeology. The structure of the book is easy to follow, and the writing keeps the reader engaged. A great addition to the series. Highly recommended.