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The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico
Until 1959, when this book was published for the first time, the only organized testimony about the Conquest was the victorious chronicle of the Spaniards themselves. Miguel León-Portilla had the incomparable success of organizing texts translated from Nahuatl by Ángel María Garibay Kintana to give us the The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico: Indigenous people of Tenochtitlán, Tlatelolco, Texcoco, Chalco and Tlaxcala were formed about the struggle against the conquerors and the final ruin of the Aztec world.
An account of the omens that announced the disaster, a description of Cortes' progress, a chronicle of the heroic battle of the ancient Mexicans in defense of their culture and of their own lives, a civilization that was lost forever, a great epic poem of the origins of Mexican nationality, The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico is already a classic book and an indispensable reading work.
An account of the omens that announced the disaster, a description of Cortes' progress, a chronicle of the heroic battle of the ancient Mexicans in defense of their culture and of their own lives, a civilization that was lost forever, a great epic poem of the origins of Mexican nationality, The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico is already a classic book and an indispensable reading work.
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
356 people are currently reading
6998 people want to read
About the author
Miguel León-Portilla
200 books118 followersMiguel León-Portilla was a Mexican anthropologist and historian. He was one of the most reputable and commonly cited authorities on Aztec culture and literature in the pre-Columbian and colonial eras among Mexican academia. Many of his works have been translated to English and are widely read.
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February 13, 2014
I had to read this for my intro class to Latin America from prehistory to 1800. I absolutely enjoyed reading it. Getting a peak into what the Mexicas felt, saw, and experienced was priceless for understanding the Conquest of Mexico in full. The language though melancholy was quite beautiful. I highly recommend for all history fans.
April 14, 2017
A must-read for all those interested in a history not often written: A history written by the nearly vanquished. Before read this book, I did not understand why Mexico still has a significant number of citizens who still speak native languages as either their first or their only language. They were nearly vanquished.
I knew that English language has survived the English royalty being defeated. I was taught at university that English was the only language my professors knew to have kept thein language and did not switch their language to that of the ruling class. That was what my professors of English and rhetoric knew. Know I know differently. And I am glad to know how the Mexican natives have held on their languages.
I knew that English language has survived the English royalty being defeated. I was taught at university that English was the only language my professors knew to have kept thein language and did not switch their language to that of the ruling class. That was what my professors of English and rhetoric knew. Know I know differently. And I am glad to know how the Mexican natives have held on their languages.
June 9, 2015
No siempre hay una sola verdad frente a un hecho. "Visión de los vencidos: crónicas indígenas" es justamente el otro lado de la conquista, contado por los que vivieron, sufrieron y vieron su cultura perderse a causa de la conquista.
Tuve que leerlo a las apuradas para realizar un trabajo sobre las crónicas indígenas, y en verdad es muy completo. Me ha dado mucha información que no estaba al tanto, y lo agradezco.
Siempre es bueno conocer los dos lados de una misma moneda.
Tuve que leerlo a las apuradas para realizar un trabajo sobre las crónicas indígenas, y en verdad es muy completo. Me ha dado mucha información que no estaba al tanto, y lo agradezco.
Siempre es bueno conocer los dos lados de una misma moneda.
November 30, 2012
A History by the Defeated, for the Defeated
History has always been written by the winners and for the winners. This has never been truer than the account of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. The history that has been taught in schools gives an account of a heroic battle between “good” and “evil”; however the accounts in Miguel Leon-Portilla’s Broken Spears sheds new light on a subject that has been dulled by relentless repetition of a victor’s history.
The importance of a collection of accounts such as the one found in Broken Spears has untold value both in its factual documents shared by the native people who were witness to the events that occurred during the conquest, and also for its expressive value that many cultures throughout history and the present can perhaps, relate to. The idea that the facts of the Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs are well known is an enduring illusion that needs to be reconciled with the accounts of the witnesses of these events. What is imperative to understanding the importance of this collection of accounts is that for hundreds of years, the Aztec people and their descendents were completely denied a voice in the chronicling of their own history. Broken Spears gives the voice that was found wanted, and re-affirms the history of the Aztec Empire.
As callous as it sounds, especially after reading these accounts, I find that I have never really thought about the Aztec Empire. I have been herded in by the history that I was spoon fed through early education. I never realized what a significant event this was, both in the telling of my history as an American; but more importantly for the people of the Aztec Empire. I can honestly say that all of the information that I absorbed from reading these accounts was brand new for me. I found the entire book fascinating, and think that it should be added to the required texts in the curriculum of schools. It is like when the “Great Oz” is unveiled; the reader is both shocked, and amazed by the events.
One specific passage in the book that really amazed me is as follows: “Thus encouraged, they grew so brave that the slaughter and havoc increased beyond imagining” (page 45). This passage is part of a detailing that illustrates the massacre at Cholula; which was truly a massacre as the native people of Cholula were unarmed and had no warning of an impending attack. Another important element of this history that is compelling for me is that the Spaniards were quick to align themselves with the Tlaxcaltecas; which was always complete unknown to me. Again, the history that is taught in school tells the story of how Cortes defeated the Aztecs with just his thin numbers of Soldiers, and to realize that he aligned himself with this large group of natives, who then pursued a personal vendetta against this virtually innocent neighboring tribe is shocking.
With all of this virtually new information on the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire, there can still be only one way that chips fall in regards to the outcome. Tenochtitlan falls. The Aztec people were in no place to take up battle with the Spaniards and their new found allies. Gunpowder, advanced technology, ideology and disease all played a key role in the fall of Tenochtitlan.
Firstly, gunpowder was completely unknown to the Aztec people. When Motecuhzoma sent his messengers to greet Cortes they were nearly overcome with fear; as was undoubtedly Cortes’ goal, when Cortes fired his cannon. [The messengers were bound with chains] “When this had been done, the great cannon was fired off. The messengers lost their senses and fainted away” (page 26). This excerpt from Broken Spears does a fantastic job of showing the demeanor of Cortes straight from the first encounter with the Aztec Empire. He takes this opportunity to show his power over them, and strike fear into their hearts.
Not only was gunpowder a form of advanced technology that the Spaniards had over the Aztec people, but the use of heavy metals in their armor, and their strategic advancements were also key to the defeat of Motecuhzoma and his people. Cortes was a very smart logistician and strategist when dealing with the battle he waged against the Aztecs. He showed great skill, which the Aztec people, although were also very competent when it came to battle, would be unable to overcome, or were to naïve to capitalize on when the time revealed itself.
Thirdly, ideologies played another key role in the fall of Tenochtitlan. The Aztec people had very strict beliefs and therefore rules when it came to battle. There were unprepared for the type of warfare that they would face with the Spaniards. By the time “The Night of Sorrows” took place, the rule of the Motecuhzoma lacked all legitimacy, and the people basically were acting as a militia; fighting for number one, and not an empire.
Lastly, and I think most importantly, was the spread of small pox virus throughout the country. Whether or not the Aztec people would have raged terrible war against the Spaniards and drove them off, the damage was already done. Germ warfare is deadly with a capital “D”; and the Aztec people were uncorrupted by diseases that were found in Europe at this time. This would prove to be their downfall. The toll taken on the Aztecs was so tremendous that no matter when or who or how waged war against them, they were doomed.
The significance of Broken Spears is one of reinforcement of the legitimacy of a people. In the world that we all live in today, people everywhere are fighting for recognition from their government; specifically seen the Arab Spring of 2011 and 2012. A book like this one has the opportunity not only to radically change the way that indigenous people of the Aztec Empire are viewed and evaluated by the people of the World; but also gives the descendents of this group of people a voice to be heard.
History has always been written by the winners and for the winners. This has never been truer than the account of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. The history that has been taught in schools gives an account of a heroic battle between “good” and “evil”; however the accounts in Miguel Leon-Portilla’s Broken Spears sheds new light on a subject that has been dulled by relentless repetition of a victor’s history.
The importance of a collection of accounts such as the one found in Broken Spears has untold value both in its factual documents shared by the native people who were witness to the events that occurred during the conquest, and also for its expressive value that many cultures throughout history and the present can perhaps, relate to. The idea that the facts of the Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs are well known is an enduring illusion that needs to be reconciled with the accounts of the witnesses of these events. What is imperative to understanding the importance of this collection of accounts is that for hundreds of years, the Aztec people and their descendents were completely denied a voice in the chronicling of their own history. Broken Spears gives the voice that was found wanted, and re-affirms the history of the Aztec Empire.
As callous as it sounds, especially after reading these accounts, I find that I have never really thought about the Aztec Empire. I have been herded in by the history that I was spoon fed through early education. I never realized what a significant event this was, both in the telling of my history as an American; but more importantly for the people of the Aztec Empire. I can honestly say that all of the information that I absorbed from reading these accounts was brand new for me. I found the entire book fascinating, and think that it should be added to the required texts in the curriculum of schools. It is like when the “Great Oz” is unveiled; the reader is both shocked, and amazed by the events.
One specific passage in the book that really amazed me is as follows: “Thus encouraged, they grew so brave that the slaughter and havoc increased beyond imagining” (page 45). This passage is part of a detailing that illustrates the massacre at Cholula; which was truly a massacre as the native people of Cholula were unarmed and had no warning of an impending attack. Another important element of this history that is compelling for me is that the Spaniards were quick to align themselves with the Tlaxcaltecas; which was always complete unknown to me. Again, the history that is taught in school tells the story of how Cortes defeated the Aztecs with just his thin numbers of Soldiers, and to realize that he aligned himself with this large group of natives, who then pursued a personal vendetta against this virtually innocent neighboring tribe is shocking.
With all of this virtually new information on the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire, there can still be only one way that chips fall in regards to the outcome. Tenochtitlan falls. The Aztec people were in no place to take up battle with the Spaniards and their new found allies. Gunpowder, advanced technology, ideology and disease all played a key role in the fall of Tenochtitlan.
Firstly, gunpowder was completely unknown to the Aztec people. When Motecuhzoma sent his messengers to greet Cortes they were nearly overcome with fear; as was undoubtedly Cortes’ goal, when Cortes fired his cannon. [The messengers were bound with chains] “When this had been done, the great cannon was fired off. The messengers lost their senses and fainted away” (page 26). This excerpt from Broken Spears does a fantastic job of showing the demeanor of Cortes straight from the first encounter with the Aztec Empire. He takes this opportunity to show his power over them, and strike fear into their hearts.
Not only was gunpowder a form of advanced technology that the Spaniards had over the Aztec people, but the use of heavy metals in their armor, and their strategic advancements were also key to the defeat of Motecuhzoma and his people. Cortes was a very smart logistician and strategist when dealing with the battle he waged against the Aztecs. He showed great skill, which the Aztec people, although were also very competent when it came to battle, would be unable to overcome, or were to naïve to capitalize on when the time revealed itself.
Thirdly, ideologies played another key role in the fall of Tenochtitlan. The Aztec people had very strict beliefs and therefore rules when it came to battle. There were unprepared for the type of warfare that they would face with the Spaniards. By the time “The Night of Sorrows” took place, the rule of the Motecuhzoma lacked all legitimacy, and the people basically were acting as a militia; fighting for number one, and not an empire.
Lastly, and I think most importantly, was the spread of small pox virus throughout the country. Whether or not the Aztec people would have raged terrible war against the Spaniards and drove them off, the damage was already done. Germ warfare is deadly with a capital “D”; and the Aztec people were uncorrupted by diseases that were found in Europe at this time. This would prove to be their downfall. The toll taken on the Aztecs was so tremendous that no matter when or who or how waged war against them, they were doomed.
The significance of Broken Spears is one of reinforcement of the legitimacy of a people. In the world that we all live in today, people everywhere are fighting for recognition from their government; specifically seen the Arab Spring of 2011 and 2012. A book like this one has the opportunity not only to radically change the way that indigenous people of the Aztec Empire are viewed and evaluated by the people of the World; but also gives the descendents of this group of people a voice to be heard.
April 15, 2020
Second read review April 2020:
"We are crushed to the ground; we lie in ruins. There is nothing but grief and suffering in Mexico and Tlatelolco"
Although most of the text were preserved via song and dance, I cannot help but think that even these documents are somehow tampered and doctored by the Spaniards. But the "other side" story is much more fascinating than the one we're taught at school.
The Aztecs foretold the arrival of people with godlike power that would destroy their land. And on November 1519 Hernando Cortes arrived as if on queue along with 600 men. Using their weapons, godlike reverence, and sociopath behavior they conquered a kingdom with people totaling 500K. As I delve into these Aztec written texts I think of the brutality a conqueror has to engage in order to utterly dominate their subjects. Even though famine, specifically smallpox would've killed off a lot of their people, the lack of courage and valor demonstrated by Motecuhzoma opened the doors for a swift conquest.
The Spaniards took away so much pride and mandhood form the the Aztecs that their women told them they would no longer follow tradition of respect towards their men. I find great sadness upon reading the letters addressed to the king expressing how the Aztecs were begging to be baptized and respected as men. The Spaniards showed no mercy or remorse towards them. They only wanted gold, "it made them smile and hunger like pigs".
Initial Review October 2017:
This book provides a detailed account of the destruction of the Nahuatl culture as witnessed by a few of its survivors.
Some questions I've always had with regards to the meeting of these cultures: what was going through the native's mind when they first saw these ships? And how did they interpret their own downfall?
Our knowledge of the events that transpired in the colonization process is mainly from the Spaniards point of view. Leaving an equally important narrative ignored and forgotten. For instance we know that destructive technology and monotheistic religion gave the Spanish reasons to think the "indians" were savages and inferioir. In stark contrast, the Aztecs humanized the "gods" stating in the nahuatl passages how greed consumed the barbarian's eyes at the sight of gold.
"We are crushed to the ground; we lie in ruins. There is nothing but grief and suffering in Mexico and Tlatelolco"
Although most of the text were preserved via song and dance, I cannot help but think that even these documents are somehow tampered and doctored by the Spaniards. But the "other side" story is much more fascinating than the one we're taught at school.
The Aztecs foretold the arrival of people with godlike power that would destroy their land. And on November 1519 Hernando Cortes arrived as if on queue along with 600 men. Using their weapons, godlike reverence, and sociopath behavior they conquered a kingdom with people totaling 500K. As I delve into these Aztec written texts I think of the brutality a conqueror has to engage in order to utterly dominate their subjects. Even though famine, specifically smallpox would've killed off a lot of their people, the lack of courage and valor demonstrated by Motecuhzoma opened the doors for a swift conquest.
The Spaniards took away so much pride and mandhood form the the Aztecs that their women told them they would no longer follow tradition of respect towards their men. I find great sadness upon reading the letters addressed to the king expressing how the Aztecs were begging to be baptized and respected as men. The Spaniards showed no mercy or remorse towards them. They only wanted gold, "it made them smile and hunger like pigs".
Initial Review October 2017:
This book provides a detailed account of the destruction of the Nahuatl culture as witnessed by a few of its survivors.
Some questions I've always had with regards to the meeting of these cultures: what was going through the native's mind when they first saw these ships? And how did they interpret their own downfall?
Our knowledge of the events that transpired in the colonization process is mainly from the Spaniards point of view. Leaving an equally important narrative ignored and forgotten. For instance we know that destructive technology and monotheistic religion gave the Spanish reasons to think the "indians" were savages and inferioir. In stark contrast, the Aztecs humanized the "gods" stating in the nahuatl passages how greed consumed the barbarian's eyes at the sight of gold.
April 25, 2022
With most accounts of the conquest of Mexico being from a Spanish or mestizo perspective, this collection of works is a breath of fresh air. The translation is crisp and gripping. By reading the indigenous perspective, in addition to the aforementioned Spanish accounts, we begin to form a clearer picture of the brutal birth of Mexico.
June 18, 2019
“The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico” is sadly an overstatement for this collection of writings. After reading the chronicler conquistador Bernal Diaz’s very detailed and often vivid first-hand account, these assorted Aztec accounts feel sparse and disjointed. I understand the purpose of the book was not for such detail and orderliness, but to provide a different perspective. Quite unfortunately, this perspective of a virtually alien culture seems to be almost entirely lost. However, I felt there was a lot to be gained just by understanding this loss. The take-away for me was how fleeting culture and belief can be. I did very much appreciate the details of Montezuma’s struggle with these foreign “gods”. The enigmatic and very religious man makes a little more sense with the additional stories. I would say that without the story structure of having read books like “The Conquest of New Spain” by Bernal Diaz or a more modern book like Buddy Levy’s, this book alone might feel out of context.
February 16, 2022
No és cap sorpresa que la història l'escriuen els vencedors, per això aquests llibres són imprescindibles, per donar la veu als silenciats.
September 12, 2025
Esperaba otra cosa de esta lectura, o será que simplemente quise romantizar lo que desconozco de la historia. Hay cosas que me gustaron por supuesto y empezaré por allí.
Siempre será un deleite imaginar al leer las costumbres y usos de esos tiempos, aunque se corre el riesgo de sesgar el POV de verdad disfruté algunas partes sobre todo las que describían La opulencia, riqueza y buenas costumbres, odie aquellos párrafos desdeñosos y cobardes, pero una vez más se ve que la historia se ha escrito por los vencedores.
Mantengo mis reservas de ciertos testimonios y hasta de la traducción, considerando que usa términos y expresiones que ni siquiera existían en ese entonces.
Buena a secas. Se nota que hubo mano patriarcal negra ahí por no decirle de otra manera. Llega a ser un tanto repetitiva. Lectura didáctica más que nada.
Siempre será un deleite imaginar al leer las costumbres y usos de esos tiempos, aunque se corre el riesgo de sesgar el POV de verdad disfruté algunas partes sobre todo las que describían La opulencia, riqueza y buenas costumbres, odie aquellos párrafos desdeñosos y cobardes, pero una vez más se ve que la historia se ha escrito por los vencedores.
Mantengo mis reservas de ciertos testimonios y hasta de la traducción, considerando que usa términos y expresiones que ni siquiera existían en ese entonces.
Buena a secas. Se nota que hubo mano patriarcal negra ahí por no decirle de otra manera. Llega a ser un tanto repetitiva. Lectura didáctica más que nada.
March 4, 2014
A TOP SHELF review, originally published in the February 20, 2014 edition of The Monitor
As late as the 1950s, the world primarily knew the story of Mexico’s conquest by the Spanish through the accounts of the victors, men like Hernán Cortés, Bernal Díaz del Castillo and Francisco López de Gómara. Though glimpses at the true nature of the indigenous people shine through, as does the terrible majesty of the Aztec hegemony, these histories celebrated Christian and Spanish ascendancy. There was no real balance.
In 1959, however, young anthropologist Miguel León-Portillo edited together the translations done by his mentor Ángel María Garibay Kintana of various texts written in Nahuatl by native Mexicans in the years after the Conquest. Titled Visiones de los vencidos, it was published English in 1962 as The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Fifty-two years later, it remains a singularly important work.
The bulk of the book consists of a chronological reordering of excerpts from different codices and histories, though no attempt is made to streamline the narrative, so the reader often gets several perspectives on a single event, occasionally with some contradictions.
The Broken Spears begins a decade before the arrival of Cortés, discussing the omens that seemed to indicate the approach of some dark tragedy (comets, the inexplicable burning of temples, two-headed monsters). Then the Spaniards arrive with their hunger for gold, their weapons, their horses. Moctezuma, the emperor of the Triple Alliance, seems to spiral into despair as his every attempt to keep Cortés from marching into the highlands of central Mexico fails.
Several times the gods of the Mexica warn of the impending doom, claim the chroniclers. The goddess Cihuacoatl cries out in the deep of night, weeping for the loss of her children. The god of chaos, Tezcatlipoca, appears to messengers of Moctezuma and tells them their fate is sealed.
And the Spaniards, like a cruel force of nature, keep coming. Aided by the linguistic prowess and quick mind of young Coatzacoalcan Malinalli Tenepal (la Malinche), they ally with the disgruntled peoples who have kept a steady stream of tribute and sacrificial victims flowing into Tenochtitlan. They slaughter Otomies and Cholulans. Eventually they reach Tenochtitlan, capital city of the Triple Alliance.
Though welcomed by Moctezuma, the Spaniards turn on the emperor once inside his palace. When Cortés is called away, his men slaughter innocent Mexica during the festival of Toxcatl and are driven violently from the city. But the most dangerous weapon of all soon decimates the population: smallpox. The weakened citizens withstand eighty days of siege, but in the end Tenochtitlan falls. The death toll is some 300,000 men, along with countless women and children.
The Broken Spears ends with a few heart-rending laments from the Cantares mexicanos, then explores the long-term fall-out from the Conquest with later indigenous documents. The reader is left to dwell on the tragic outcome of this clash of two mighty and brutal nations. The clear difference between the cultures was that the Spanish wanted eradication and transformation, whereas the Aztec sought power and tribute.
As late as the 1950s, the world primarily knew the story of Mexico’s conquest by the Spanish through the accounts of the victors, men like Hernán Cortés, Bernal Díaz del Castillo and Francisco López de Gómara. Though glimpses at the true nature of the indigenous people shine through, as does the terrible majesty of the Aztec hegemony, these histories celebrated Christian and Spanish ascendancy. There was no real balance.
In 1959, however, young anthropologist Miguel León-Portillo edited together the translations done by his mentor Ángel María Garibay Kintana of various texts written in Nahuatl by native Mexicans in the years after the Conquest. Titled Visiones de los vencidos, it was published English in 1962 as The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Fifty-two years later, it remains a singularly important work.
The bulk of the book consists of a chronological reordering of excerpts from different codices and histories, though no attempt is made to streamline the narrative, so the reader often gets several perspectives on a single event, occasionally with some contradictions.
The Broken Spears begins a decade before the arrival of Cortés, discussing the omens that seemed to indicate the approach of some dark tragedy (comets, the inexplicable burning of temples, two-headed monsters). Then the Spaniards arrive with their hunger for gold, their weapons, their horses. Moctezuma, the emperor of the Triple Alliance, seems to spiral into despair as his every attempt to keep Cortés from marching into the highlands of central Mexico fails.
Several times the gods of the Mexica warn of the impending doom, claim the chroniclers. The goddess Cihuacoatl cries out in the deep of night, weeping for the loss of her children. The god of chaos, Tezcatlipoca, appears to messengers of Moctezuma and tells them their fate is sealed.
And the Spaniards, like a cruel force of nature, keep coming. Aided by the linguistic prowess and quick mind of young Coatzacoalcan Malinalli Tenepal (la Malinche), they ally with the disgruntled peoples who have kept a steady stream of tribute and sacrificial victims flowing into Tenochtitlan. They slaughter Otomies and Cholulans. Eventually they reach Tenochtitlan, capital city of the Triple Alliance.
Though welcomed by Moctezuma, the Spaniards turn on the emperor once inside his palace. When Cortés is called away, his men slaughter innocent Mexica during the festival of Toxcatl and are driven violently from the city. But the most dangerous weapon of all soon decimates the population: smallpox. The weakened citizens withstand eighty days of siege, but in the end Tenochtitlan falls. The death toll is some 300,000 men, along with countless women and children.
The Broken Spears ends with a few heart-rending laments from the Cantares mexicanos, then explores the long-term fall-out from the Conquest with later indigenous documents. The reader is left to dwell on the tragic outcome of this clash of two mighty and brutal nations. The clear difference between the cultures was that the Spanish wanted eradication and transformation, whereas the Aztec sought power and tribute.
April 9, 2023
Es un hecho que nosotros, los que actualmente formamos parte de la Nación Mexicana, somos producto del mestizaje que se dio a partir de la conquista española. Gracias a ello estamos aquí…
Sin embargo, provoca tristeza e indignación, cuando se conocen las versiones sobre las vivencias de los indios de Tenochtitlán, Tlatelolco, Texcoco, Chalco y Tlaxcala… Y aún cuando estos vivieron en disputa y sometidos unos de otros, incluso algunos a favor de la traición, es indignante ver de lo que es capaz el ser humano cuando concentran su atención en el poder, el engaño y la ambición. Sentimientos y actitudes que deshumanizan y que nos vuelven bestias sin corazón.
Conocer la otra versión de los hechos ayuda a formar nuestro propio criterio. La evolución es parte del desarrollo humano. Lo indignante no es lo que sucedió…sino la forma en que se dio.
Todos tuvieron su parte de culpa.
Aprecio mucho los dibujos y los “Cantares Mexicanos”, porque manifiestan las diversas posibilidades de expresar el drama de la Conquista…tal y como fue vivida…
Y me parece un trabajo excelente por parte de Miguel León-Portilla al reunir estos textos que reflejan el alma y el sentir de los primeros seres que conformaron nuestra Nación…
Sin embargo, provoca tristeza e indignación, cuando se conocen las versiones sobre las vivencias de los indios de Tenochtitlán, Tlatelolco, Texcoco, Chalco y Tlaxcala… Y aún cuando estos vivieron en disputa y sometidos unos de otros, incluso algunos a favor de la traición, es indignante ver de lo que es capaz el ser humano cuando concentran su atención en el poder, el engaño y la ambición. Sentimientos y actitudes que deshumanizan y que nos vuelven bestias sin corazón.
Conocer la otra versión de los hechos ayuda a formar nuestro propio criterio. La evolución es parte del desarrollo humano. Lo indignante no es lo que sucedió…sino la forma en que se dio.
Todos tuvieron su parte de culpa.
Aprecio mucho los dibujos y los “Cantares Mexicanos”, porque manifiestan las diversas posibilidades de expresar el drama de la Conquista…tal y como fue vivida…
Y me parece un trabajo excelente por parte de Miguel León-Portilla al reunir estos textos que reflejan el alma y el sentir de los primeros seres que conformaron nuestra Nación…
March 28, 2024
“As is well known but quickly forgotten, the victors ordinarily write history. The losers are usually silenced or, if this is impossible, they are dismissed as liars, censored for being traitors, or left to circulate harmlessly in the confined spaces of the defeated.” (xi)
Truly, some of it was hard to follow and get through because it had so many different tribes, names, and ancient cities to follow. The prose throughout the translation was very well done and I found so much emotion throughout a lot of the text. This was a subject matter I never thought I would get the pleasure of finding time to educate myself on, and I am so glad my class this book was assigned to, gave me the opportunity. I usually rate books I liked but wouldn't really read ever again 3 stars, but because this was so prominent and impactful, it's gotta have the extra star. I believe this is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding colonialist history.
“How much blood was shed! It was our father’s blood! And what for? Why was it done? Learn it once and for all: because they want to impose themselves upon us, because they are utterly gold hungry, voracious of what belongs to others: our chiefdoms, our revered women and daughters, and our lands.” (160)
Truly, some of it was hard to follow and get through because it had so many different tribes, names, and ancient cities to follow. The prose throughout the translation was very well done and I found so much emotion throughout a lot of the text. This was a subject matter I never thought I would get the pleasure of finding time to educate myself on, and I am so glad my class this book was assigned to, gave me the opportunity. I usually rate books I liked but wouldn't really read ever again 3 stars, but because this was so prominent and impactful, it's gotta have the extra star. I believe this is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding colonialist history.
“How much blood was shed! It was our father’s blood! And what for? Why was it done? Learn it once and for all: because they want to impose themselves upon us, because they are utterly gold hungry, voracious of what belongs to others: our chiefdoms, our revered women and daughters, and our lands.” (160)
September 17, 2015
Classic account from Nahuatl texts of the battle between the Spaniards and Aztecs. Just a few perspectives and best read with a textbook or more thorough descriptions of the Encounter era. But so evocative and descriptive. Really easy read that my surrender love--but helps to have a more straightforward narrative to put this in context with. The editor was one of the first to do this back in the 50s when few read indigenous peoples' perspectives anywhere. So a great bit of historiography.
December 26, 2014
Si eres mexicano es lectura obligatoria para conocer tu cultura.
May 26, 2022
The Broken Spear: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico is an historical account that I never realized existed, or indeed, could have existed. When I’ve read histories of the clash between Aztecs and Spaniards in 16th century Mexico (such as Victor W. von Hagen’s The Ancient Sun Kingdoms of the Americas), the viewpoint has always been the Spaniard’s. I would have appreciated an account written from the other side’s point of view, but I simply didn’t think that was possible. That is, while the Aztecs were not exactly pre-literate, I thought the pictographic writings of the Aztecs had all been destroyed, along with most of their cultural artifacts, by zealous Christian Conquistadors and Roman Catholic priests. Then I saw a paperback copy of The Broken Spear in the local college library, and learned that indigenous native accounts of Cortes’ campaign do indeed exist. This is not only because all pre-conquest Aztec records were indeed not destroyed, but also because of the work of Spanish Roman Catholic missionaries, who learned the Nahautl language, systematically alphabetized it, and then taught Nahautl natives to read and write Spanish , and read and write their own language once it was alphabetized. Thus, The Broken Spear is a compilation from the several surviving accounts of central Mexican history from the arrival of Cortes through the ultimate military victory of the small Spanish and their sizable army of native allies. But the book doesn’t end in the mid-1500’s. Rather, Miguel Leon-Portilla adds a brief coda about the survival and continuation of Nahautl culture down to the present day.
Having come down on the side of balanced presentation when studying history, I still must say the account of the events from the Aztec side really isn’t all that different from “traditional” accounts written by the victors; the Aztecs’ accounts are just as bloody and self-righteous as Spanish accounts. The main difference, of course, is the emotional reaction to those events, seeing the events through the eyes of the conquered rather than the conquerors. A little over a year ago, I read Robert M. Utley’s The Lance and the Shield: The Life and Times of Sitting Bull, and I’m struck by a similarity in the clash between the Plains Indians and the Westward-advancing Americans, and the Aztecs and the Spanish Conquistadors. Both books chronicle a clash between two cultures that were so different that true understanding of the other was hugely difficult, if not downright impossible, especially when both sides (in both instances) were so single-minded and ruthless in their methods. One incident that emphasizes the yawning cultural gulf between Aztecs and Spaniards was when Motecuhzoma (“Montezuma”) sent envoys to greet the man he thought was the returning god Quetzalcoatl, and to please the “gods” the envoys performed human sacrifices in front of the newcomers, which of course horrified the Spaniards and no doubt firmly justified in Spanish minds the rightness of their ruthless and bloody conquest.
Having come down on the side of balanced presentation when studying history, I still must say the account of the events from the Aztec side really isn’t all that different from “traditional” accounts written by the victors; the Aztecs’ accounts are just as bloody and self-righteous as Spanish accounts. The main difference, of course, is the emotional reaction to those events, seeing the events through the eyes of the conquered rather than the conquerors. A little over a year ago, I read Robert M. Utley’s The Lance and the Shield: The Life and Times of Sitting Bull, and I’m struck by a similarity in the clash between the Plains Indians and the Westward-advancing Americans, and the Aztecs and the Spanish Conquistadors. Both books chronicle a clash between two cultures that were so different that true understanding of the other was hugely difficult, if not downright impossible, especially when both sides (in both instances) were so single-minded and ruthless in their methods. One incident that emphasizes the yawning cultural gulf between Aztecs and Spaniards was when Motecuhzoma (“Montezuma”) sent envoys to greet the man he thought was the returning god Quetzalcoatl, and to please the “gods” the envoys performed human sacrifices in front of the newcomers, which of course horrified the Spaniards and no doubt firmly justified in Spanish minds the rightness of their ruthless and bloody conquest.
January 30, 2020
Gran libro sobre una gran historia.
July 17, 2022
A valuable and interesting account of the other side of some painful history.
Worth my time.
Worth my time.
September 23, 2020
Texte uşor naive, din motive lesne de înţeles. Cu toate astea, o lectură excelentă. Oferă consistenţă unei lumi despre care, altfel, ai fi tentat să crezi că a fost doar un vis.
July 7, 2025
Read for a humanities class and was interesting
October 5, 2025
I started my journey of learning about the history of Mexico in early September. I have since read Fifth Sun by Camila Townsend, The Maya by Coe, and just wrapped up The Broken Spears by Leon-Portilla. The Broken Spears is a fantastic book for readers who are interested in learning about the Spanish conquest through the eyes of the Mexica (Aztecs). It is an easy read that I highly recommend. I’ve always been a fan of history, especially when it comes to learning about my own culture (I’m Mexican). A question I kept asking myself throughout this book was, what if the Mexica had won the battle? How different would history look? It’s hard to imagine that another empire wouldn’t have eventually conquered them. I’ll end this review with one of my favorite line(s) in this book: “What did the Indians think when they saw the strangers arrive on their shores and in their cities? What were their first attitudes toward the invaders? In what spirit did they fight them? And how did they interpret their own downfall? There are no complete and final answers to these questions; but there are some partial answers, provided by the native cultures that had then attained the highest development-the Mayas of Yucatan and the Nahuas of the Valley of Mexico. The Spanish accounts of the Conquest are only one version of it; the Indians who were its victims recorded another, in words and pictures. Inevitably there are major disagreements between the two versions.
But in spite of all the mutual accusations and misunderstandings, or perhaps because of them, both accounts are intensely human. They should be studied without prejudice, for only a calm examination, free of bias and preconceptions, can help to explain the Mexican people of today, who are the living consequence of that violent clash between two worlds.”
But in spite of all the mutual accusations and misunderstandings, or perhaps because of them, both accounts are intensely human. They should be studied without prejudice, for only a calm examination, free of bias and preconceptions, can help to explain the Mexican people of today, who are the living consequence of that violent clash between two worlds.”
January 28, 2015
This was interesting to read along with Diaz' Conquest of New Spain. The two narratives (or perhaps I should say "multiple narratives," since this Aztec chronicles come from several different sources) were surprisingly in sync. Many of the questions I had from reading Diaz' account were answered in Broken Spears: what was going through the minds of the Mexica as the Spanish began their push inland? What happened to all the dead from the battles? Were the accounts of human sacrifice exaggerated? (Again surprisingly, the answer seems to be "no.") How did the Aztecs view The Night of Sorrows and Alvarado's massacre? How did they view Montezuma's imprisonment and death? How did they preserve their story (or "recapture their memory," in the words of Leon-Portilla), and what were the lasting effects of the conquest? These questions and more are answered, along with details omitted from European texts, including descriptions of the devastating smallpox outbreak and starving within Tenochtitlan during the siege. A must-read for anyone interested in the history of the New World.
March 24, 2021
To get a better rounded understanding of the Conquest of Mexico, this is a pretty good source, but there are much better sources out there. This book utilizes Fray Bernardino de Sahagun more than all other sources combined. Being that there are not a lot of firsthand accounts from the native side, this does make sense. Besides, the author of this book is a scholar on the subject, so his commentary is worth contemplating.
If one is seeking to delve into the primary sources concerning the Conquest, this is not the book for you. There are available such sources as Sahagun, Diego, Motolinia and more that record the natives views on things, and have been translated to English. If it is just to get a better understanding in a university course, or you are seeking to write a report for class, this is most certainly sufficient.
If one is seeking to delve into the primary sources concerning the Conquest, this is not the book for you. There are available such sources as Sahagun, Diego, Motolinia and more that record the natives views on things, and have been translated to English. If it is just to get a better understanding in a university course, or you are seeking to write a report for class, this is most certainly sufficient.
August 9, 2017
Antes de leer la Biblia o el Quijote mejor deberíamos leer la "Visión de los vencidos". Es un testimonio brutal y significativo de lo que somos los mexicanos. Texto breve acompañado de códices que nos hace reflexionar sobre el papel que tuvo la Conquista en nuestra forma de ser actual.
June 20, 2023
This was a very interesting book with a lot of great detail about the history of South and Central American colonization. The writing was a bit dry, but nothing abnormal for a translation of a historical text.
October 1, 2025
es un libro abarcado a la historia de México, relata como los pueblos indígenas vivieron la llegada y conquista de los españoles, habla sobre cómo ellos ya esperaban la llegada de los españoles a través de presagios, también nos muestra la historia del pueblo de los tlaxcaltecas y como también ya esperaban la llegada de los españoles además del nacimiento de la leyenda más conocida en México.
al igual el libro narra los viajes de los mensajeros a las costas del Golfo tras la llegada de los españoles, nos cuenta la reacción de moctezuma con esta llegada
y narra los sucesos que llevaron a la caída de tenochtitlán y la derrota de los mexicas. el libro está organizado y viene por capítulos por lo que no se dificulta tanto la lectura, aunque el lenguaje que se utiliza ya requiere un ámbito de lectura un poco avanzado para poder entenderlo
al igual el libro narra los viajes de los mensajeros a las costas del Golfo tras la llegada de los españoles, nos cuenta la reacción de moctezuma con esta llegada
y narra los sucesos que llevaron a la caída de tenochtitlán y la derrota de los mexicas. el libro está organizado y viene por capítulos por lo que no se dificulta tanto la lectura, aunque el lenguaje que se utiliza ya requiere un ámbito de lectura un poco avanzado para poder entenderlo
November 1, 2021
i would ideally give this a 2.5! Loved it in theory but the short introductions felt insufficient and the sense of chronology gets lost -- I'm afraid I found CONQUISTADOR much more useful and it does cover the same perspectives here, even though the goal of replicating the codexes is admirable. Perhaps if they were less truncated it would function better, as it is it feels very choppy. I know part of that is issues in Spanish treatment of native records of course and respect the effort and intent. Another issue may simply be that no additional perspective can make what happened readily comprehensible; it just staggers the brain and is hard to understand the logic behind the sequence events even though it seems to mainly lie in Monteczuma's indecision and fear.
July 8, 2025
Why? Why is it that even as someone born and raised in Mexico, I had no idea about 80% of what I read here?
Pre-Hispanic cultures were incredible, yet they are grossly unrepresented in our history. We stigmatize them, labeling them as uncivilized or savage simply because they developed differently from European cultures.
It’s truly heartbreaking to read their stories because they didn’t just lose a war, they lost themselves.
What’s even more shocking is that today, almost every Mexican (I dare say) feels no real connection to their Indigenous heritage.
It’s as if we continue to punish and look down on them.
They’ve become a museum piece, preserved for the curiosity of others, while the remains of those incredible cultures struggle to survive, one generation at a time.
Pre-Hispanic cultures were incredible, yet they are grossly unrepresented in our history. We stigmatize them, labeling them as uncivilized or savage simply because they developed differently from European cultures.
It’s truly heartbreaking to read their stories because they didn’t just lose a war, they lost themselves.
What’s even more shocking is that today, almost every Mexican (I dare say) feels no real connection to their Indigenous heritage.
It’s as if we continue to punish and look down on them.
They’ve become a museum piece, preserved for the curiosity of others, while the remains of those incredible cultures struggle to survive, one generation at a time.
October 3, 2020
Barely four stars, but based on the research and sources and not necessarily content. The content is interesting and brings about the viewpoint of the conquest of mexico from the point of view of the conquered. Rarely does such literature exist - especially from 500 or so years previously and when writing wasn't prevalent amongst the defeated forces and culture. The book is brief and shows that the Aztecs were overwhelmed and caught by surprise. It's a great compliment to any study of the origins of America and exploration.
January 1, 2018
La llegada de los españoles a América contada desde el hombre indígena, que tras luchar a muerte por su libertad, vio morir a su gente, vio contaminar sus ríos con la sangre de los vencidos, vio el hambre y la desolación por todas partes. Una versión de la historia que impresiona al corazón, porque uno no puede salir impertérrito de un relato que mueve los cimientos de lo que la iglesia, los políticos, la SEP nos han contado durante tantos años de la conquista española en México.
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