Book

Book of the gods and rites and the ancient calendar

University of Oklahoma Press102 • Published In 1975 • Pages: 24, 502 , 63 plates

By: Durán, Diego, d..

Abstract
This work is a reconstruction of pre-Conquest Aztec religion and calendrics by a sympathetic mid-sixteenth century Dominican friar who spoke Nahuatl and interviewed numerous informants; there is an extensive introductory biography of the author. Although undoubtedly colored by a half-century of ongoing evangelization (continuities in certain practices are noted disapprovingly), the first of two translated documents contains invaluable information on the principal Aztec gods and goddesses, their temples, and their ceremonies; the second is a description of the Aztec calendar and the chief ceremonies of each month. Although most of the illustrations refer to pre-Conquest themes, the artistry shows European influence.
Subjects
General character of religion
Spirits and gods
Historical reconstruction
Prayers and sacrifices
Prophets and ascetics
Missions
Ritual
Mythology
Sacred objects and places
Religious and educational structures
Organized ceremonial
Music
Visual arts
Ordering of time
Priesthood
Special garments
Military organization
Discipline and morale
Classes
Slavery
Ethnobotany
Rest days and holidays
Asceticism
Chief executive
Disasters
Normal garb
Ethnozoology
culture
Aztecs
HRAF PubDate
2017
Region
Middle America and the Caribbean
Sub Region
Central Mexico
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Missionary
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Marlene Martin ; John Beierle ; 1984
Field Date
1559-1579
Coverage Date
1325-1579
Coverage Place
Morelos, Tlaxcala, Puebla, and eastern State of Mexico, Mexico
Notes
By Fray Diego Durán ; Translated and edited by Fernando Horcasitas and Doris Heyden. Foreword by Miguel León-Portilla
Uniform Title: Libro de los dioses y ritos. English
Translation of: [Libero de los dioses y ritos and El calendario antiguo]
Includes bibliographical references (p. 478-484)
LCCN
73088147
LCSH
Aztecs