Aubin Codex facts for kids
The Aubin Codex is a very old book created by the Aztec people. It has 81 pages and is written in their language, Nahuatl, using letters that came from Europe. This special book tells the story of the Aztec people. It covers their journey from their homeland, Aztlán, through the time when the Spanish arrived, and up to the year 1608. Today, you can find the Aubin Codex at the British Museum in London.
Contents
History of the Aubin Codex
The first date written in this book is 1576, right at the beginning. The last date mentioned is 1607. It seems that different Aztec writers, who spoke Nahuatl, worked on the codex during these years.
For a long time, nobody knew where the codex was. Then, in the mid-1700s, an Italian historian named Lorenzo Boturini Benaduci added it to his collection. Later, in the early 1800s, a French collector named Joseph Marius Alexis Aubin got the codex. The book is now named after him!
Eventually, a French bookseller in London sold the codex to the British Museum in 1880. Since then, many copies of the manuscript have been made. These copies are now in different collections in Europe and Mexico.
What's Inside the Aubin Codex?
The Aubin Codex is actually two different manuscripts that were put together.
The Story of the Mexica People
The first part tells the history of the Mexica people, who lived in Tenochtitlan. It starts with their journey from Aztlan in the year 1168. This part also describes how Tenochtitlan was founded. It even talks about big events during the Spanish conquest, like the smallpox sickness that spread after the Spanish arrived. It also mentions the terrible massacre at the temple in Tenochtitlan in 1520.
Aztec Viewpoint of the Conquest
A historian named James Lockhart translated the Aubin Codex's story of the Aztec Empire's conquest into English. He believes the main writer was an Aztec man from Tenochtitlan. This writer used older stories and eyewitness accounts for his history. The Aubin Codex shows the Aztec side of the story. It is different from other books that might focus on other groups.
How the Aubin Codex Was Made
The Aubin Codex uses both pictures and written words. Several artists and writers worked on it. The first part, which tells about the Mexica migration, groups years together. Years are shown with special symbols in squares. This way, there was more space for longer text. The years are read from left to right and top to bottom.
The next part of the codex, after Tenochtitlan was founded, is set up differently. Each page has a vertical block of five years. It also shows pictures and text about what happened in those years. From 1553 to 1591, each page is about just one year. The last part of the codex was originally a separate book. It lists the Aztec rulers of Tenochtitlan from its beginning until 1608.
Where is the Aubin Codex Now?
The Aubin Codex is also known as the Manuscrito de 1576 (Manuscript of 1576). It is kept at the British Museum in London. There is also a copy at the Princeton University Library. As of 2015, Fordham University has been working on a project to translate the codex into English. They are also trying to understand its images and pictographs even better.
See also
In Spanish: Códice Aubin para niños
