Miguel León-Portilla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miguel León-Portilla
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| Born | 22 February 1926 Mexico City, Mexico
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| Died | 1 October 2019 (aged 93) Mexico City, Mexico
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| Nationality | Mexican |
| Occupation | Philosopher, anthropologist, historian |
| Spouse(s) |
Ascensión Hernández Triviño
(m. 1965) |
| Children | daughter, Marisa León-Portilla |
Miguel León-Portilla (born February 22, 1926 – died October 1, 2019) was a famous Mexican historian and expert on ancient cultures. He focused on the Aztec culture and the writings of people from Mesoamerica before and during the time of the Spanish colonies.
Many of his books were translated into English, and he was known all over the world. In 2013, the Library of Congress in the United States gave him a special award called the Living Legend Award.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Miguel León-Portilla was born in Mexico City. From a young age, he was very interested in the native cultures of Mexico. His uncle, Manuel Gamio, who was a well-known archeologist, helped him with this interest.
His uncle took him on trips to important ancient sites in Mexico. These trips had a big impact on Miguel's life and future career.
Miguel went to school in Guadalajara and then studied at Loyola University in Los Angeles. He earned his first degree in 1948 and a master's degree in 1951.
When he returned to Mexico in 1952, he met Ángel Garibay K.. Garibay was a scholar who helped many people learn about Nahuatl literature (the writings of the Nahua people).
Miguel first tried studying law and working at a financial company. But his uncle convinced him to follow his passion for history and culture. He started working at the Inter-American Indian Institute. He also began studying at the UNAM. In 1956, he finished his important paper on Nahua philosophy, which started his career as a scholar.
His Work and Discoveries
Miguel León-Portilla's paper on Nahua philosophy was published as a book in Mexico. It was later translated into English as Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nahuatl Mind and then into many other languages. This was the first of his many books to be translated into English.
One of his most famous books is The Broken Spears. It tells the story of the Spanish conquest of Mexico from the point of view of the native people, not just the Spanish conquerors. Many students in the United States learn about this history through his book.
León-Portilla worked hard to help people understand and value Nahuatl literature and religion. He studied both the ancient writings and the culture of today, especially since Nahuatl is still spoken by 1.5 million people.
He wrote books like Pre-Columbian Literatures of Mexico and Fifteen Poets of the Aztec World. He also compared the writings of the Nahua people with those of the Inca.
Another important area he studied was native religion and beliefs. His books include Native Meso-American Spirituality. He also wrote about the Maya people in Time and Reality in the Thought of the Maya.
Bringing Ancient Texts to Light
León-Portilla played a key role in making the work of Franciscan priest Bernardino de Sahagún famous. Sahagún lived in the 1500s and wrote a huge, twelve-volume book called General History of the Things of New Spain, also known as the Florentine Codex.
This book is super important for understanding the Nahua religion, society, and culture. It also gives an account of the conquest of Mexico from the Mexica (Aztec) side. León-Portilla was the first person to call Sahagún the "Father of Anthropology in the New World."
He also helped people understand how the study of Mesoamerican history grew in Mexico. He worked with his mentor, Garibay, and wrote about other important historians.
León-Portilla also studied old Nahuatl documents from the 1500s, like a collection of wills called The Testaments of Culhuacan. This helped people understand how native towns worked during the colonial period.
He also had a special interest in the early history of the Baja California Peninsula. He wrote more than 30 books and articles about this region.
Awards and Recognition
Miguel León-Portilla received many awards and honors throughout his career. In 1969, he was given a Guggenheim Fellowship, which is a special award for scholars.
He also received the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor, which is the highest award given by the Mexican Senate. In 1970, he became a member of Mexico's National College. In 1995, he joined the United States National Academy of Sciences.
From 1987 to 1992, he worked as Mexico's representative to UNESCO. During this time, he helped five ancient sites in Mexico become part of the World Heritage List.
On December 12, 2013, the U.S. Library of Congress gave him the Living Legend Award. He was also a member of the Mexican Academy of Language and the Mexican Academy of History.
Family Life
Miguel León-Portilla married Ascensión Hernández Triviño in 1965. She was a Spanish expert in languages and a professor. Their daughter, Marisa León-Portilla, also became a historian.
Miguel León-Portilla passed away in Mexico City on October 1, 2019, after being in the hospital for much of that year. His body was honored at the Palacio de Bellas Artes on October 3, 2019.
Important Books
León-Portilla wrote over 150 articles and more than forty books. Here are some of his most important ones:
- La filosofía náhuatl estudiada en sus fuentes (In English: The Nahuatl Philosophy studied in its sources; 1956). This book was based on his doctoral paper. It has been printed many times and translated into several languages. León-Portilla explained that the Mexica (Aztec) tribes didn't have "philosophy" in the modern sense. However, their wise people, called tlamatinimê, tried to understand the world by asking deep questions. He also suggested that what Europeans saw as many gods, the Aztecs actually saw as different parts of one main being called Ometeotl/Omecihuatl (Our Lord/Our Lady of Duality).
- Visión de los vencidos (In English: The Broken Spears; 1959). This is his most popular and famous book. It has been published many times and translated into a dozen languages. In this book, León-Portilla shares parts of the Nahuatl people's view of the Spanish conquest, from Moctezuma's warnings to the sad songs (icnocuicatl) after the conquest.
- Los antiguos mexicanos a través de sus crónicas y cantares (In English: The Ancient Mexicans through their Chronicles and Songs; 1961)
- El reverso de la conquista. Relaciones aztecas, mayas e incas (In English: The reverse of the conquest. Aztec, Mayan and Inca Relations; 1964)
- Tiempo y realidad en el pensamiento maya (In English: Time and Reality in Mayan Thought; 1968)
- Quince poetas del mundo náhuatl (In English: Fifteen poets of the Nahuatl world; 1993)
- Bernardino de Sahagún, pionero de la antropología (In English: Bernardino de Sahagún, pioneer of anthropology; 1999)
See also
In Spanish: Miguel León Portilla para niños
