The Broken Spears facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Broken Spears

First edition
Author	Miguel León-Portilla
Original title	Visión de los vencidos: Relaciones indígenas de la conquista
Country	Mexico
Language	Spanish
Subject	Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
Publisher	UNAM
Publication date	1959
Published in English	1962

The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico is a famous book by Mexican historian Miguel León-Portilla. It shares the story of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire from the viewpoint of the Aztec people. The book translates old writings in the Nahuatl language, which was spoken by the Aztecs. It was first published in Spanish in 1959 and then in English in 1962.

The English title, "The Broken Spears," comes from a phrase in an old Aztec document. It was meant to describe the difficult times the Aztecs faced. Some historians believe the original Nahuatl phrase might have meant "broken bones" instead of "broken spears," due to similar-sounding words.

What the Book is About

The Broken Spears is divided into different parts. The first part introduces the book and gives background information. It talks about the daily life of the Aztec people, also known as the Nahua peoples. It also explains how important translators were during the conquest. The book mentions that many of the Aztec stories were written down long after the Spanish arrived.

Aztec Omens and First Reactions

The first part of the book also describes how the Aztecs reacted to strange events before the Spanish arrived. These events were seen as bad omens by Aztec mystics. They believed these signs warned them about the coming of the Spanish.

The War and Its Effects

The next parts of the book tell the story of the war itself. They show how the Aztecs fought against the Spanish. The book explains that the Aztecs were defeated for many reasons. This included military battles and terrible diseases that the Spanish brought with them. All these events are told from the native people's perspective.

One important thing to note is that The Broken Spears mostly focuses on the Aztecs' side. It does not talk much about the native groups who actually helped the Spanish Conquistadores. It also doesn't focus on important translators like La Malinche.

After the Conquest

The book ends by looking at what happened after the conquest. This section, called "Aftermath," highlights the difficult relationship that has continued between the descendants of the Aztecs and the Spanish. It includes letters written by native people to the Spanish King, Philip II of Spain. These letters show their fears and struggles to keep their Nahua identity in colonial Spain.

Different Language Versions

Because The Broken Spears became very popular, it was translated into many languages after it was first published.

See Also

In Spanish: Visión de los vencidos para niños