A Scattering of Jades: Stories, Poems, and Prayers of the Aztecs

Long before Europeans came to America, the Aztecs created a unique culture based on myth and a love of language. Myths and poems were an important part of their culture, and a successful speech by a royal orator was pronounced "a great scattering of jades."A Scattering of Jades is an anthology of the best of Aztec literature, compiled by a noted anthropologist and a skilled translator of Nahuatl. It is a storehouse of myths, narratives, poems, and proverbs -- as well as prayers and songs to the Aztec gods that provide insight into how these people's perception of the cosmos drove their military machine.Featuring a translation of the Mexicayotl -- a work as important today for Mexico's concept of nationhood and ideology as it was at the time of the Conquest -- these selections eloquently depict the everyday life of this ancient people and their unique worldview. A Scattering of Jades is an unsurpassed window on ancient Mesoamerican civilization and an essential companion for anyone studying Aztec history, religion, or culture.A Scattering of Jades: Stories, Poems, and Prayers of the Aztecs, was published 2003 under ISBN 9780816523375 and ISBN 0816523371.