Miguel Leo Portilla The Broken Spears Summary

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Recommended: In the aztec society where did human sacrifice come from and how

The Broken Spears, a book written by Miguel Leon-Portilla, honorable Mexican anthropologist and historian that studied in the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1956. The book The Broken Spears or Vision de Los Vencidos (original Spanish book name) has been translated into six different languages; English, German, French, Polish, Catalan, and Otomi. The book was originally published in Spanish in 1959, and presented the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire from the point of view of the natives. Mr. Miguel Leon Portilla, with the help of Angel Maria Garibay K. (in the version of the texts), and Alberto Beltran (in illustrations), known to us in his book " The Vision of the Defeated " a little better about the conquest of the whole area …show more content…

After speaking to Motecuhzoma about what they had seen, he decided to have offerings sent to them as food and things of jewelry. Therefore, in the third chapter the messengers of Moctezuma go with the Spaniards, they deliver the things to his "king" (the Spaniards) Motecuhzoma ordered them to deliver things to the Spaniards, they scare them with their weapons, to the point that the Mexica swoon. The book tells us what they saw and Motecuzoma’s men defined them as men above a "deer" (horses), how these men were and other things that they observed. The fourth chapter explains how Motecuhzoma reacted to the news, since he thought that the Spaniards were the god Quetzalcoatl and the other gods who had returned; He commanded wizards and sorcerers, warriors and others who gave them things to eat (for both themselves and their horses), so they were satisfied. He also took captives to make sacrifices to them (which gave them disgusted the Spaniards). Upon learning that his magicians Motecuhzoma had failed, he and the Aztec people were filled with terror and anguish, to the extent that Motecuhzoma thought about running away (something he could not …show more content…

The reaction of the Aztecs made the Spaniards took refuge. Meanwhile Hernan Cortés was away to fight Panfilo de Narvaez, he was going to apprehend him by order of Diego Velázquez (governor of Cuba). As a result, Cortes returns to the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, after having defeated Panfilo de Narvaez, returning with more men and kicking such a war, it is also when the Spaniards throw the bodies of Motecuhzoma and Itzcuauhtzin. After seven days of being besieged Spaniards prepared to leave at night, the city was then that could "get even" the Mexica called it the "Noche Triste", where the Spaniards who remained alive after being thrown into the canal Toltec and keep walking, they took refuge in Teocalhueyacan. The writer talks about the attitude of the Mexica when the Spaniards attacked, they believed that they would never return. so resume their normal activities and celebrations; although its tranquility lasted them little since then there was a plague that struck the Mexica, it was then reappeared Spanish on the side of Cuauhtitlan and resume the war, now by water in the brigs, giving gunshots and moving into the city, while some Mexica took refuge in Tlatelolco tried to defend others. Unfortunately for the Aztecs, the Spaniards took over everything by end of the book. The last pages of the book talks about

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