“Those who Understood with their Hearts the Ancient Ones' Accounts”
Why Tezozomoc Would Not Want to Be Considered the Author of the Crónica Mexicana
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21415781 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Camilla Townsend (0000-0002-8000-8576, Rutgers Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 72 |
| Pages | 99-126 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-29 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Estudios de cultura náhuatl (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0071-1675 • E-ISSN: 3061-8002 |
| Publisher | Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (PUBLISHER • MX) |
| DOI | 10.22201/iih.30618002e.2026.72.78820 |
| OpenAlex | W7166842463 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 7 |
This article argues that Fernando Alvarado Tezozomoc should not be considered the author of the Crónica mexicana because he would not have wanted to be thought of as such. A careful study of the earliest known copy of the work, the “Manuscript Kraus 117” in the Library of Congress in Washinton, D.C., demonstrates that the author could not have been Tezozomoc, although Tezozomoc probably was one of the sources for it. Instead, the author had to be someone of mixed heritage, either literally and/or figuratively. That person had access to Nahua traditions (including some of Tezozomoc’s histories) but he misunderstood and misrepresented them in his Crónica, which therefore continues to mislead us today. In the Crónica mexicayotl, Tezozomoc pleaded with posterity to listen only to those who understood his people deeply
Argument (complex analysis) · Order (exchange) · Period (music) · Ridiculous · Historical Studies in Central America · Latin American history and culture · Politics and Society in Latin America
| Highly cited | No |
|---|