Gary Jennings - The Complete Aztec Six-Volume Anthology

AZTEC

Gary Jennings

A Tom Doherty Associates Book
New York

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FOR ZYANYA

You tell me then that I must perish

like the flowers that I cherish.

Nothing remaining of my name,

nothing remembered of my fame?

But the gardens I planted still are young

the songs I sang will still be sung!

H UXOTZIN

Prince of Texcco

CA . 1484

IN CEM-ANHUAC YOYTLI
THE HEART OF THE ONE WORLD

T HE CENTRAL PLAZA OF T ENOCHTTLAN , 1521

(Only the major landmarks, and/or those mentioned in the text, are identified)

1 The Great Pyramid

2 The Temple of Tlaloc

3 The Temple of Huitzilopchtli

4 Former Temple of Huitzilopchtli, later (after completion of the Great Pyramid, 1487) the Coateocli, or catch-all temple of numerous minor gods, plus gods appropriated from other nations.

5 The Stone of Tixoc

6 The Tzompntli, or skull rack

7 The Ceremonial Tlachtli Ball Court

8 The Platform of the Sun Stone

9 The Temple of Tezcatlipca

10 The Snake Wall

11 The House of Song

12 The Menagerie

13 The Palace of Axaycatl, later of Corts

14 The Palace of Ahutzotl, ravaged by flood, 1499

15 The Palace of Motecuzma I

16 The Palace of Motecuzma II

17 The Temple of Xipe Totec

18 The Eagle Temple

To His Majestys legate and chaplain,

Fray Don Juan de Zumrraga, lately

appointed Bishop of the See of Mexco

in New Spain, a charge upon him:

T HAT we may be better acquainted with our colony of New Spain, of its peculiarities, its riches, the people who possessed it, and the beliefs, rites, and ceremonies which they heretofore held, we wish to be informed of all matters appertaining to the Indians during their existence in that land before the coming of our liberating forces, ambassadors, evangels, and colonizers.

Therefore, we order that you shall inform yourself from ancient Indians (having first administered to them the oath, to assure veracity) as to their countrys history, their governments, their traditions, their customs, &c. In addition to the information that you secure from witnesses, you will cause to be brought before you any writings, tablets, or other records of that foregone time which may substantiate what is said, and you will cause your missionary friars to search and ask for such records among the Indians.

Because this is a very weighty matter and very necessary for the discharge of His Majestys conscience, we command you to attend to the conduct of the said inquiry with all possible promptitude, care, and diligence, and that your account be set forth in much detail.

(ecce signum) CAROLUS R I

Rex et Imperator

Hispaniae Carolus Primus

Sacri Romani Imperi Carolus Quintus

Sanctified, Caesarean, Catholic Majesty,

the Emperor Don Carlos, Our Lord King:

M AY the grace, peace, and lovingkindness of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with Your Majesty Don Carlos, by divine mercy eternally august Emperor; and with your esteemed Queen Mother Doa Juana, together with Your Majesty by the grace of God rulers of Castile, of Len, of Aragn, of the Two Sicilies, of Jerusalem, of Navarre, of Granada, of Toledo, of Valencia, of Galicia, of Mallorca, of Seville, of Sardinia, of Crdova, of Crcega, of Murcia, of Jan, of the Caribbees, of Algeciras, of Gibraltar, of the Canary Isles, of the Indies, of the islands and lands of the Ocean Sea; Counts of Flanders and of the Tyrol, &c.

Very Fortunate and Most Excellent Prince: from this city of Tenochttlan-Mexco, capital of your dominion of New Spain, this twelfth day after the Assumption, in the Year of Our Lord one thousand five hundred twenty and nine, greeting.

It was but eighteen months ago, Your Majesty, when we, though the least of your vassal subjects, heeded Your Majestys command that we assume this trifold post as the first appointed Bishop of Mexco, Protector of the Indians, and Apostolic Inquisitor, all embodied in our one and own poor person. It has been but nine months since our arrival in this New World, and there was much arduous work awaiting us.

In accordance with the mandate of this appointment, we have striven zealously to instruct the Indians in their duty to hold and worship One True God, Who is in Heaven, by Whom all creatures live and are maintainedand likewise to acquaint the Indians of that Most Invincible and Catholic Majesty, the Emperor Don Carlos, whom divine Providence has willed that the whole world should obey and serve.

Inculcating these lessons, Sire, has been far from easy or expeditious. There is a saying among our fellow Spaniards here, extant well before our arrival: The Indians cannot hear except through their buttocks. But we try to bear in mind that these miserable and spiritually impoverished Indiansor Aztecs, as most Spaniards now refer to this particular tribe or nation of them hereaboutsare inferior to all the rest of mankind, and therefore, in their insignificance, deserve our tolerant indulgence.

Besides attending to the Indians instructionthat there is only One God in Heaven, and the Emperor on earth, whose subjects they have all become and whom they must serveand besides dealing with many other ecclesiastical and civil matters, we have attempted to comply with Your Majestys personal adjuration to us: that we early prepare an account of the conditions of this terra paena-incognita, the manners and ways of life of its inhabitants, the customs, &c. formerly obtaining in this benighted land.