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Aztec #3
Aztec Blood
The third volume in Gary Jennings' historical epic that began with Aztec and Aztec Autumn.
In this colorful and exciting era of swords and cloaks, upheaval and revolution, a young beggar boy, in whose blood runs that of both Spanish and Aztec royalty must claim his birthright. From the torrid streets of the City of the Dead along the Veracruz Coast to the ageless glory of Seville in Old Spain, Cristo the Bastardo connives fights, and loves as he seeks the truth—without knowing that he will be the founder of a proud new people.
As we follow the loves and adventures of Cristo and experience the colorful splendor and barbarism of the era, a vanished culture is brought back to life in all its magnificence.
“This exotic, sensuous novel works on many levels. It is at once history, mystery, and a coming-of-age novel all permeated by the teeming world of seventeenth century Mexico as seen through the eyes of a teenage boy.” -- Library Journal
In this colorful and exciting era of swords and cloaks, upheaval and revolution, a young beggar boy, in whose blood runs that of both Spanish and Aztec royalty must claim his birthright. From the torrid streets of the City of the Dead along the Veracruz Coast to the ageless glory of Seville in Old Spain, Cristo the Bastardo connives fights, and loves as he seeks the truth—without knowing that he will be the founder of a proud new people.
As we follow the loves and adventures of Cristo and experience the colorful splendor and barbarism of the era, a vanished culture is brought back to life in all its magnificence.
“This exotic, sensuous novel works on many levels. It is at once history, mystery, and a coming-of-age novel all permeated by the teeming world of seventeenth century Mexico as seen through the eyes of a teenage boy.” -- Library Journal
768 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 18, 2001
81 people are currently reading
1561 people want to read
About the author
Gary Jennings
139 books453 followersGary Jennings led a paradoxically picaresque life. On one hand, he was a man of acknowledged intellect and erudition. His novels were international best sellers, praised around the world for their stylish prose, lively wit and adventurously bawdy spirit. They were also massive - often topping 500,000 words - and widely acclaimed for the years of research he put into each one, both in libraries and in the field.
Jennings served in the Korean War, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal- a decoration rarely given to soldier-reporters- and a personal citation by South Korean President Syngman Rhee for his efforts on behalf of war orphans.
Where the erudition came from, however, was something of a mystery.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/garyje...
Jennings served in the Korean War, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal- a decoration rarely given to soldier-reporters- and a personal citation by South Korean President Syngman Rhee for his efforts on behalf of war orphans.
Where the erudition came from, however, was something of a mystery.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/garyje...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
July 28, 2010
First, I have to confess that I'm a big fan of Gary Jennings. Whatever one thinks of his early work (i.e. what was published while he was still alive), it's broad in scope, rich in detail, and absolutely epic. What really grabs me, though, is his intricacy and the texture he's able to draw across his broad landscapes.
"Aztec Blood" is the first of several books (and more on the way) written based on notes and outlines and published after his death. While "Aztec Blood" (the third in his "Aztec" series) doesn't compete or compare well head-to-head with his original "Aztec", I found myself drawn in and gobbling up all 750 pages.
For fans of his earlier Aztec work, there are no direct connections between "Blood" and "Aztec" and "Aztec Autumn". But the characteristics of his main character, Cristo the Bastardo, are similar to the protagonists in the other two books - he's adventurous, very self-aware, and very prone to drama.
It's impossible to truly summarize the story here...I will leave that to previous reviewers and book summaries. Suffice it to say that "Aztec Blood" is heavily focused on the class differences of early-to-mid Spanish Colonialism in post-conquest Mexico. In Cristo's journeys of self discovery in which he's seeking both physical and spiritual origins, the reader explores the impact of the Spanish Conquest on native "indios", first generation-born new world Spaniards, and old world Spaniards as well. It's terrifically insightful and rich in the history and research that one finds in Jennings' other work.
The story contains sword fights, heroic rescues and escapes, love, sex and multiple detailed run-ins with the Spanish Inquisition.
Characters bounce in and out, often falling subject to Cristo's ill-fated existence. The most persistent of characters is Mateo...a living Don Quixote who pulls Cristo along as he chases innumerable windmills. At first Mateo is a bit predictable and fairly unlikeable (purposely so, for the record), but I found myself almost audibly cheering for the two banditos as they traipse across New Spain and the Atlantic following women, riches and schemes in the typically broad Jennings landscape.
The books is not great. But it pulled me in: I cared about the characters...I cared how the persistent dramatic threads concluded (and there were many threads)...and I was drawn to feel as the characters felt. I didn't love the ending, but I felt resolved and satisfied. The journey of reading Jennings more than makes up for any specific flaws in the stories themselves.
I recommend this enjoyable read.
"Aztec Blood" is the first of several books (and more on the way) written based on notes and outlines and published after his death. While "Aztec Blood" (the third in his "Aztec" series) doesn't compete or compare well head-to-head with his original "Aztec", I found myself drawn in and gobbling up all 750 pages.
For fans of his earlier Aztec work, there are no direct connections between "Blood" and "Aztec" and "Aztec Autumn". But the characteristics of his main character, Cristo the Bastardo, are similar to the protagonists in the other two books - he's adventurous, very self-aware, and very prone to drama.
It's impossible to truly summarize the story here...I will leave that to previous reviewers and book summaries. Suffice it to say that "Aztec Blood" is heavily focused on the class differences of early-to-mid Spanish Colonialism in post-conquest Mexico. In Cristo's journeys of self discovery in which he's seeking both physical and spiritual origins, the reader explores the impact of the Spanish Conquest on native "indios", first generation-born new world Spaniards, and old world Spaniards as well. It's terrifically insightful and rich in the history and research that one finds in Jennings' other work.
The story contains sword fights, heroic rescues and escapes, love, sex and multiple detailed run-ins with the Spanish Inquisition.
Characters bounce in and out, often falling subject to Cristo's ill-fated existence. The most persistent of characters is Mateo...a living Don Quixote who pulls Cristo along as he chases innumerable windmills. At first Mateo is a bit predictable and fairly unlikeable (purposely so, for the record), but I found myself almost audibly cheering for the two banditos as they traipse across New Spain and the Atlantic following women, riches and schemes in the typically broad Jennings landscape.
The books is not great. But it pulled me in: I cared about the characters...I cared how the persistent dramatic threads concluded (and there were many threads)...and I was drawn to feel as the characters felt. I didn't love the ending, but I felt resolved and satisfied. The journey of reading Jennings more than makes up for any specific flaws in the stories themselves.
I recommend this enjoyable read.
August 9, 2011
A great book, but the original Aztec novel remains THE masterpiece.
March 14, 2015
E passados 3 anos volto à obra-prima de Gary Jennings e conheço finalmente toda a história de Mixtli, o ancião que conta, a pedido do próprio Rei D. Carlos, a religiosos espanhóis a história da civilização Asteca, as origens, os costumes e a forma como foram conquistados pela frota de Hernán Cortés.
Neste segundo volume, Mixtli, agora um homem casado e feliz, com Zyanya, a única mulher que alguma vez amou, continua o relato das suas aventuras pelo Mundo Único e mais além. Conhecidas as suas extraordinárias habilidades linguísticas e diplomáticas, é enviado em missão, pelo Uey-Tlatoáni - o Venerado Orador, aos mais variados sítios. Neste segundo volume a vida de Mixtli, à semelhança de todo o seu povo, é feita essencialmente de perdas e de cedências. Tudo aquilo que foi conquistando, a mulher, a filha, uma família, as viagens que lhe permitiram conhecer outros povos, maneiras diferentes de pensar, tudo isso acaba por desaparecer. De forma trágica, perde a mulher, mais tarde a filha e por fim toda uma civilização desaparece perante os seus olhos. No fim, resta Mixtli para testemunhar e contar, para que não sejam esquecidos.
"Sangue Asteca" é, como também o é o primeiro volume, um impressionante documento histórico, com personagens tão próximas e ricas que a leitura é tudo menos maçuda. Embora seja um volume mais triste, com momentos verdadeiramente trágicos, está também cheio de momentos divertidos, onde o melhor da personalidade de Mixtli sobressai. E por isso, levarei algum tempo a esquecer a morte da filha de Mixtli, mas não será só isso que levo deste livro. Levo comigo o primeiro contacto de Mixtli com os espanhóis, hilariante. Levo ainda a viagem nunca feita até Aztlan, a terra de onde os Astecas que conhecemos terão partido para fundar o Mundo Único. Ficará, sobretudo, a sensação de se ter exterminado, em nome de Deus e da ganância, uma civilização com a qual nada se quis aprender, e não estou a falar, obviamente, dos rituais onde eram sacrificadas vidas humanas.
Fiquei com a sensação incómoda de que nós, a maioria, temos sobre a nossa vida e sobre o nosso futuro tão pouco a dizer, porque somos, a maioria, governados por uma minoria, que se tem mostrado desde sempre incapaz de ver para além de si, incapaz de pensar e planear para além da sua legislatura.
Aztec, no original, de Gary Jennings é um livro a não perder, pela história, pela escrita, pelas personagens e sobretudo pelo que podemos aprender com ele.
Gostei muito e recomendo, como é óbvio!
Boas leituras!
Neste segundo volume, Mixtli, agora um homem casado e feliz, com Zyanya, a única mulher que alguma vez amou, continua o relato das suas aventuras pelo Mundo Único e mais além. Conhecidas as suas extraordinárias habilidades linguísticas e diplomáticas, é enviado em missão, pelo Uey-Tlatoáni - o Venerado Orador, aos mais variados sítios. Neste segundo volume a vida de Mixtli, à semelhança de todo o seu povo, é feita essencialmente de perdas e de cedências. Tudo aquilo que foi conquistando, a mulher, a filha, uma família, as viagens que lhe permitiram conhecer outros povos, maneiras diferentes de pensar, tudo isso acaba por desaparecer. De forma trágica, perde a mulher, mais tarde a filha e por fim toda uma civilização desaparece perante os seus olhos. No fim, resta Mixtli para testemunhar e contar, para que não sejam esquecidos.
"Sangue Asteca" é, como também o é o primeiro volume, um impressionante documento histórico, com personagens tão próximas e ricas que a leitura é tudo menos maçuda. Embora seja um volume mais triste, com momentos verdadeiramente trágicos, está também cheio de momentos divertidos, onde o melhor da personalidade de Mixtli sobressai. E por isso, levarei algum tempo a esquecer a morte da filha de Mixtli, mas não será só isso que levo deste livro. Levo comigo o primeiro contacto de Mixtli com os espanhóis, hilariante. Levo ainda a viagem nunca feita até Aztlan, a terra de onde os Astecas que conhecemos terão partido para fundar o Mundo Único. Ficará, sobretudo, a sensação de se ter exterminado, em nome de Deus e da ganância, uma civilização com a qual nada se quis aprender, e não estou a falar, obviamente, dos rituais onde eram sacrificadas vidas humanas.
Fiquei com a sensação incómoda de que nós, a maioria, temos sobre a nossa vida e sobre o nosso futuro tão pouco a dizer, porque somos, a maioria, governados por uma minoria, que se tem mostrado desde sempre incapaz de ver para além de si, incapaz de pensar e planear para além da sua legislatura.
Aztec, no original, de Gary Jennings é um livro a não perder, pela história, pela escrita, pelas personagens e sobretudo pelo que podemos aprender com ele.
Gostei muito e recomendo, como é óbvio!
Boas leituras!
September 3, 2020
Una emocionante historia de un "Picaro", desarraigados personajes de la cultura colonial, deambulantes siempre por las calles de las ciudades, desheredados de criollos y bastardos de "gachupines", aqui se narra como un mendigo vale tanto como cualquier noble de cuna.
March 27, 2013
Aiyo! Two stars is the lowest rating I can give and still want to finish the book. Dios Mio, I wanted to finish this book some of the times; other times, it was a real struggle. (I'll let off with the Spanish/Nahuatl expletives, but imagine a few more of them and you get the idea of the book's tone.)
I read the first Aztec many years ago, and remember loving the intricate lost world Jennings created as well as the fascinating multicultural perspective that squarely places the brutal Spanish conquistadores on the same moral plane as the blood-drinking Aztecs.
I also liked the second book in the series, though not nearly as much.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79...
But this book, officially written by Jennings but supposedly put together by others from his notes after his death, compares unfavorably to the others. There are so many characters it is hard to follow. The constant hints of a dark secret in the main character's ancestry take so long to be developed that I stopped caring.
I read the first Aztec many years ago, and remember loving the intricate lost world Jennings created as well as the fascinating multicultural perspective that squarely places the brutal Spanish conquistadores on the same moral plane as the blood-drinking Aztecs.
I also liked the second book in the series, though not nearly as much.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79...
But this book, officially written by Jennings but supposedly put together by others from his notes after his death, compares unfavorably to the others. There are so many characters it is hard to follow. The constant hints of a dark secret in the main character's ancestry take so long to be developed that I stopped caring.
February 19, 2025
A rolling adventure with the feel of a modern Little Big Man. The side stories that are interwoven with historical events make for an unpredictable series of twists and turns. Thirst for revenge drives the main character to the end.
May 4, 2015
Depois de ler Orgulho Asteca as espectativas estavam bastante elevadas para o Sangue Asteca, onde continuei a acompanhar a vida de Mixtli e, ao mesmo tempo, a ascensão e queda dos Astecas, essa mítica e avançada civilização que foi esmagada – literalmente – pelos espanhóis, fosse através da brutalidade de Cortés, da estupidez de Moctezuma ou (mais importante) pelas doenças do chamado mundo civilizado para as quais os Astecas não tinham qualquer defesa.
Não me desiludi. Este segundo livro, tão intenso como o primeiro, é igualmente sangrento, violento e escabroso como primeiro. E igualmente fabuloso. Tanto que ambos – primeiro e segundo volume – saltaram para o topo dos topos das minhas preferências.
Mixtli conta-nos, neste volume, como foi o seu início de vida de casado com a mulher Chachapoya por quem se apaixonou, à revelia do Povo Belo – que não aceitavam o casamento de membros da sua raça com pessoas de outra raça porque isso podia levar a que nascessem crianças feias – e a viagem que ambos fizeram de regresso a casa, à capital do Mundo Único.
É pelos olhos de Mixtli que conhecemos as diversas tribos e civilizações que viveram na época dos Astecas já que ele viaja por todo o lado a pedido de Moctezuma. E é por conhecer tao bem todas as tribos e várias linguagens que Mixtli é enviado para conhecer os homens brancos que aparecem perto dos Maias, até para perceber se seriam homens ou Deuses.
Ao longo de todo este volume vamos percebendo que, se calhar, o mundo civilizado não conquistou o México aos Astecas, mas que se passou mais ao contrário. Sim, é verdade que os Astecas faziam sacrifícios humanos, mas talvez fosse esse o único ponto em que eram menos civilizados. E digo isto porque uma das coisas que os espanhóis mais estranharam quando lá chegaram foram… os sanitários. Sim, os Astecas já tinham sanitários, quer nas casas dos nobres quer nas praças para que todos pudessem utilizar. E eram bastante asseados, ao contrário dos “conquistadores” que tomavam banho… quando chovia e mesmo assim porque eram obrigados.
Percebemos também, com este romance, que a conquista não aconteceu apenas porque os espanhóis tinham armamento superior mas sim por inépcia de Moctzuma II que, ao arrepio dos conselhos dos seus nobres, sempre quis honrar a amizade que achava que o Cortez tinha para com ele. E porque uma asteca, Malinche, uma escrava que tinha sido oferecida a Cortez como prova de boa vontade, lhe denunciava todas as tentativas dos Astecas se revoltarem
E foi essa inépcia, a traição de Malinche bem como a cólera, o sarampo, a varicela, e outras doenças que tais, que levaram ao quase extermínio dos astecas. Sobreviveram aqueles que se converteram ao cristianismo (muitos sem o perceberem), mas as suas fantásticas cidades foram todas arrasadas pela armada espanhola, nuns casos por vingança noutros em busca do lendário ouro dos Astecas.
O livro termina, ironicamente, com a morte de Mixtli às mãos da Igreja Católica, como herege, sendo a forma escolhida para a sua morte muito mais violenta que qualquer um dos sacrifícios humanos que os astecas praticavam. É o próprio Mixtli que a descreve quando conta como morreram os primeiros astecas que tinham desafiado Cortez, o que nos deixa a pensar, afinal quem era mais selvagens?
Até à leitura destes dois livros, Gary Jennings era um perfeito desconhecido para mim. Hoje é um autor que quero continuar a descobrir.
Não me desiludi. Este segundo livro, tão intenso como o primeiro, é igualmente sangrento, violento e escabroso como primeiro. E igualmente fabuloso. Tanto que ambos – primeiro e segundo volume – saltaram para o topo dos topos das minhas preferências.
Mixtli conta-nos, neste volume, como foi o seu início de vida de casado com a mulher Chachapoya por quem se apaixonou, à revelia do Povo Belo – que não aceitavam o casamento de membros da sua raça com pessoas de outra raça porque isso podia levar a que nascessem crianças feias – e a viagem que ambos fizeram de regresso a casa, à capital do Mundo Único.
É pelos olhos de Mixtli que conhecemos as diversas tribos e civilizações que viveram na época dos Astecas já que ele viaja por todo o lado a pedido de Moctezuma. E é por conhecer tao bem todas as tribos e várias linguagens que Mixtli é enviado para conhecer os homens brancos que aparecem perto dos Maias, até para perceber se seriam homens ou Deuses.
Ao longo de todo este volume vamos percebendo que, se calhar, o mundo civilizado não conquistou o México aos Astecas, mas que se passou mais ao contrário. Sim, é verdade que os Astecas faziam sacrifícios humanos, mas talvez fosse esse o único ponto em que eram menos civilizados. E digo isto porque uma das coisas que os espanhóis mais estranharam quando lá chegaram foram… os sanitários. Sim, os Astecas já tinham sanitários, quer nas casas dos nobres quer nas praças para que todos pudessem utilizar. E eram bastante asseados, ao contrário dos “conquistadores” que tomavam banho… quando chovia e mesmo assim porque eram obrigados.
Percebemos também, com este romance, que a conquista não aconteceu apenas porque os espanhóis tinham armamento superior mas sim por inépcia de Moctzuma II que, ao arrepio dos conselhos dos seus nobres, sempre quis honrar a amizade que achava que o Cortez tinha para com ele. E porque uma asteca, Malinche, uma escrava que tinha sido oferecida a Cortez como prova de boa vontade, lhe denunciava todas as tentativas dos Astecas se revoltarem
E foi essa inépcia, a traição de Malinche bem como a cólera, o sarampo, a varicela, e outras doenças que tais, que levaram ao quase extermínio dos astecas. Sobreviveram aqueles que se converteram ao cristianismo (muitos sem o perceberem), mas as suas fantásticas cidades foram todas arrasadas pela armada espanhola, nuns casos por vingança noutros em busca do lendário ouro dos Astecas.
O livro termina, ironicamente, com a morte de Mixtli às mãos da Igreja Católica, como herege, sendo a forma escolhida para a sua morte muito mais violenta que qualquer um dos sacrifícios humanos que os astecas praticavam. É o próprio Mixtli que a descreve quando conta como morreram os primeiros astecas que tinham desafiado Cortez, o que nos deixa a pensar, afinal quem era mais selvagens?
Até à leitura destes dois livros, Gary Jennings era um perfeito desconhecido para mim. Hoje é um autor que quero continuar a descobrir.
December 5, 2011
Em primeiro lugar, realço pela negativa a qualidade da tradução/revisão feita nesta edição (1ª se não estou em erro). São tantas, mas tantas as gralhas que se encontram no livro que irritam até o mais calmo leitor. É inadmissível, numa obra desta natureza e de elevada qualidade, deixarem passar tantas gralhas, tantos erros e tantas "más construções" de frases. Simplesmente inadmissível!
Quanto à obra, excelente. Depois de no primeiro volume nos ter sido apresentado Mixtli e ter sido feita a descrição das suas vivências desde os tempos de criança e adolescência até à sua ascensão a Pochteca, uma espécie de "caixeiro viajante/comerciante" da altura, em Sangue Asteca temos oportunidade de acompanhar a vida altura de Mixtli, as suas aventuras como comerciante, a sua ascensão a Mixtlin (o sufixo "lin" era sinal de nobreza), a sua busca pelas raízes do povo asteca e, por fim, a trágica chegada do povo branco (espanhóis) e a queda daquela que foi uma das mais gloriosas civilizações sul americanas.
Como já tinha referido para o Vol. I, o trabalho de pesquisa do autor é notável e neste segundo volume, continua a levar-nos a percorrer as várias regiões em torno da grande Nação Méxica, acompanhando as incursões de Mixtli como Pochteca, na procura de novos produtos e novidades bem como, numa fase posterior, em busca das raízes do povo asteca, antes de se fixar naquela que terá sido uma das maiores e mais explendorosas cidades dos "índios", Tenochtitlán.
O último terço do livro ficou reservado para a chegada dos espanhóis e para uma versão do que terá sido o declínio e o quase extermínio dos Mexicatl, às mãos dos espanhóis e das suas super avançadas armas de guerra. Enquanto que os guerreiros méxica lutavam com as chamadas maquahuitl (uma espécia de espadas caseiras), os espanhóis dispunham de bestas, arcabuzes e canhões o que se traduzia numa imensa vantagem e num poder de destruição avassalador. E aqui refiro "versão" porque me parece que houve muito "autor" na descrição da tomada d' O Mundo Único (baptizado como Nova Espanha depois da conquista).
Engraçado foi também a perspectiva do autor sobre Malintzin ou a Malinche. Malintzin era uma escrava méxica que acabou por ser entregue/adquirida por Cortés (o grande conquistador do Novo Mundo) e que desempenhou as funções de tradutora e que ficou conhecida na história como a grande traidora das civilizações locais. Ao contrário da perspectiva de Laura Esquivel em A Malinche, Gary Jennings não se retrai nas acusações e na forma como retrata Malintzin colocando-a ao mesmo nível de Cortés na responsabilidade pelos vários massacres e quase extermínio dos indígenas.
Em resumo, trata-se de um excelente trabalho de investigação por parte do autor que nos transporta até um mundo diferente onde nos é apresentada uma civilização que conseguiu atingir patamares altíssimos quer em termos de riqueza, quer em termos de desenvolvimento e organização social e que tinha, tal como outras civilizações, os seus aspectos menos bons. Podemos eventualmente ficar estupefactos e criticar veementemente os sacrificios e execuções que eram realizadas na altura por questões religiosas mas convém não esquecer que na mesma época, aqueles que na escola aprendemos a chamar conquistadores, acabaram por exterminar outras civilizações na sua busca pelo ouro e na imposição da sua religião.
Quanto à obra, excelente. Depois de no primeiro volume nos ter sido apresentado Mixtli e ter sido feita a descrição das suas vivências desde os tempos de criança e adolescência até à sua ascensão a Pochteca, uma espécie de "caixeiro viajante/comerciante" da altura, em Sangue Asteca temos oportunidade de acompanhar a vida altura de Mixtli, as suas aventuras como comerciante, a sua ascensão a Mixtlin (o sufixo "lin" era sinal de nobreza), a sua busca pelas raízes do povo asteca e, por fim, a trágica chegada do povo branco (espanhóis) e a queda daquela que foi uma das mais gloriosas civilizações sul americanas.
Como já tinha referido para o Vol. I, o trabalho de pesquisa do autor é notável e neste segundo volume, continua a levar-nos a percorrer as várias regiões em torno da grande Nação Méxica, acompanhando as incursões de Mixtli como Pochteca, na procura de novos produtos e novidades bem como, numa fase posterior, em busca das raízes do povo asteca, antes de se fixar naquela que terá sido uma das maiores e mais explendorosas cidades dos "índios", Tenochtitlán.
O último terço do livro ficou reservado para a chegada dos espanhóis e para uma versão do que terá sido o declínio e o quase extermínio dos Mexicatl, às mãos dos espanhóis e das suas super avançadas armas de guerra. Enquanto que os guerreiros méxica lutavam com as chamadas maquahuitl (uma espécia de espadas caseiras), os espanhóis dispunham de bestas, arcabuzes e canhões o que se traduzia numa imensa vantagem e num poder de destruição avassalador. E aqui refiro "versão" porque me parece que houve muito "autor" na descrição da tomada d' O Mundo Único (baptizado como Nova Espanha depois da conquista).
Engraçado foi também a perspectiva do autor sobre Malintzin ou a Malinche. Malintzin era uma escrava méxica que acabou por ser entregue/adquirida por Cortés (o grande conquistador do Novo Mundo) e que desempenhou as funções de tradutora e que ficou conhecida na história como a grande traidora das civilizações locais. Ao contrário da perspectiva de Laura Esquivel em A Malinche, Gary Jennings não se retrai nas acusações e na forma como retrata Malintzin colocando-a ao mesmo nível de Cortés na responsabilidade pelos vários massacres e quase extermínio dos indígenas.
Em resumo, trata-se de um excelente trabalho de investigação por parte do autor que nos transporta até um mundo diferente onde nos é apresentada uma civilização que conseguiu atingir patamares altíssimos quer em termos de riqueza, quer em termos de desenvolvimento e organização social e que tinha, tal como outras civilizações, os seus aspectos menos bons. Podemos eventualmente ficar estupefactos e criticar veementemente os sacrificios e execuções que eram realizadas na altura por questões religiosas mas convém não esquecer que na mesma época, aqueles que na escola aprendemos a chamar conquistadores, acabaram por exterminar outras civilizações na sua busca pelo ouro e na imposição da sua religião.
June 30, 2012
{Blog} http://tempodler.blogspot.pt/2012/06/...
A história do Império Asteca, um dos mais mitificados e incompreendidos de sempre, não pode ser senão magnífica. Em Orgulho Asteca e Sangue Asteca, Gary capta a intensidade deste povo, sendo notável a profunda pesquisa realizada pelo escritor sobre os vários aspetos que constituem esta civilização…e a sua extinção, em 1521.
A minuciosidade da escrita de Jennings transporta-nos para os locais que descreve, criando cenários possantes - locais onde ocorreram as mais grotescas atrocidades, aqui descritas de forma bastante gráfica e explícita.
A violência associada aos rituais de sacrifício, realizados com o objetivo de aplacar os deuses, pode tornar a leitura ligeiramente desagradável, dependendo da suscetibilidade do leitor. Segundo a crença dos astecas, o sol morreria se não fosse alimentado com sangue humano, e o mundo acabaria por ser destruído. Para impedir que tal acontecesse eram realizadas batalhas rituais em dias específicos apenas para capturar soldados que seria depois obrigados a subir os degraus da Pirâmide Maior, executar danças cerimoniais enquanto vestidos garridamente para a ocasião, para que depois lhes fossem arrancados os corações e os seus corpos atirados escadaria abaixo. Toda esta depravação acaba por transmitir uma faceta doentia ao livro, pelo que este não é, de todo, um livro recomendado a pessoas mais impressionáveis.
Digo doentio, mas é na verdade maravilhosamente doentio. Escabroso. Bizarro. Sangrento. Mas é tudo isto que o torna vibrante. Absorvente. Cheio de ação…Épico!
Os pormenores são obviamente a riqueza maior deste livro. Especialmente por serem verdadeiros: o zoo, as batalhas, os sacrifícios, a cheia no palácio de Ahuitzotl que resultou na sua morte, os presságios de Moctezuma II…
Um romance histórico cheio de acontecimentos inesperados que nos prende a atenção do início ao fim…
A história do Império Asteca, um dos mais mitificados e incompreendidos de sempre, não pode ser senão magnífica. Em Orgulho Asteca e Sangue Asteca, Gary capta a intensidade deste povo, sendo notável a profunda pesquisa realizada pelo escritor sobre os vários aspetos que constituem esta civilização…e a sua extinção, em 1521.
A minuciosidade da escrita de Jennings transporta-nos para os locais que descreve, criando cenários possantes - locais onde ocorreram as mais grotescas atrocidades, aqui descritas de forma bastante gráfica e explícita.
A violência associada aos rituais de sacrifício, realizados com o objetivo de aplacar os deuses, pode tornar a leitura ligeiramente desagradável, dependendo da suscetibilidade do leitor. Segundo a crença dos astecas, o sol morreria se não fosse alimentado com sangue humano, e o mundo acabaria por ser destruído. Para impedir que tal acontecesse eram realizadas batalhas rituais em dias específicos apenas para capturar soldados que seria depois obrigados a subir os degraus da Pirâmide Maior, executar danças cerimoniais enquanto vestidos garridamente para a ocasião, para que depois lhes fossem arrancados os corações e os seus corpos atirados escadaria abaixo. Toda esta depravação acaba por transmitir uma faceta doentia ao livro, pelo que este não é, de todo, um livro recomendado a pessoas mais impressionáveis.
Digo doentio, mas é na verdade maravilhosamente doentio. Escabroso. Bizarro. Sangrento. Mas é tudo isto que o torna vibrante. Absorvente. Cheio de ação…Épico!
Os pormenores são obviamente a riqueza maior deste livro. Especialmente por serem verdadeiros: o zoo, as batalhas, os sacrifícios, a cheia no palácio de Ahuitzotl que resultou na sua morte, os presságios de Moctezuma II…
Um romance histórico cheio de acontecimentos inesperados que nos prende a atenção do início ao fim…
May 22, 2009
Had the feeling of a cheesy adventure movie- was sad I wasted the time.
June 29, 2015
It was okay. That's all there is to it.
December 19, 2014
Weaker than previous two as it's made from Jennings notes.
February 29, 2016
A little long in the tooth but the twist and turns in the final chapters are worth the effort.
November 29, 2020
This is NOT written by Gary Jennings, and it REALLY shows
January 15, 2012
1600's in New Spain
Mestizo-mixed Spanish and Indio blood.
El Cid was born Rodrigo (or Ruy) Díaz de Vivar. Vivar being the town where he was born. It is near Burgos. He was born either in 1040 or 1043. Historians are not sure of the date. He died in Valencia in 1099. His name, "El Cid" was given to him by the Moors. In the mixture of the Spanish and Arabic language they used, they called him "As-Sid" (Lord or Chief). This was pronounced by the Spaniards as "El Cid", but they themselves actually called him "Campeador" (Champion).
El Cid was brought up in the court of King Fernand I and he lived in the household of the King's eldest son, who was to be the future Sancho II. In 1065 Fernand I died. He divided his kingdom among his three sons, Sancho, Alfonso and Garcia, and his two daughters, Elvira and Urraca. (Unlike today, Spain was not one kingdom, but ruled by many kings including some Arabics. The kingdom that Fernand left his children was only a portion of modern day Spain.)
Fernand had hoped that his children would be happy with their lands. Sancho being the eldest thought that he should have inherited all of his father's lands. Sancho first needed to do battle with the Kingdom of Aragon which was not under control of any of his family. El Cid proved to be such a help in defeating the Kingdom of Aragon that he was named Commander of the Royal Armies. At this time he was only about 23 years old.
About 1070 Sancho began his war against his brothers and sisters. He first waged war against his brothers in Leon and Galicia. Both victories were accomplished with the great assistance of El Cid who turned almost certain defeats into victories. Sancho exiled his brothers to the city of Toledo. Sancho then took the city of Toro which was the domain of his sister, Elvira. He then began a battle with his sister Urraca and her city of Zamora in 1072. However Sancho was killed by one of Urraca's soldiers right at the city gates. Upon hearing of his brother's death, Alfonso rushed to Zamora to claim his brother's lands and most importantly the throne. He became Alfonso VI.
El Cid became concerned for his life. He had after all helped Sancho wage war against Alfonso who was now the King. But El Cid had a couple of things in his favor. One he was a very good soldier. Alfonso knew that he would need a leader like El Cid. Also the people in Castile were not happy that they were being led by a king from Leon. El Cid was from Castile and was liked by the people. Although the Alfonso removed El Cid as Commander of the Royal Armies, in 1074 he married El Cid to his niece, Jimena. El Cid was now related to Alfonso. Alfonso did not really like El Cid. He was afraid that El Cid might attempt to take the throne. Alfonso sent El Cid to the king of Seville to collect money. When El Cid returned he accused El Cid of keeping some of the money. He banished El Cid from his kingdom and from then on El Cid was not able to live safely in any area ruled by Alfonso. El Cid now needed not only money, but also protection of a king. He offered his services to the Ruler of Saragossa in northeastern Spain. The Ruler of Saragossa was the arabic leader, al-Mu'tamin. Unlike Alfonso, al-Mu'tamin was quite happy to have such as successful soldier as El Cid. El Cid served al-Mu'tamin and his successor, al-Musta'in for nearly 10 years.
In 1082 he defeated the Moorish (arabic) king of Lérida and the king's ally, the Count of Barcelona. In 1084 he defeated a large army lead by King Sancho Ramírez of Aragon.
In 1086 Alfonso VI came under attack from the Almoravid armies from North Africa. He suffered a great defeat at Sagrajas on October 23rd. Realizing that he needed El Cid's help to save his Kingdom, Alfonso recalled El Cid from exile.
El Cid returned to Alfonso, but now he had his own plans. He only stayed a short while and returned to Saragossa. El Cid was content to let the Almoravid armies and the armies of Alfonso fight without his help. Even when there was a chance that the armies of Almoravid might defeat Alfonso and take over all of Alfonso's lands. The reason El Cid did not want to fight was because he was hoping that both armies would become weak. That would make it easier for him to carry out his own plan which was to become ruler of the Kingdom of Valencia.
The first thing El Cid needed to do was to remove the influence of the Count of Barcelona. Barcelona was the major city in the area and the Count was a powerful man. He defeated the Count (Berenguer Ramón II) at the battle of Tébar in May 1090. Valencia, however was stilled ruled by an Arabic leader, al-Qadir. El Cid became lucky when in October 1092 al-Qadir was killed by one of his noblemen, Ibn Jahhaf. The city of Valencia was thrown into confusion. It was at this time that El Cid decided to attack. He surrounded the city and began a long siege. In May, 1094 Ibn Jahhaf surrendered the city.
Although El Cid was a soldier he understood some of the politics of being a ruler. Through his service to Sancho II and then Alfonso VI he learned about Spanish politics. Through his service to al-Mu'tamin and al-Musta'in he learned about Arabic politics. He knew that because Valencia contained a great number of Moors (Arabs) that he would have to have the support of Ibn Jahhaf. He forgave Ibn Jahhaf of all of his crimes including the killing of al-Qadir. Ibn Jahhaf agreed to use his influence over the Moors so that they would accept El Cid as their ruler. Once this was accomplished, El Cid decided that he did not need Ibn Jahhaf and had him arrested and killed.
El Cid technically ruled Valencia for Alfonso. But, Alfonso was not about to wage war against El Cid, so he let him rule with almost no control. El Cid began to act as a king. He appointed a Bishop and he encouraged people to settle in Valencia. He married one daughter, Cristina to a prince of Aragon, Ramiro and his other daughter María to Count of Barcelona, Ramón Berenguer III, whose father he had earlier defeated.
El Cid ruled Valencia until his death. After his death the Almoravids attacked the city and Alfonso had to personally go there to save it. However, he decided that he could not defend unless he kept a great number of soldiers there permanently. So he decided to abandon the city and ordered it burned. On May 5, 1102, the Almoravids occupied Valencia and ruled it until 1238.
The body of El Cid was returned to Burgos and buried in a monastery. Almost immediately he became regarded as a national hero of Castile. In the 12th century a 3700 line poem "El Cantar de Mío Cid" (The Song of the Cid) was written about him. The poem and later writings such as a play in 1637 made his exploits almost legendary to the point that some people began to doubt that whether El Cid was ever a real person. Unlike King Arthur of English legend, El Cid really did exist. And the poem about him (although it does in some cases stretch the truth), is considered to be the beginning of Spanish literature
Moctezuma II (1466–1520), ninth Aztec Emperor, ruler at the beginning of the Spanish conquest of Mexico . killed during the initial stages of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, when Conquistador Hernán Cortés and his men fought to escape from the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. believed Cortes to be legend of Quetzalcoatl as a vengeful Messiah who would return to rule over the Mexica. Aztecs had been powerful for 100 years.
Tula- fabled city of the Totecs.
HERNÁN CORTÉS (1485-1547) First he went to the island of Santo Domingo (now known as the Dominican Republic) in 1504. He was only 19 years old at the time. He stayed there for seven years, then took part in the Spanish conquest of Cuba in 1511. He became mayor of Santiago de Cuba and stayed there until 1518. Cortés arrived in Mexico in March 1519 with a group of about 600 men and 16 horses. Mexicans had never seen any beast of burden and were terrified of the horses. married an Indio princess who was his interpreter.
Velezquez was first governor of Cuba.
Mephistopheles - The name, originally Hebrew, is derived from "mephiz" meaning destroyer, and "tophel" meaning liar. Mephistopheles is a fallen archangel, one of the 7 great princes of Hell
YOYOTLI- mixture of herbs used by the Aztecs to subdue sacrificial victims.
Veracruz-was known as the Ciudad de los Muertes (City of the Dead)- because a fifth of the population died every year from the "Black Vomit"
Cochineal-dye from insect-crimson. Developed by Aztecs. much admired by Spanish nobility.
Cocuyos-insects with luminous green spots. used as pets and on necklaces.
Coco-developed by aztecs. Only nobility could drink it. beans used as currency in New Spain.
Alexander VI, given name Rodrigo Borgia, Roman Catholic Pope from 1492 until his death, is the most memorable of the corrupt and secular popes of the Renaissance.Incest with Lucrezia, his daughter
Son of a gun--children of ship prostitutes and unknown fathers. Birthing mother laid by braziers near the cannons.
Sons of Stones-foundlings place on the stone slabs in churches.
The oldest woman in the village heard everyone's confessins and then was stoned to absolve all of the villagre's sins
Codex-latin word for book. White pages. Library in Texcoco rivlled that of Alexandria until frays of the RC church burned it
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Born 1548 (day unknown); died 23 April 1616) was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written.His influence on the Spanish language has been so great that the language is often called la lengua de Cervantes ("the language of Cervantes").he was held captive by the Bey of Algiers for five years. finally ransomed to his family in Madrid.
Rashid ad-Din Sinan, also known as The Old Man of the Mountain (c. 1132/1135 - 1192) was one of the leaders of the Syrian wing of the Hashshashin sect and a figure in the history of the Crusades. Latin sources from the crusader states call him Vetulus de Montanis, derived from the Arabic title Shaykh al Jabal, which means prince or elder of the mountain. His chief enemy was Sultan Saladin, who ruled over Egypt and Syria. Saladin managed twice to elude assassination attempts ordered by Rashid and as he was marching against Aleppo, Saladin devastated the Nizari possessions. In 1176, Saladin laid siege to Masyaf but he lifted the siege after two notable events that reputedly transpired between him and the Old Man of the Mountain. According to one version, one night, Saladin's guards noticed a spark glowing down the hill of Masyaf and then vanishing among the Ayyubid tents. Presently, Saladin awoke from his sleep to find a figure leaving the tent. He then saw that the lamps were displaced and beside his bed laid hot scones of the shape peculiar to the Assassins with a note at the top pinned by a poisoned dagger. The note threatened that he would be killed if he didn't withdraw from his assault. Saladin gave a loud cry, exclaiming that Sinan himself was the figure that left the tent. As such, Saladin told his guards to settle an agreement with Sinan. Realizing he was unable to subdue the Assassins, he sought to align himself with them, consequently depriving the Crusaders of aligning themselves against him.
Rashid's last notable act occurred in 1192, when he ordered the assassination of the newly elected King of Jerusalem Conrad of Montferrat. Whether this happened in coordination with King Richard I of England or Saladin remains speculation. He died in 1192
Sodomy punished by the Aztecs. penis cut off, hole put between legs and entrails pulled out of it. Body covered in ash and logs and burned.
Syphilis- treatment was to put the person in a barrel filled with mercury or quicksilver
Blood Guilt-belief was the the dead body would spill blood if the killer came too near.
Bezoar stones-put in drinks to ward off being poisoned.
Jaguar knight murder cult-sacrificed in 1600's
Catalina de Erauso-nun bandit-also known as La Monja Alférez (English, The Nun Lieutenant) (1592,San Sebastián, Spain—1650, Cuetlaxtla (near Orizaba), New Spain), was a semi-legendary personality of the Basque Country, Spain and Spanish America in the first half of the seventeenth century.
The knight-errant is a figure of medieval chivalric romance literature. "Errant" meaning wandering or roving, indicates how the knight-errant would typically wander the land in search of adventures to prove himself as a knight, such as in a pas d'Armes.
The first known appearance of the term "knight-errant" was in the 14th century Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where Sir Gawain arrives at the castle of Sir Bercilak de Haudesert after long journeys, and Sir Bercilak goes to welcome the "knygt erraunt."
.
Mestizo-mixed Spanish and Indio blood.
El Cid was born Rodrigo (or Ruy) Díaz de Vivar. Vivar being the town where he was born. It is near Burgos. He was born either in 1040 or 1043. Historians are not sure of the date. He died in Valencia in 1099. His name, "El Cid" was given to him by the Moors. In the mixture of the Spanish and Arabic language they used, they called him "As-Sid" (Lord or Chief). This was pronounced by the Spaniards as "El Cid", but they themselves actually called him "Campeador" (Champion).
El Cid was brought up in the court of King Fernand I and he lived in the household of the King's eldest son, who was to be the future Sancho II. In 1065 Fernand I died. He divided his kingdom among his three sons, Sancho, Alfonso and Garcia, and his two daughters, Elvira and Urraca. (Unlike today, Spain was not one kingdom, but ruled by many kings including some Arabics. The kingdom that Fernand left his children was only a portion of modern day Spain.)
Fernand had hoped that his children would be happy with their lands. Sancho being the eldest thought that he should have inherited all of his father's lands. Sancho first needed to do battle with the Kingdom of Aragon which was not under control of any of his family. El Cid proved to be such a help in defeating the Kingdom of Aragon that he was named Commander of the Royal Armies. At this time he was only about 23 years old.
About 1070 Sancho began his war against his brothers and sisters. He first waged war against his brothers in Leon and Galicia. Both victories were accomplished with the great assistance of El Cid who turned almost certain defeats into victories. Sancho exiled his brothers to the city of Toledo. Sancho then took the city of Toro which was the domain of his sister, Elvira. He then began a battle with his sister Urraca and her city of Zamora in 1072. However Sancho was killed by one of Urraca's soldiers right at the city gates. Upon hearing of his brother's death, Alfonso rushed to Zamora to claim his brother's lands and most importantly the throne. He became Alfonso VI.
El Cid became concerned for his life. He had after all helped Sancho wage war against Alfonso who was now the King. But El Cid had a couple of things in his favor. One he was a very good soldier. Alfonso knew that he would need a leader like El Cid. Also the people in Castile were not happy that they were being led by a king from Leon. El Cid was from Castile and was liked by the people. Although the Alfonso removed El Cid as Commander of the Royal Armies, in 1074 he married El Cid to his niece, Jimena. El Cid was now related to Alfonso. Alfonso did not really like El Cid. He was afraid that El Cid might attempt to take the throne. Alfonso sent El Cid to the king of Seville to collect money. When El Cid returned he accused El Cid of keeping some of the money. He banished El Cid from his kingdom and from then on El Cid was not able to live safely in any area ruled by Alfonso. El Cid now needed not only money, but also protection of a king. He offered his services to the Ruler of Saragossa in northeastern Spain. The Ruler of Saragossa was the arabic leader, al-Mu'tamin. Unlike Alfonso, al-Mu'tamin was quite happy to have such as successful soldier as El Cid. El Cid served al-Mu'tamin and his successor, al-Musta'in for nearly 10 years.
In 1082 he defeated the Moorish (arabic) king of Lérida and the king's ally, the Count of Barcelona. In 1084 he defeated a large army lead by King Sancho Ramírez of Aragon.
In 1086 Alfonso VI came under attack from the Almoravid armies from North Africa. He suffered a great defeat at Sagrajas on October 23rd. Realizing that he needed El Cid's help to save his Kingdom, Alfonso recalled El Cid from exile.
El Cid returned to Alfonso, but now he had his own plans. He only stayed a short while and returned to Saragossa. El Cid was content to let the Almoravid armies and the armies of Alfonso fight without his help. Even when there was a chance that the armies of Almoravid might defeat Alfonso and take over all of Alfonso's lands. The reason El Cid did not want to fight was because he was hoping that both armies would become weak. That would make it easier for him to carry out his own plan which was to become ruler of the Kingdom of Valencia.
The first thing El Cid needed to do was to remove the influence of the Count of Barcelona. Barcelona was the major city in the area and the Count was a powerful man. He defeated the Count (Berenguer Ramón II) at the battle of Tébar in May 1090. Valencia, however was stilled ruled by an Arabic leader, al-Qadir. El Cid became lucky when in October 1092 al-Qadir was killed by one of his noblemen, Ibn Jahhaf. The city of Valencia was thrown into confusion. It was at this time that El Cid decided to attack. He surrounded the city and began a long siege. In May, 1094 Ibn Jahhaf surrendered the city.
Although El Cid was a soldier he understood some of the politics of being a ruler. Through his service to Sancho II and then Alfonso VI he learned about Spanish politics. Through his service to al-Mu'tamin and al-Musta'in he learned about Arabic politics. He knew that because Valencia contained a great number of Moors (Arabs) that he would have to have the support of Ibn Jahhaf. He forgave Ibn Jahhaf of all of his crimes including the killing of al-Qadir. Ibn Jahhaf agreed to use his influence over the Moors so that they would accept El Cid as their ruler. Once this was accomplished, El Cid decided that he did not need Ibn Jahhaf and had him arrested and killed.
El Cid technically ruled Valencia for Alfonso. But, Alfonso was not about to wage war against El Cid, so he let him rule with almost no control. El Cid began to act as a king. He appointed a Bishop and he encouraged people to settle in Valencia. He married one daughter, Cristina to a prince of Aragon, Ramiro and his other daughter María to Count of Barcelona, Ramón Berenguer III, whose father he had earlier defeated.
El Cid ruled Valencia until his death. After his death the Almoravids attacked the city and Alfonso had to personally go there to save it. However, he decided that he could not defend unless he kept a great number of soldiers there permanently. So he decided to abandon the city and ordered it burned. On May 5, 1102, the Almoravids occupied Valencia and ruled it until 1238.
The body of El Cid was returned to Burgos and buried in a monastery. Almost immediately he became regarded as a national hero of Castile. In the 12th century a 3700 line poem "El Cantar de Mío Cid" (The Song of the Cid) was written about him. The poem and later writings such as a play in 1637 made his exploits almost legendary to the point that some people began to doubt that whether El Cid was ever a real person. Unlike King Arthur of English legend, El Cid really did exist. And the poem about him (although it does in some cases stretch the truth), is considered to be the beginning of Spanish literature
Moctezuma II (1466–1520), ninth Aztec Emperor, ruler at the beginning of the Spanish conquest of Mexico . killed during the initial stages of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, when Conquistador Hernán Cortés and his men fought to escape from the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. believed Cortes to be legend of Quetzalcoatl as a vengeful Messiah who would return to rule over the Mexica. Aztecs had been powerful for 100 years.
Tula- fabled city of the Totecs.
HERNÁN CORTÉS (1485-1547) First he went to the island of Santo Domingo (now known as the Dominican Republic) in 1504. He was only 19 years old at the time. He stayed there for seven years, then took part in the Spanish conquest of Cuba in 1511. He became mayor of Santiago de Cuba and stayed there until 1518. Cortés arrived in Mexico in March 1519 with a group of about 600 men and 16 horses. Mexicans had never seen any beast of burden and were terrified of the horses. married an Indio princess who was his interpreter.
Velezquez was first governor of Cuba.
Mephistopheles - The name, originally Hebrew, is derived from "mephiz" meaning destroyer, and "tophel" meaning liar. Mephistopheles is a fallen archangel, one of the 7 great princes of Hell
YOYOTLI- mixture of herbs used by the Aztecs to subdue sacrificial victims.
Veracruz-was known as the Ciudad de los Muertes (City of the Dead)- because a fifth of the population died every year from the "Black Vomit"
Cochineal-dye from insect-crimson. Developed by Aztecs. much admired by Spanish nobility.
Cocuyos-insects with luminous green spots. used as pets and on necklaces.
Coco-developed by aztecs. Only nobility could drink it. beans used as currency in New Spain.
Alexander VI, given name Rodrigo Borgia, Roman Catholic Pope from 1492 until his death, is the most memorable of the corrupt and secular popes of the Renaissance.Incest with Lucrezia, his daughter
Son of a gun--children of ship prostitutes and unknown fathers. Birthing mother laid by braziers near the cannons.
Sons of Stones-foundlings place on the stone slabs in churches.
The oldest woman in the village heard everyone's confessins and then was stoned to absolve all of the villagre's sins
Codex-latin word for book. White pages. Library in Texcoco rivlled that of Alexandria until frays of the RC church burned it
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Born 1548 (day unknown); died 23 April 1616) was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written.His influence on the Spanish language has been so great that the language is often called la lengua de Cervantes ("the language of Cervantes").he was held captive by the Bey of Algiers for five years. finally ransomed to his family in Madrid.
Rashid ad-Din Sinan, also known as The Old Man of the Mountain (c. 1132/1135 - 1192) was one of the leaders of the Syrian wing of the Hashshashin sect and a figure in the history of the Crusades. Latin sources from the crusader states call him Vetulus de Montanis, derived from the Arabic title Shaykh al Jabal, which means prince or elder of the mountain. His chief enemy was Sultan Saladin, who ruled over Egypt and Syria. Saladin managed twice to elude assassination attempts ordered by Rashid and as he was marching against Aleppo, Saladin devastated the Nizari possessions. In 1176, Saladin laid siege to Masyaf but he lifted the siege after two notable events that reputedly transpired between him and the Old Man of the Mountain. According to one version, one night, Saladin's guards noticed a spark glowing down the hill of Masyaf and then vanishing among the Ayyubid tents. Presently, Saladin awoke from his sleep to find a figure leaving the tent. He then saw that the lamps were displaced and beside his bed laid hot scones of the shape peculiar to the Assassins with a note at the top pinned by a poisoned dagger. The note threatened that he would be killed if he didn't withdraw from his assault. Saladin gave a loud cry, exclaiming that Sinan himself was the figure that left the tent. As such, Saladin told his guards to settle an agreement with Sinan. Realizing he was unable to subdue the Assassins, he sought to align himself with them, consequently depriving the Crusaders of aligning themselves against him.
Rashid's last notable act occurred in 1192, when he ordered the assassination of the newly elected King of Jerusalem Conrad of Montferrat. Whether this happened in coordination with King Richard I of England or Saladin remains speculation. He died in 1192
Sodomy punished by the Aztecs. penis cut off, hole put between legs and entrails pulled out of it. Body covered in ash and logs and burned.
Syphilis- treatment was to put the person in a barrel filled with mercury or quicksilver
Blood Guilt-belief was the the dead body would spill blood if the killer came too near.
Bezoar stones-put in drinks to ward off being poisoned.
Jaguar knight murder cult-sacrificed in 1600's
Catalina de Erauso-nun bandit-also known as La Monja Alférez (English, The Nun Lieutenant) (1592,San Sebastián, Spain—1650, Cuetlaxtla (near Orizaba), New Spain), was a semi-legendary personality of the Basque Country, Spain and Spanish America in the first half of the seventeenth century.
The knight-errant is a figure of medieval chivalric romance literature. "Errant" meaning wandering or roving, indicates how the knight-errant would typically wander the land in search of adventures to prove himself as a knight, such as in a pas d'Armes.
The first known appearance of the term "knight-errant" was in the 14th century Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where Sir Gawain arrives at the castle of Sir Bercilak de Haudesert after long journeys, and Sir Bercilak goes to welcome the "knygt erraunt."
.
April 11, 2025
Este libro sigue a Tenamaxtli, un descendiente de Mixtli, que en lugar de buscar venganza como Cuauhtli (libro 2), intenta sanar.
La historia lo lleva desde tierras indígenas hasta Europa, aprendiendo medicina, filosofía y espiritualidad.
No pelea con espadas, sino con ideas, buscando reconstruir algo del alma perdida de su pueblo.
Tenamaxtli no logra ser héroe ni mártir ni sanador completamente. Es una figura fracturada, como su tiempo. Él busca ser puente entre mundos, pero ese puente es inestable.
Y ese sentimiento atraviesa todo el libro.
Sangre Azteca no es un mal libro, pero Gary Jennings murió, y eso marca toda la diferencia.
Lo que vino después fue un intento de continuar la saga, pero sin su pasión, sin su exigencia, sin la arquitectura histórica ni narrativa que hizo único al original.
Se siente más como un proyecto editorial para seguir vendiendo, que como una historia que realmente necesitaba contarse.
Y cuando falta el alma, por más que se intente, no se puede fingir.
La historia lo lleva desde tierras indígenas hasta Europa, aprendiendo medicina, filosofía y espiritualidad.
No pelea con espadas, sino con ideas, buscando reconstruir algo del alma perdida de su pueblo.
Tenamaxtli no logra ser héroe ni mártir ni sanador completamente. Es una figura fracturada, como su tiempo. Él busca ser puente entre mundos, pero ese puente es inestable.
Y ese sentimiento atraviesa todo el libro.
Sangre Azteca no es un mal libro, pero Gary Jennings murió, y eso marca toda la diferencia.
Lo que vino después fue un intento de continuar la saga, pero sin su pasión, sin su exigencia, sin la arquitectura histórica ni narrativa que hizo único al original.
Se siente más como un proyecto editorial para seguir vendiendo, que como una historia que realmente necesitaba contarse.
Y cuando falta el alma, por más que se intente, no se puede fingir.
January 25, 2018
This is one of those adventure novels (as was its predecessor Aztec Autumn) with a lot of wildly improbable exploits, which can be entertaining. Overall, this one is entertaining if you suspend your disbelief, but it is overly-long, with a number of unnecessary diversions from the main story to explain coeval events and early Spanish literary works that appear in the book. There are also some plot holes that a fairly drunk Airbus 380 pilot could easily fly through. This third in the Aztec series was apparently not written by Jennings, despite his name on the cover, but assembled from his notes after his death.
February 5, 2020
De esos libros de los que siempre quieres leer más, pero al mismo tiempo no deseas que acabe.
Definitivamente muy bien escrito, de esos libros que te invitan a imaginar, a crear imágenes a partir de lo que estás leyendo, imaginar como serían física y mentalmente los personajes, el final me quedó a deber...
Cruda la historía de nuestro México, lleno de traición (ahora se explica uno mucho nuestra realidad, nuestra actualidad) ¿de dónde surgieron esas estúpidas ideas del clasismo? ¿quién nos da facultad para juzgar a nuestros semejantes por su aspecto físico o creencias? Al final siempre todo relacionado a una historia de amor....
Buen libro altamente recomendable....
Definitivamente muy bien escrito, de esos libros que te invitan a imaginar, a crear imágenes a partir de lo que estás leyendo, imaginar como serían física y mentalmente los personajes, el final me quedó a deber...
Cruda la historía de nuestro México, lleno de traición (ahora se explica uno mucho nuestra realidad, nuestra actualidad) ¿de dónde surgieron esas estúpidas ideas del clasismo? ¿quién nos da facultad para juzgar a nuestros semejantes por su aspecto físico o creencias? Al final siempre todo relacionado a una historia de amor....
Buen libro altamente recomendable....
July 18, 2023
Forced myself to finish it. Cobbled together asides of myths and fairy tales abound - they get old. Lot of poetic side-roads too - they get old. The main character's life unfolds at a plodding pace thanks to these interruptions. Nothing is done up to the standards of Jennings previous two Aztec books. It is an amalgam made "from Jennings notes" by others. I think there is a lot of 2nd rate invention in it too. I think its downright misleading to claim it is Jenning's work. It retains some of the virtues of his previous books but, on the whole, I wish I hadn't picked it up. I advise you to not make the same mistake.
July 27, 2025
Es la tercera novela que leo de la saga 'Azteca' y no deja de sorprenderme la riqueza del conocimiento que Gary Jennings tenía de las culturas originarias de lo que hoy llamamos México. Fiel a su narración detallada, a ratos fluida, en otros coqueteando con la poesía y siempre ilustrando y embelleciendo la grandeza de nuestros ancestros. Este libro está repleto de romance, acción, reflexiones que irremediablemente nos transportan al presente para concluir que de léperos, bribones, políticos corruptos sin escrúpulos y gente del pueblo mancillada que aplaude a sus explotadores, este noble país, es un gran tambo sin tapa repleto de cangrejos. Feliz viaje.
September 19, 2017
E' il seguito de "L'azteco" a quanto ho capito. E sempre stando all'introduzione, non è stato propriamente scritto da Gary Jennings. Io ho adorato questo romanzo, in cui la trama si intreccia con sottotrame molto divertenti. E' la storia di un azteco, figlio di una principessa azteca e un nobile spagnolo, e di come giunge a rivoluzionare la sua vita, fuggendo in giovane età dalle mani della nonna spagnola che vorrebbe invece ucciderlo.
September 4, 2021
Wow, what a ride. The author clearly has a passion for deep research and historical fiction. By about the 100th or 200th side story into history, it does start to get a little old. The actual story probably comprises a third of the writing, which makes sense, because it's about 3 times longer than a lot of books.
In the end, though, the list of characters is kept to minimum, the story, when it advances, is entertaining, and the romp through history, so I enjoyed myself overall.
In the end, though, the list of characters is kept to minimum, the story, when it advances, is entertaining, and the romp through history, so I enjoyed myself overall.
December 5, 2024
Entre olores, texturas, magia, imágenes del México antiguo, la selva, tesoros, Veracruz y sus caminos…. Los mosquitos jaja vives las tremendas aventuras de Cristo el Bastardo. Muy ingeniosa y mágica novela histórica que te engancha desde la página 1. No sabía que era una serie y empecé por esta que es la #3. Leeré su primer libro de esta serie Azteca
Y como siempre aprendí cosas nuevas! Muy recomendable
Y como siempre aprendí cosas nuevas! Muy recomendable
January 29, 2020
Not actually written by Jennings and (having read thousands of his pages) it shows. Notice the apostrophe after his name? It's based on his research and notes. He didn't write it. I'm not sure I'm interested in reading any more of this series. It's a bummer because I loved the first two Aztec and all of Spangle.
January 12, 2025
Finding out Gary Kennings died and this was taken over from an outline makes a LOT more sense. Maintains the immense scope, great characters and historical accuracy but loses some of the charm and feels oddly sanitized, Aztec 3 was a lesser but still great read in the series. Apparently they take a big downward turn after this one, but god I love the Aztec books.
September 2, 2019
Page Turner
Just as good as the first book in the series. My family felt a little neglected as I read this but ok since I could not put it down. Great piece of Mexican historical fiction. On to the next one!
Just as good as the first book in the series. My family felt a little neglected as I read this but ok since I could not put it down. Great piece of Mexican historical fiction. On to the next one!
September 11, 2021
Not as great as the 1st novel Aztec. In between I found it hard to go on reading. I stopped for over 6 months and then picked it up, well because I broke my leg and there was nothing else to do. The ending was quite well written. You just have to brave out the middle.
November 8, 2021
Me encantó
Un libro de ficcion historica, que nos narra la vida de Cristo El bastardo, hijo de Padre español y Madre indigena, en la epoca colonial de Nueva España.
Me encantó la hambientacion, los personajes, como Poco a Poco los misterios sobre Cristo se van aclarando. Muy recomendable.
Un libro de ficcion historica, que nos narra la vida de Cristo El bastardo, hijo de Padre español y Madre indigena, en la epoca colonial de Nueva España.
Me encantó la hambientacion, los personajes, como Poco a Poco los misterios sobre Cristo se van aclarando. Muy recomendable.
May 14, 2022
Es una continuación de la vida de los aztecas, pero cuando el imperio azteca ya ha sido conquistado y el protagonista, un indio mestizo, debe revelar el secreto que corre por su linaje y reclamar sus derechos
March 2, 2023
Me adentre en esta historia sin haber leído los libros anteriores de Azteca y si bien es una historia entretenida, tampoco me pareció nada del otro mundo y su en muchos casos inverosímil hasta llegar a niveles fantasiosos.
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