The Broken Spears Quotes

“¡Ah capitán! ya yo he hecho todo mi poder para defender mi reino, y librarlo
de vuestras manos; y pues no ha sido mi fortuna favorable, quitadme la
vida, que será muy justo, y con esto acabaréis el reino mexicano, pues a
mi ciudad y vasallos tenéis destruidos y muertos . . . Con otras razones
muy lastimosas, que se enternecieron cuantos allí estaban, de ver a este
príncipe en este lance.”
― Miguel León-Portilla, The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

“Sometimes he was called Tloque-Nahuaque, “Lord of the Close Vicinity,” sometimes Ipalnemohuani, “Giver of Life,” sometimes Moyocoyatzin, “He who Creates Himself.” He also had two aspects, one masculine and one feminine. Thus he was also invoked as Ometeotl, “God of Duality,” or given the double names Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, “Lord and Lady of Duality,” Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl, “Lord and Lady of the Region of Death,” and others.”
― Miguel León-Portilla, The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

“In Tenochtitlan, Tezcoco and other cities there were groups of wise men known as tlamatinime. These scholars carried on the study of the ancient religious thinking of the Toltecs, which Tlacaelel had transformed into a mystical exaltation of war. Despite the popularity of the cult of the war-god, Huitzilopochtli, the tlamatinime preserved the old belief in a single supreme god, who was known under a variety of names. Sometimes he was called Tloque-Nahuaque, “Lord of the Close Vicinity,” sometimes Ipalnemohuani, “Giver of Life,” sometimes Moyocoyatzin, “He who Creates Himself.” He also had two aspects, one masculine and one feminine. Thus he was also invoked as Ometeotl, “God of Duality,” or given the double names Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, “Lord and Lady of Duality,” Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl, “Lord and Lady of the Region of Death,” and others.”
― Miguel León-Portilla, The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico