Florentine Codex

The Florentine Codex, book 11, ch. 3, folios 62v–63r.

The Florentine Codex is the best-preserved manuscript of Bernardino de Sahagún's Historia general de las Cosas de Nueva España (original title: La Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España, or, in English, The General History of the Things of New Spain). It documents the culture, religion, society, economics, and natural history of the Aztec people. The work consists of 2,400 pages organized into twelve books, with more than 2,000 illustrations drawn by native artists providing vivid depictions of the era.

Quotes

"They threw him upon his back on the sacrificial stone; then [one of them] cut open his breast; he took his heart from him; he also raised it in dedication to the sun." (Book 2, ch. 24, folio 33v; the illustration is from folio 30v)

"In the temple of the Tlalocs they opened her breast." (Book 1, ch. 11, folio 6r)

• And when he had mounted all the steps, when he had risen to the summit, then the offering priests seized him. They threw him upon his back on the sacrificial stone; then [one of them] cut open his breast; he took his heart from him; he also raised it in dedication to the sun.
  • Book 2, ch. 24, folio 33v. Nahuatl-to-English Translation, Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982.

• And right before her image died a woman slave whom they had bought. The water merchants exhibited her; those who gained their livelihoods from water, those who brought water in boats, those who owned boats, those who lived on the water, the boat-makers, those who served water in the market place. Likewise they arrayed her, made offerings, and ornamented her; for she would go, when she died, to a place called Tlalocan. In the temple of the Tlalocs they opened her breast.
  • Book 1, ch. 11, folio 6r. Nahuatl-to-English Translation, Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982.

• When the masters of the captives took their slaves to the temple where they were to slay them, they took them by the hair. And when they took them up the steps of the pyramid, some of the captives swooned, and their masters pulled them up and dragged them by the hair to the sacrificial stone where they were to die.

  Having brought them to the sacrificial stone, which was a stone of three hands in height, or a little more, and two in width, or almost, they threw them upon it, on their backs, and five [priests] seized them—two by the legs, two by the arms, and one by the head; and then came the priest who was to kill him. And he struck him with a flint [knife], held in both hands and made in the manner of a large lance head, between the breasts. And into the gash which he made, he thrust his hand and tore from [the victim] his heart; and then he offered it to the sun and cast it into a gourd vessel.

  • Book 2, ch. 2, folio 3v. Spanish-to-English Translation, Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982.

• The tenth month they named Xocotl uetzi. On the first day of this month, they observed a feast to the god of fire, named Xiuhtecutli or Ixcoçauhqui. On this feast they cast into the fire, alive, many slaves, bound hand and foot, and before they had quite died, they took them forth, dragging [them] out of the fire, in order to tear out their hearts before the image of this god.
  • Book 2, ch. 10, folio 7v. Spanish-to-English Translation, Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982.

• Thus proceeding, they went casting them upon the mound of coals—now one, and, after a little, another. And him whom they had cast they let burn for a good while; and, still alive and tossing, they took him forth, dragging him out with something like a hook, and cast him upon the sacrificial stone. And, having opened his breast, they tore out his heart. In this manner suffered all those unhappy captives.
  • Book 2, ch. 10, folio 7v. Spanish-to-English Translation, Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982.

• The third month they called Toçoztontli. On the first day of this month they observed a feast to the god named Tlaloc, who is the god of rain. On this feast they slew many children upon the mountains. They offered them as sacrifices to this god and to his companions, so that they would give them water.
  • Book 2, ch. 3, folio 4r. Spanish-to-English Translation, Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982.

• And so, they would kill some in the first month, called Cuahuitlehua, and others in the second, called Tlacaxipehualiztli, and others in the third, called Tozoztontli, and others in the fourth, called Huei Tozoztli, in such a way that they would sacrifice children during all the festivals until the rains would begin to fall in abundance.
  • Book 2, ch. 4, folio 4v. Spanish-to-English Translation, Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982.

• When they took the children to be slain, if they wept and shed many tears, those who carried them rejoiced, for they took [it] as an omen that they would have much rain that year.
  • Book 2, ch. 1, folio 3r. Spanish-to-English Translation, Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982.

• And if the children went crying, if their tears kept flowing, if their tears kept falling, it was said, it was stated: "It will surely rain." Their tears signified rain. Therefore there was contentment; therefore one's heart was at rest. Thus they said: "Verily, already the rains will set in; verily, already we shall be rained on."
  • Book 2, ch. 20, folio 16v. Nahuatl-to-English Translation, Anderson & Dibble 1953–1982.

See also

• Human sacrifice in Aztec culture

External links

• Digital Florentine Codex, provided by J. Paul Getty Trust