Four Treasures Reference Database
Record No. 28698

Códice Chimalpopoca. Anales de Cuahtitlan y Leyenda de los Soles

Codex Chimalpopoca: Annals of Cuauhtitlan and the Legend of the Suns
Book
Velazquez, P.F. (1992) Códice Chimalpopoca. Anales de Cuahtitlan y Leyenda de los Soles. [Codex Chimalpopoca: Annals of Cuauhtitlan and the Legend of the Suns] Mexico City, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Investigaciones Históricas Editorial, 162 pp.
Sinkankas/Born No.: NIS / NIB  |  Language: in Spanish  |  RWHL
gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary
Among the works of greatest importance for gaining an understanding of the pre-Hispanic history of Mexico are the Annals of Cuauhtitlan and the text known as the Legend of the Suns. Both were published by this Institute in 1945 under the title Codex Chimalpopoca. After that first edition was exhausted, the work was reprinted in 1975. Once again, to satisfy the wishes of the many readers interested in it, our Institute is bringing it back into print. Although earlier editions of these texts exist, the Spanish translation prepared by Don Primo Feliciano Velázquez represented a valuable contribution in many respects. It should be emphasized that, particularly following its publication, researchers of pre-Hispanic Mexican history were able to make much fuller use of the wealth of information contained in these ancient documents. This is not to suggest that further studies of these sources are unnecessary, nor that a new translation based on more recent advances in the study of Nahuatl language and culture is not desirable. Nevertheless, when preparing this third edition of Velázquez’s work, it was thought that the saying “the best is the enemy of the good” was applicable. In other words, although there are good reasons to hope for a superior future edition, the work already accomplished should not remain unavailable in the meantime. For the reader’s information, and also as a tribute to the memory of Don Primo Feliciano Velázquez, it seems appropriate to provide a brief account of his life and activities. He was born in Santa María del Río, San Luis Potosí, on 6 June 1860. A long-lived man, he died in the city of San Luis Potosí on 19 June 1953. After completing his humanities studies at the diocesan seminary in the state capital, he entered the School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1890. Although he practiced law for a time, journalism and historical research eventually became his principal interests. A skilled and polished writer, he contributed to numerous newspapers and journals, both in the provinces and in Mexico City. In recognition of his literary abilities, he was elected a corresponding member of the Mexican Academy of Language. Licenciado Velázquez devoted himself with great diligence to the study of the Nahuatl language. Among other works, he prepared the Spanish translation of the texts published here, the Annals of Cuauhtitlan and the Legend of the Suns. He also translated the text attributed to Valeriano, the distinguished Indigenous disciple of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, concerning the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe. In addition, he specialized in regional history, consulting archives and compiling bibliographies relating to the history of San Luis Potosí. His publications on the history of his native region bear witness to his meticulous scholarship. In this field, at least two important works deserve mention: Collection of Documents for the History of San Luis Potosí, 4 vols. (San Luis Potosí, 1897–1899), and History of San Luis Potosí, 4 vols. (Mexico City, 1946–1948).