BOOKS

Gabriel Zaid— is nothing hispanic codexes and maps notes the author, Mexico more than a world; it that survived the Conquest was an island. These widens the world. It does and subsequent destruction, coincidences and others not mean that literature is a in his investigation for this lead Duverger to assert that substitute for science, but book. The author explains "the wanted to rather that it is a form of in this work, translated by legitimize both their knowledge which can Carmen Arizmendi, how a presence and their authority transcend the empirical and nomadic people later formed as well as affirm their tribal the immediate. great , particularities. This is the It is clear, on the other which fascinated Europe context in which the so hand, that Noé Jitrik's during the Conquest of particular construction of intentions cannot pass as Meso-america. the Aztecs' origins should discursive defense of Duverger's book comes at be analyzed." literature. It is an exercise an apt moment, shortly After their first attempt to where words no longer are before the 500th settle in the area of instruments but are anniversary of the European Chapultepec, the Mexicas passions in life, where invasion, led by Christopher had to settle on the island personal history finds the Colombus' expedition in of Mexico, and they written word, where 1492. The French appropiated the narre that autobiography is the researcher reconstructs the the fact that the Mexican the island already had. It is immense desire to live and Aztec past from Aztlán past is a constructed past, from this point that Mexican write. —"Place of the Seven and that "the clues got or Aztec history is Tribes"— to Mexico, from tangled" during the search incorporated with myths and Toltecayotl to for origins. But, he adds, stories from neighboring After Slow Trolley Cars, Chichimecayotl: he explores "one cannot refrain from tribes and settlements —a our childhood, family, and the double cultural heritage studying the conditions in tactic, says the author, that friends will never be the of the Aztecs or Mexicas. which the historical sources the Aztecs used in their same. Perhaps we will Christian Duverger searches were constituted; the conquest of other peoples: better appreciate sugar, for the origins of this people specific conditions which "the merging of ideas and coffee, dogs, the even in the semantics of the presided at the time when traditions was an essential neighborhood, Sunday words used to relate their the documents were written part of Aztec strategy: outings in Chapultepec story, and he calls our illuminate by themselves instead of unilaterally park, matinees, the clothes attention to contradictions in many obscure points in the imposing their rites and hanging on the line, trips to historical documents that manuscripts. These also beliefs, the Aztecs used to the bakery, gossip at the were important sources for provide us with important practice a sort of ideological laundry, or the noisy trolley historians such as indications about the spirit importation, making efforts cars which have Soustelle, García Cubas, which inspired these 16th to assimilate some of the disappeared but are Jiménez Moreno, Orozco y century codexes, which practices in use among the recorded in our memories. Berra and Clavijero, as well today are wrinkled and indigenous peoples they Perhaps our words will be as in codexes and other yellowed with age". The conquered." as seductive as the written documents written shortly author also emphasizes the The Mexicas did not hide voice of Noé Jitrik. after the Conquest. need for reliable editions of their origins, on These contradictions are certain ethno-historic texts the contrary, they boasted explained by Duverger in because, due to editorial or about their pilgrimage, Noé Jitrik, Los lentos tranvías. the light of the ideological historical conditions, some which they saw as a special Editorial Joaquín Mortiz, colección positions of the historians of strength corresponding to a Nueva narrativa hispana. México, of these texts were 1988. 120 páginas. the time, who generally had modified, or, as in the case dominant people. For this their own particular of the manuscripts from reason, says Duverger, interpretation of the history Quauhtinchan, Puebla, dates were more symbolic MORE ON THE they studied: "Alongside sometimes were not even than successive for the formal or symbolic published. Aztecs, in contrast with the ORIGIN OF interpretations, one must In the second part of the European vision of time: consider an element that is book, Duverger discusses "This interpretation THE AZTECS extremely important in how the Mexicas sought to —which certainly has not understanding Aztec legitimate their stay in the been justified by any data Erik Huesca history: that is, that it was Valley of Mexico, and —shows us a desire to written in Mexico, after the specifically, on the island explain an order of history French historians have Conquest, and with ends which the other which is totally alien to the created a grand tradition for that today we would not people of the region called Occidental mentality. This their interest and efforts in hestitate to call Mexico, through the system, however, was discovering the origins of propagandistic" construction of a circular commonly used in the pre- the Aztecs. Faithful to this In the first part of his history. The words Mexico hispanic era, precisely tradition, Christian Duverger research, the author and Aztlán have no written because it allowed a fusion recurred to both hispanic remarks that the apparent symbols or glyphs in the of history with myth: this sources and to the few pre- contradictions are due to Aztec writing, and besides, alchemy of time allowed a 69