The Florentine Codex is the most comprehensive single source on Mexica civilization, and it is one of the great achievements of the early colonial period. The codex was compiled by the Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún, who worked with a team of indigenous collaborators over a period of more than thirty years. The codex was completed in 1577, and it is now preserved in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence, from which it takes its name. The Florentine Codex is a twelve-book encyclopedia of Mexica culture, written in both Nahuatl and Spanish, and it provides a detailed and nuanced picture of Mexica life on the eve of the Spanish conquest.
The Compilation of the Codex
Sahagún began his work on the codex in the 1540s, and he continued to work on it for the rest of his life. He worked with a team of indigenous collaborators, who helped him to gather information from elderly Mexica informants who remembered the pre-conquest past. The team included Antonio Valeriano, a native of Azcapotzalco who had studied at the calmecac of Tlatelolco; Bernardino de Sahagún’s students at the College of Santa Cruz in Tlatelolco; and a number of other indigenous scholars and artists.
The compilation of the codex was a long and difficult process, and it required extensive fieldwork, including interviews, observations, and the collection of materials. Sahagún developed a sophisticated methodology for the gathering and the analysis of information, and he used a range of techniques, including questionnaires, focus groups, and direct observation. The codex was written in both Nahuatl and Spanish, and it was illustrated with numerous images and diagrams.
The Structure of the Codex
The Florentine Codex is organized into twelve books, each of which covers a different aspect of Mexica culture. Book 1 covers the gods and the religious beliefs of the Mexica. Book 2 covers the calendar and the astronomical knowledge. Book 3 covers the origins of the gods and the creation myth. Book 4 covers the rituals of divination and the omens.
Book 5 covers the omens and the superstitions. Book 6 covers the rhetoric and the philosophy of the Mexica. Book 7 covers the animals, the plants, and the minerals. Book 8 covers the kings and the lords. Book 9 covers the merchants and the artisans. Book 10 covers the calendar and the festivals. Book 11 covers the animals, the plants, and the minerals, in more detail. Book 12 covers the conquest of Mexico, from the perspective of the Mexica.
The Importance of the Codex
The Florentine Codex is important for several reasons. First, it provides a detailed and nuanced picture of Mexica life, religion, history, and administration, and it is the most comprehensive single source on Mexica civilization. Second, it preserves the indigenous perspective on Mexica history, and it includes extensive quotations in Nahuatl with Spanish translations. Third, it provides a unique record of the Mexica language, religion, and customs, and it is an essential source for the study of Nahuatl.
The codex is particularly important for the indigenous perspective on Mexica civilization. While the codex was compiled by a Spanish friar, it was based on the testimony of Mexica informants, and it preserves many details of Mexica life that would otherwise have been lost. The codex includes extensive quotations in Nahuatl, with Spanish translations, and it provides a unique record of the Mexica language, religion, and customs.
The Survival of the Codex
The Florentine Codex was sent to Spain in 1580, and it was eventually acquired by the Medici family of Florence, who preserved it in their library. The codex was rediscovered in the eighteenth century by scholars who were interested in the history of the Americas, and it has since been widely studied and translated. The codex is now one of the most important documents of Mexica civilization, and it is widely used by scholars and the general public.
The modern study of the Florentine Codex is an active field, and new translations and analyses continue to deepen our understanding of Mexica civilization. The codex has been translated into many languages, including English, and it is available in facsimile editions and in digital form. The codex is a reminder of the cultural inheritance of the Mexica, and it continues to be a source of fascination and inspiration for scholars and the general public alike.
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