He was sent from Spain on a religious crusade to Mexico to
"detect the sickness of idolatry," but Bernardino de Sahagun (c.
1499-1590) instead became the first anthropologist of the New
World. The Franciscan monk developed a deep appreciation for Aztec
culture and the Nahuatl language. In this biography, Miguel
Leon-Portilla presents the life story of a fascinating man who came
to Mexico intent on changing the traditions and cultures he
encountered but instead ended up working to preserve them, even at
the cost of persecution.
Sahagun was responsible for documenting numerous ancient texts
and other native testimonies. He persevered in his efforts to study
the native Aztecs until he had developed his own research
methodology, becoming a pioneer of anthropology. Sahagun formed a
school of Nahua scribes and labored with them for more than sixty
years to transcribe the pre-conquest language and culture of the
Nahuas. His rich legacy, our most comprehensive account of the
Aztecs, is contained in his "Primeros Memoriales" (1561) and
"Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva Espana" (1577).
Near the end of his life at age 91, Sahagun became so protective
of the Aztecs that when he died, his former Indian students and
many others felt deeply affected.
Translated into English by Mauricio J. Mixco, Leon-Portilla's
absorbing account presents Sahagun as a complex individual-a man of
his times yet a pioneer in many ways.
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