Miguel León-Portilla
Encyclopedia
Miguel León-Portilla is a Mexican anthropologist and historian, and a prime authority on Nahuatl
thought and literature.
He wrote a doctoral thesis on Nahua philosophy
under the tutelage of Fr. Ángel María Garibay K.
, another notable researcher and translator of primary Nahuatl source documents whose publications in the 1930s and 1940s first brought Nahuatl literature
to widespread public attention. Continuing with Garibay's work, León-Portilla established his renown through translating, interpreting and publishing several recompilations of Nahuatl works.
León-Portilla has spearheaded a movement to understand and reevaluate Nahuatl literature, not only from the pre-Columbian
era, but also that of the present day – Nahuatl is still spoken by 1.5 million people. He has contributed to establishing bilingual education in rural Mexico.
León-Portilla was also instrumental in bringing to light the works of Fr. Bernardino de Sahagún
, a 16th century primary source on the Aztec
civilization and whose works have become one of the major references for cultural and historical information on Postclassic central Mexico. León-Portilla was the first to acclaim Sahagún as the "Father of Anthropology in the New World", an appellation which has since become a commonplace, although by no means universally held, viewpoint.
Sahagún recorded the knowledge of three independent groups of Nahuatl elders (tlamatini
), in their own language, he compared the different versions and then he questioned again to resolve the differences, then he arranged, so the Aztec Tlacuilos (codex painters) made the illustrations of his work. At the request of Spanish authorities, he wrote a bowdlerized
version in Spanish (the Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España), but his original work, the Florentine Codex
, was never published. Before León-Portilla, it had only been translated once (into German
), and even that was incomplete.
As a historian, León-Portilla gives us an understanding of the figure of Tlacaelel
. Originally an obscure name in some chronicles, Tlacaelel is now seen by many as the architect of the Aztec empire.
Through his work, León-Portilla has obtained several academic degrees and decorations including the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor
. In 1995 he was elected to membership of the National Academy of Sciences
.
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
thought and literature.
He wrote a doctoral thesis on Nahua philosophy
Aztec philosophy
Aztec philosophy was the school of philosophy developed by the Aztec Empire. The Aztecs had a well-developed school of philosophy, perhaps the most developed in the Americas and in many ways comparable to Greek philosophy, even amassing more texts than the ancient Greeks...
under the tutelage of Fr. Ángel María Garibay K.
Ángel María Garibay K.
Fray Ángel María Garibay Kintana was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest, philologist, linguist, historian, and scholar of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, specifically of the Nahua peoples of the central Mexican highlands...
, another notable researcher and translator of primary Nahuatl source documents whose publications in the 1930s and 1940s first brought Nahuatl literature
Mesoamerican literature
The traditions of indigenous Mesoamerican literature extend back to the oldest-attested forms of early writing in the Mesoamerican region, which date from around the mid-1st millennium BCE. Many of the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica are known to have been literate societies, who produced a...
to widespread public attention. Continuing with Garibay's work, León-Portilla established his renown through translating, interpreting and publishing several recompilations of Nahuatl works.
León-Portilla has spearheaded a movement to understand and reevaluate Nahuatl literature, not only from the pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
era, but also that of the present day – Nahuatl is still spoken by 1.5 million people. He has contributed to establishing bilingual education in rural Mexico.
León-Portilla was also instrumental in bringing to light the works of Fr. Bernardino de Sahagún
Bernardino de Sahagún
Bernardino de Sahagún was a Franciscan friar, missionary priest and pioneering ethnographer who participated in the Catholic evangelization of colonial New Spain . Born in Sahagún, Spain, in 1499, he journeyed to New Spain in 1529, and spent more than 50 years conducting interviews regarding Aztec...
, a 16th century primary source on the Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
civilization and whose works have become one of the major references for cultural and historical information on Postclassic central Mexico. León-Portilla was the first to acclaim Sahagún as the "Father of Anthropology in the New World", an appellation which has since become a commonplace, although by no means universally held, viewpoint.
Sahagún recorded the knowledge of three independent groups of Nahuatl elders (tlamatini
Tlamatini
Tlamatini is a Nahuatl language word meaning "someone who knows something", generally translated as "wise man". The word is analyzable as derived from the transitive verb mati "to know" with the prefix tla- indicating an unspecified inanimate object translatable by "something" and the...
), in their own language, he compared the different versions and then he questioned again to resolve the differences, then he arranged, so the Aztec Tlacuilos (codex painters) made the illustrations of his work. At the request of Spanish authorities, he wrote a bowdlerized
Thomas Bowdler
Thomas Bowdler was an English physician who published an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's work, edited by his sister Harriet, intended to be more appropriate for 19th century women and children than the original....
version in Spanish (the Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España), but his original work, the Florentine Codex
Florentine Codex
The Florentine Codex is the common name given to a 16th century ethnographic research project in Mesoamerica by Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún. Bernardino originally titled it: La Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva Espana...
, was never published. Before León-Portilla, it had only been translated once (into German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
), and even that was incomplete.
As a historian, León-Portilla gives us an understanding of the figure of Tlacaelel
Tlacaelel
Tlacaelel I was the principal architect of the Aztec Triple Alliance and hence the Mexica empire. He was the son of Emperor Huitzilihuitl and Queen Cacamacihuatl, nephew of Emperor Itzcoatl, and brother of Emperors Chimalpopoca and Moctezuma I.During the reign of his uncle Itzcoatl, Tlacaelel was...
. Originally an obscure name in some chronicles, Tlacaelel is now seen by many as the architect of the Aztec empire.
Through his work, León-Portilla has obtained several academic degrees and decorations including the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor
Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor
The Order of the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor is the highest award bestowed by the Mexican government...
. In 1995 he was elected to membership of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
.
Best-known works
- Nahuatl Philosophy (La filosofia náhuatl estudiada en sus fuentes). León-Portilla explains that while the AztecAztecThe Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
had no philosophy in the contemporary point of view, their tlamatinime tried to understand the world, questioning and inquiring about it. León-Portilla declares that what the Europeans interpreted as gods, the Aztecs perceived as the different manifestations of the dual god Ometeotl/OmecihualOmeteotlOmeteotl is a name sometimes used about the pair of god Ometecuhtli/Omecihuatl in Aztec mythology...
(Our lord/lady of the duality). This thesis was expanded upon in "Aztec Thought & Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nahuatl Mind"
External links
- Miguel León-Portilla (El Colegio Nacional)
- Academia Mexicana de la Historia: Miguel León-Portilla