ix, 115 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Friar Bernardino de Sahagún's Historia general de las cosas de la Nueva Espana, more commonly known as the Florentine Codex, begun in 1558, is arguably the most comprehensive source of information concerning the pre-colonial and colonial indigenous cultures of New Spain. This compilation, produced both by Sahagún and indigenous aides, documents the convergence of Aztec and European cultures. As such it represents the hybrid nature of colonial culture and is best approached from an understanding of both its European and Aztec influences. It is the aim of this thesis to consider the Florentine Codex, and Book Eleven ("Earthly Things") specifically, in the context of the European bestiary tradition. This thesis will illuminate Sahagún's role as a Franciscan missionary and the ways in which he utilized Aztec animal imagery syncretically, for the purpose of evangelization. Analysis takes the form of case studies concerning the jaguar, birds, and serpents. / Committee in Charge: Dr. James Harper, Chair; Dr. Lauren Kilroy; Dr. Robert Haskett

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:20:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Karen Alejandra Arriagada Valdivia.pdf: 730302 bytes, checksum: 20e0cdfc0c2cf3c4bbd76713a485a7c2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-11-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The method structured by friar Bernardino de Sahagún to describe the ancient rituals of the mexica feasts, reveals a deepest sense behind the enormous compilation of the ancient mexica habits and beliefs done by the Franciscan in his chronicle Historia General de las cosas de Nueva España (General History of the things of New Spain). Once Sahagún considered the ancient mexica feasts as idolatry ceremonies , such descriptions expressed two of the main purposes of the missionary: to know the ancient indigenous ritualistic practices and identify any clue of its survival. On the other hand, the descriptions brought to light the main difficulties that Sahagún faced trying to understand and to translate the diversity, the other, that goes much further than the systematic descriptions of the mexica rituals, the organization of its terms and vocables, and the questions that were part of his questionnaire. They also reflected the complex missionary context which friar Bernardino was inserted and which was reflected in his chronicle. Among the eighteen feasts that took place throughout the mexica solar calendar, we have chosen seven of them, connected to the agricultural cycle and which main elements they remitted to, formed an extremely important group in the native cosmovision: water, rain, corn, hills and fire. They are rituals of the vintenas: I Atlcaoalo; IV Huey tozoztli; VI Etzalcualiztli; XI Ochpaniztli; XIII Tepeílhuitl; XVI Atemoztli e XVIII Izcalli. The purpose of this research is to analyze the method structured by friar Bernardino to describe the rituals of these specific vintenas, which was his path of description and what he would be actually saying / O método estruturado por frei Bernardino de Sahagún para descrever os antigos rituais das festas mexica, revela o sentido mais profundo que estaria por trás de toda a enorme compilação dos antigos costumes e crenças mexica feita pelo franciscano em sua crônica Historia General de las cosas de Nueva España. Uma vez que Sahagún considerava as antigas festas mexica como cerimônias idolátricas , tais descrições expressavam dois dos principais objetivos do missionário: conhecer as antigas práticas ritualísticas indígenas, e identificar qualquer vestígio de sua sobrevivência. Por outro lado, ditas descrições traziam à luz as principais problemáticas que Sahagún enfrentou ao tentar entender e traduzir a alteridade, que iam muito mais além das descrições sistemáticas dos rituais mexica, da organização de seus termos e vocábulos, e das perguntas que faziam parte de seu questionário. Elas são reflexo também de um complexo contexto missionário no qual frei Bernardino se insere e que se reflete em seu trabalho. Dentre as dezoito festas que eram feitas ao longo do calendário solar mexica, escolhemos sete delas, ligadas ao ciclo agrícola e cujos principais elementos aos quais remetiam, formavam um conjunto importantíssimo na cosmovisão indígena: água, chuva, milho, montes e fogo. São os rituais das vintenas I Atlcaoalo; IV Huey tozoztli; VI Etzalcualiztli; XI Ochpaniztli; XIII Tepeílhuitl; XVI Atemoztli e XVIII Izcalli. O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar o método estruturado por Sahagún para descrever rituais destas vintenas específicas, qual seu caminho de descrição, o que estaria dizendo de fato