Glossary
Ambiguity
The quality of being open to more than one interpretation, used to highlight multiple viewpoints and the blurred lines between oppressors and oppressed.
Example:
The ambiguity surrounding certain omens allows for various interpretations, reflecting the uncertainty and fear of the indigenous people.
Apostrophes
A literary device where a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or an inanimate object.
Example:
The poem might use an apostrophe by directly addressing the lost city: 'Oh, Tenochtitlan, how you have fallen!'
Asyndeton
The omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence, used to create a sense of speed, urgency, or overwhelming accumulation.
Example:
The poem's description of 'fire, destruction, tears, silence' uses asyndeton to emphasize the rapid and devastating impact of the conquest.
Free verse
Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter, often used to convey raw emotion and a sense of natural speech.
Example:
The lament of the Mexicatl people is presented in free verse, allowing for a more direct and unconstrained expression of their grief.
Imagery
The use of vivid and descriptive language to create mental pictures and sensory experiences for the reader.
Example:
The text uses powerful imagery to describe the burning temples and the chaos, allowing readers to visualize the destruction.
Indigenous Perspective
The viewpoint of the native peoples, often marginalized in historical narratives, which *Visión de los Vencidos* aims to restore.
Example:
Understanding the indigenous perspective is vital to grasping the full human cost and cultural impact of the conquest.
La Construcción de la Realidad
A major theme examining how indigenous peoples perceived their world and how that reality was disrupted and altered by the dominant Spanish culture.
Example:
The differing interpretations of the omens by the indigenous people versus the Spanish perspective illustrate the theme of La Construcción de la Realidad.
La Espiritualidad y la Religión
A major theme focusing on the deep spiritual ties of indigenous peoples to nature and their ancestral gods, and the conflict with imposed Catholicism.
Example:
The destruction of temples and the forced conversion highlight the theme of La Espiritualidad y la Religión in the text.
Las Sociedades en Contacto
A major theme exploring the interactions, confrontations, and transformations that occur when different cultures meet, particularly during colonization.
Example:
The theme of Las Sociedades en Contacto is evident in the clash between the Aztec spiritual beliefs and the Spanish imposition of Catholicism.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as,' conveying complex experiences and cultural changes.
Example:
Describing the Spanish arrival as a 'storm of steel' would be a metaphor for their destructive military power.
Mexicatl people
The Nahua people of the Valley of Mexico, particularly the inhabitants of Tenochtitlan, whose lament is captured in the text.
Example:
The poem 'se ha perdido el pueblo mexicatl' expresses the profound sorrow and displacement felt by the indigenous population after the conquest.
Miguel León-Portilla
A Mexican anthropologist and historian who compiled indigenous accounts of the Spanish conquest.
Example:
Students often study the works of Miguel León-Portilla to understand the pre-Columbian world and its tragic transformation.
Motecuhzoma
The Aztec emperor at the time of the Spanish conquest, whose reactions to the omens and the invaders are documented.
Example:
Motecuhzoma's initial hesitation and attempts to appease Cortés are key elements in the narrative of the conquest.
Omens
Signs or events believed to foretell future good or evil, which played a significant role in the indigenous worldview and their interpretation of the Spanish arrival.
Example:
The appearance of strange lights in the sky and boiling lagoons were interpreted as dire omens by the Aztec people.
Parallelism
The use of similar grammatical constructions, phrases, or clauses to highlight recurring themes or widespread impacts.
Example:
The repeated descriptions of omens appearing in different locations demonstrate parallelism, emphasizing the pervasive sense of impending doom.
Polysyndeton
The repetition of conjunctions (like 'and' or 'or') in close succession, often used to amplify feelings, create urgency, or convey emotional weight.
Example:
The phrase 'and the houses burned and the people cried and the gods were silent' uses polysyndeton to emphasize the overwhelming despair.
Similes
A figure of speech comparing two different things using 'like' or 'as' to make a description more vivid or empathetic.
Example:
Describing the invaders as 'fierce as jaguars' would be a simile to convey their predatory nature.
Socio-economic upheaval
Widespread disruption and drastic changes in the social structure and economic systems of a society.
Example:
The conquest brought immense socio-economic upheaval, destroying traditional ways of life and introducing new, oppressive systems.
Sovereignty
The supreme authority of a state to govern itself, which indigenous peoples lost due to Spanish colonization.
Example:
The loss of sovereignty for the Aztec empire meant the end of their independent rule and the imposition of foreign governance.
Spanish Colonization
The historical process by which Spain established control over vast territories in the Americas, leading to profound political, social, and economic changes.
Example:
The narratives in Visión de los Vencidos vividly portray the devastating effects of Spanish colonization on native societies.
Symbolism
The use of objects, people, or ideas to represent something else, often conveying deeper meanings of resistance, loss, or cultural identity.
Example:
The weeping woman in indigenous folklore often serves as a powerful symbolism for the suffering and loss experienced during the conquest.
Tenochtitlan
The capital city of the Aztec Empire, a central geographic focus in the accounts of the conquest.
Example:
The fall of Tenochtitlan marked a pivotal moment in the Spanish conquest, symbolizing the collapse of a powerful indigenous civilization.
Visión de los Vencidos
A multi-genre work compiled by Miguel León-Portilla that presents the indigenous perspective of the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
Example:
Unlike traditional historical texts, Visión de los Vencidos offers a crucial counter-narrative to the Spanish accounts of the conquest.