Teotihuacan Answers the King

El pueblo de San Juan esta en comarca de Tescuco: hera antiguamente cabeça de prouinçia por que le reconoçian los pueblos comarcanos en tienpo de su gentilidad, y eran los pueblos, Otunba, Tepeapulco, Tlaquilpa y otros comarcanos hasta que Neçahualcoyotzin señor de Tescuco los tiraniso y subgeto con guerra.

The town of San Juan is in the district of Tescuco: it was anciently head of province, because the neighboring towns recognized it in the time of their heathendom, and the towns were Otunba, Tepeapulco, Tlaquilpa and other neighboring [towns], until Neçahualcoyotzin, lord of Tescuco, tyrannized them and subjected [them] with war.

The town of San Juan lies in the district of Tescuco.1 Long ago, before the people became Christians, it was the head of a province, because the towns around it recognized it as their head: Otunba, Tepeapulco, Tlaquilpa and others nearby. This lasted until Neçahualcoyotzin, lord of Tescuco, seized them by force and conquered them in war.

1. Tescuco is Texcoco, the chief city of the Acolhua, on the eastern shore of the lake of Mexico. San Juan is San Juan Teotihuacan, about 25 miles northeast of Mexico City.

Antiguamente dizen los naturales fue muy poblada de gente en mucha cantidad, y al presente tiene mill y seyscientos tributarios por tasaçion, sin la gente menuda; dizen los naturales que murieron munchos dellos de vna enfermedad que se recresio, un año antes del descubrimiento desta Nueua España: no esta fundado en pueblo formado, sino de casas derramadas: es la gente del dicho pueblo gente pulida y de buenos entendimientos, biben siempre de labranças; la lengua que hablan es la mejicana y muy pocos dellos la otomi y popoluca.

Anciently, the natives say, it was very populated with people in great quantity, and at present it has one thousand six hundred tributaries by assessment, without the small people; the natives say that many of them died of a sickness that arose a year before the discovery of this New Spain: it is not founded in a formed town, but of scattered houses: the people of the said town are polished people and of good understandings; they live always from farming; the language they speak is the Mexican, and very few of them the Otomi and Popoluca.

The natives say that in ancient times the town had a great many people. Now it has 1,600 tributaries by the official count, not counting the children and others under them.2 The natives say that many of them died of a sickness that broke out a year before the discovery of this New Spain.3 The town is not laid out in streets; its houses are scattered. Its people are well mannered and intelligent, and they have always lived by farming. They speak Mexican, and a very few speak Otomi and Popoluca.

2. A tributary was a householder who paid the yearly tribute to the Crown. Children and others in his household were not counted.
3. Cortés reached Mexico in 1519, and smallpox spread through the Valley of Mexico in 1520. The elders place their sickness a year before the Spaniards came.

Llamase el pueblo de San Juan, en lengua de yndios Teutiguacan, que quiere dezir «templo de dioses», por que en el dicho pueblo estaua el oraculo donde ydolatrauan los yndios mexicanos y de los demas pueblos de a la redonda.

The town of San Juan is called, in the language of Indians, Teutiguacan, which means “temple of gods,” because in the said town was the oracle where the Mexican Indians and [those] of the other towns round about worshiped idols.

In the Indians' language the town of San Juan is called Teutiguacan, which means “temple of gods.” It has this name because the oracle stood here where the Mexican Indians and the other towns round about worshiped their idols.4

4. An oracle was a shrine where a god was believed to answer questions. Teotihuacan was a great city long before the Mexica, who found it in ruins and treated it as a holy place.

En tienpo de su gentilidad fueron gente y republica sobre si, sin reconocer a nadie sino a sus señores naturales que llamaban chichimecas, hasta que Nesagualcoyotzin, señor de Tescuco, tiranizo toda la comarca matando a los hijos de Tetzotzomoctli, señor de Escaputzalco a quien todos reconocian, por guerra, e despues de su muerte de Tetzotzomoctli el dicho Netzagualcoyotzi se hizo poderoso aliandose con Montesuma señor de Mexico; repartieron las tierras del pueblo de San Juan y Aculma entre si los sobredichos, a los quales los naturales del pueblo de San Juan daban en reconoçimiento cada ochenta dias: algunas mantas de nequen gruesas que llaman Ichtilmates y algunas cargas de pencas de maguey de esas que llaman metlontli.

In the time of their heathendom they were people and commonwealth on their own, without recognizing anyone except their natural lords, whom they called chichimecas, until Nesagualcoyotzin, lord of Tescuco, tyrannized all the district, killing the sons of Tetzotzomoctli, lord of Escaputzalco, whom all recognized, by war; and after his death of Tetzotzomoctli the said Netzagualcoyotzi made himself powerful, allying himself with Montesuma, lord of Mexico; the above-said divided the lands of the town of San Juan and Aculma between themselves, to whom the natives of the town of San Juan gave in acknowledgment every eighty days: some coarse cloaks of nequen which they call ichtilmates, and some loads of maguey leaves of those which they call metlontli.

Before they became Christians, they were a people and a state of their own. They recognized no one but their own lords, whom they called chichimecas.5 Then Nesagualcoyotzin, lord of Tescuco, seized the whole district by force, killing in war the sons of Tetzotzomoctli, lord of Escaputzalco, whom everyone had recognized. After Tetzotzomoctli's death, Netzagualcoyotzi grew powerful by allying himself with Montesuma, lord of Mexico.6 These two divided the lands of San Juan and Aculma between them. Every eighty days, as a sign that they were their lords, the people of San Juan gave them some coarse cloaks of nequen (maguey fiber), which they call ichtilmates, and some loads of maguey leaves of the kind they call metlontli.7

5. The peoples who had come into the Valley of Mexico from the north. Many ruling families, among them the lords of Texcoco, were proud to claim Chichimec descent.
6. Nezahualcoyotl of Texcoco and the Mexica together defeated Azcapotzalco, the city of the Tepanec ruler Tezozomoc, in the late 1420s. This “Montesuma” is probably Moctezuma I, not the Moctezuma the Spaniards met.
7. Probably dried maguey leaves for fuel. The neighboring town of Aculma said it gave its lords a load of maguey leaves every day as firewood.

Thenian por ydolo principal a Guitzilopochtli, el qual por mayor beneraçion estaua en la çiudad de Mexico en el çerro de Chapultepeque; sin este abia otros ydolos menores en el pueblo de San Juan, que era el tenplo y oraculo donde acudian los pueblos comarcanos: tenian en el dicho pueblo vn «cu» muy alto en el qual avia tres descansos para poder subir a lo alto; en la cunbre del estaua vn ydolo de piedra que llamauan por nonbre Tonacateuctli, el qual era de vna piedra tosca y muy dura, todo de vna pieça: tenia tres braças grandes en largo y otra en ancho y otra de gordor: estaua buelto al poniente, y en vn llano que se azia delante del dicho cu estaba otro cu mas pequeño de tres estados en alto en el qual estaua otro ydolo poco menor que el primero llamado Mictlanteuctli que quiere dezir «señor del ynfierno»: este estaua buelto azia el primero asentado sobre vna peña grande quadrada de vna bara en quadra por todas partes; poco mas adelante, a la parte del norte, estaua otro cu poco menor que el primero que llamauan el çerro de la luna, en lo alto del qual estaua otro ydolo grande de casi tres braças que llamauan la Luna; a la rredonda del auia muchos «cues» en vno de los quales, el mayor dellos, avia otros seis ydolos que llamaban hermanos de la Luna, a todos los quales los saçerdotes de Montesuma señor de Mexico benian, con el dicho Montesuma, cada veinte dias a sacrificar: thenian todo el año diez y ocho fiestas, cada veinte dias vna fiesta, en cada vna de las quales tenian diferentes serimonias, como esta declarado en la discripçion del pueblo de Aculma, a que me rrefiero, al numero catorze: sobraban çinco dias en vn año que ese era bisiesto porque cada quatro años serraban al numero de beynte que era vna fiesta en vna plaça grande que se hazia entre los dichos cues; en medio della avia un cu pequeño de dos estados en alto donde justiçiaban a los malhechores y delinquentes.

They had as principal idol Guitzilopochtli, which for greater veneration was in the city of Mexico on the hill of Chapultepeque; besides this there were other lesser idols in the town of San Juan, which was the temple and oracle where the neighboring towns came: they had in the said town a very high “cu” in which there were three landings to be able to climb to the top; on the summit of it was a stone idol which they called by name Tonacateuctli, which was of a rough and very hard stone, all of one piece: it had three great fathoms in length and another in width and another in thickness: it was turned to the west; and on a level [place] which was made in front of the said cu there was another smaller cu, three estados in height, on which was another idol a little smaller than the first, called Mictlanteuctli, which means “lord of hell”: this one was turned toward the first, seated on a great square rock of one vara square on all sides; a little farther on, toward the north, was another cu a little smaller than the first, which they called the hill of the moon, on top of which was another great idol of almost three fathoms which they called the Moon; around it there were many “cues,” in one of which, the largest of them, there were another six idols which they called brothers of the Moon, to all of which the priests of Montesuma, lord of Mexico, came, with the said Montesuma, every twenty days to sacrifice: they had in all the year eighteen feasts, every twenty days one feast, in each one of which they had different ceremonies, as is declared in the description of the town of Aculma, to which I refer, at number fourteen: five days were left over in a year, which [was] leap year, because every four years they closed at the number of twenty [days?], which was a feast, in a great square which was made among the said cues; in the middle of it there was a small cu two estados in height where they executed the evildoers and delinquents.

Their chief idol was Guitzilopochtli, which for greater honor stood in the city of Mexico, on the hill of Chapultepeque.8 Besides this one there were other, lesser idols in the town of San Juan, which was the temple and oracle to which the neighboring towns came. In the town they had a very high cu, a temple-pyramid, with three landings on the way up to the top.9 On its summit stood a stone idol they called Tonacateuctli. It was of rough, very hard stone, all of one piece, three good fathoms long, one wide and one thick, and it faced west. On a level space in front of this cu stood a smaller cu, three times a man's height, with another idol a little smaller than the first, called Mictlanteuctli, which means “lord of hell.”10 It faced the first idol and sat on a great square stone, a yard on each side. A little farther on, to the north, was another cu, a little smaller than the first, which they called the hill of the Moon. On top of it stood another great idol, almost three fathoms tall, which they called the Moon. Around it were many cues. In the largest of these stood six more idols, which they called the brothers of the Moon. The priests of Montesuma, lord of Mexico, came with Montesuma himself every twenty days to sacrifice to all of them. They had eighteen feasts in the year, one every twenty days, each with its own ceremonies, as I have set down in the description of Aculma, under number fourteen. Five days were left over in the year, and every four years, in a leap year, they made up a count of twenty, which was a feast held in a great square laid out among these cues.11 In the middle of the square was a small cu, twice a man's height, where they executed criminals and wrongdoers.

8. Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and patron of the Mexica. Chapultepec, “grasshopper hill,” stood on the lake shore west of Mexico-Tenochtitlan.
9. Cu (plural cues), the Spaniards' word for a temple-pyramid. This one is the great pyramid now called the Pyramid of the Sun; the “hill of the Moon” is the Pyramid of the Moon.
10. Tonacatecuhtli, “lord of our sustenance,” a creator god. Mictlantecuhtli was lord of Mictlan, the land of the dead. A fathom (braza) was about 5½ feet.
11. The year had eighteen periods of twenty days, plus five days left over. The sentence about a leap year every four years is unclear in the Spanish; it may be an attempt to explain the extra quarter day.

A la persona que hurtaua elotes o calabaças o frisoles, avnque fuese pequeño, era condenado a que pagase por cada masorca o calabaça que vrtaua vna mantilla que llaman quachtli, y si no tenia con que pagar yncurria en pena de muerte que le dauan con piedras en la cabeça, publicamente, por ejenplo de otros. A las personas que hurtauan ropa o plumas o piedras o otra cosa de balor, si no pareçia el hurto yncurria en pena de muerte, y pareçiendo el vrto lo reserbaban de muerte y quedaban por esclavos perpetuos.

The person who stole green ears of maize or squashes or beans, even if it were small, was condemned to pay, for each ear or squash which he stole, a small cloak which they call quachtli; and if he had nothing with which to pay, he incurred the penalty of death, which they gave him with stones on the head, publicly, for an example to others. The persons who stole clothing or feathers or stones or another thing of value, if the theft did not appear, incurred the penalty of death; and the theft appearing, they reserved them from death and they remained as perpetual slaves.

Anyone who stole green ears of corn, squashes or beans, however small the theft, was sentenced to pay a small cloak, which they call quachtli, for each ear or squash he took.12 If he had nothing to pay with, he was put to death: they killed him in public with stones to the head, as a lesson to others. Those who stole clothing, feathers, precious stones or anything else of value were put to death if the stolen goods did not turn up. If the goods were found, they were spared from death but became slaves for life.

12. Cotton cloaks of a set size, used as money before the conquest, like cacao beans.

Aviendose casado algun yndio y yndia con las serimonias que acostumbraban, si por ventura no se trataban bien y reñian a menudo, el principal yndio, que era mayoral del barrio donde moraban, los llamaba y preguntaba que por que rrazon reñian, y siendo muger natural si se quejaba que su marido no la probeia de lo neçesario ni trauajaba en sus millpas y grangerias para sustentarse, sino que andaba olgazan, era causa a que los apartauan y lo mesmo si la muger era holgazana y no acudia a seruir a su marido y, apartados, partian entre si los bienes que tenian ygualmente.

An Indian man and Indian woman having married with the ceremonies which they were accustomed [to use], if by chance they did not treat each other well and quarreled often, the principal Indian, who was headman of the ward where they lived, called them and asked for what reason they quarreled; and the woman being native [of the place?], if she complained that her husband did not provide her with what was necessary nor worked in his milpas and farms to support themselves, but went about idle, it was cause that they separated them; and the same if the woman was idle and did not attend to serve her husband; and, separated, they divided between themselves equally the goods which they had.

When a man and a woman had married with the usual ceremonies, and then did not treat each other well and quarreled often, the leading man who was headman of their ward called them in and asked why they quarreled. If the wife, a woman of the town, complained that her husband did not provide for her or work his cornfields and other plots to support them, but went about idle, that was grounds for separating them. The same held if the wife was lazy and did not see to her husband's needs. Once separated, they divided what they owned equally between them.

Tenian guerras con los de Guejocingo y Atrisco, peleauan con arcos y flechas y macanas; su traje comun de los principales era mantas de nequen delgadas y vn maxtle y cutaras en tienpo de paz, y en tienpo de guerra los prinçipales y otras personas que se abian señalado en la guerra yban armados con armas de algodon y de bichos diferentes por que vnos yban hechos garças, otros anades, otros aguilas, otros con cueros de animales, hechos leones o tigres o lobos o benados u otros animales: la gente comun solo llevaban arcos y flechas sin otra debisa alguna: los maçeguales andauan en cueros eçepto vna manta gorda de nequen y vn maxtle: bisten agora todos mantas y camisas y saragueles de algodon, duermen en alto y cubren freçadas, comen buenas biandas de maiz cozido, aves domesticas y de caça, carne de baca y carnero los mas dellos; y antiguamente se sustentauan con hojas de tunas y pencas de maguei cozido y rayzes y ratones y culebras y otras sabandijas: biuian mas sanos con ello y por estar mas acostumbrados y egerçitados en trabajos que agora; entienden los naturales que el regalo que agora tienen les es causa de enfermedad, y lo poco que trabajan, por que con qualquier eçeso que hagan caen en enfermedad, y mas con el pulque que acostumbran a beber desde pequeños, que les es muy dañoso.

They had wars with those of Guejocingo and Atrisco; they fought with bows and arrows and macanas; the common dress of the principals was thin cloaks of nequen and a maxtle and cutaras in time of peace; and in time of war the principals and other persons who had distinguished themselves in war went armed with armor of cotton and of different creatures, because some went made [as] herons, others ducks, others eagles, others with skins of animals, made [as] lions or tigers or wolves or deer or other animals: the common people only carried bows and arrows without other device at all: the maçeguales went about naked except [for] a thick cloak of nequen and a maxtle: now they all wear cloaks and shirts and breeches of cotton, sleep up high and cover [themselves with] blankets, eat good foods of cooked maize, domestic birds and of hunting, flesh of cow and sheep, most of them; and anciently they sustained themselves with leaves of tunas and cooked stalks of maguey and roots and rats and snakes and other vermin: they lived healthier with it, and because of being more accustomed and exercised in labors than now; the natives understand that the comfort which they now have is cause of sickness to them, and the little that they work, because with any excess which they commit they fall into sickness, and more with the pulque which they are accustomed to drink from small [children], which is very harmful to them.

They made war on the people of Guejocingo and Atrisco, fighting with bows and arrows and macanas.13 In time of peace the lords wore thin cloaks of nequen, a maxtle (loincloth) and sandals. In time of war, the lords and others who had distinguished themselves in battle went armed in quilted cotton armor and dressed as different creatures: some as herons, others as ducks, others as eagles, others in animal skins, as lions, tigers, wolves, deer or other animals. The common people carried only bows and arrows, with no other emblem. The maçeguales went about naked except for a coarse nequen cloak and a maxtle.14 Now they all wear cotton cloaks, shirts and breeches. They sleep up off the ground and cover themselves with blankets. Most of them eat good food: cooked maize, chickens and game, beef and mutton. In the old days they lived on prickly-pear pads, cooked maguey leaves, roots, rats, snakes and other small creatures. They were healthier on that food, and because they were more used to hard work than they are now. The natives believe that the comforts they have now make them ill, and so does working so little. Any excess makes them sick, and above all the pulque they drink from childhood, which does them great harm.15

13. Huexotzinco and Atlixco, towns beyond the volcanoes to the east, long at war with the Mexica and their allies. A macana was a wooden club or sword edged with blades of obsidian.
14. The commoners, as opposed to the lords.
15. A mildly alcoholic drink made by fermenting the sap of the maguey (agave).

Es tierra sana, avnque algunas vezes enferman los naturales de dolor de cabeza y calenturas, las quales enfermedades curan con yerbas y rayzes de calidad fria.

It is healthy land, although sometimes the natives fall sick of pain of head and fevers, which sicknesses they cure with herbs and roots of cold quality.

The land is healthy, though sometimes the natives suffer from headaches and fevers. They cure these illnesses with herbs and roots of a cold nature.16

16. Spanish and Nahua healers both sorted remedies and illnesses as hot or cold. For Spanish doctors this came from the theory of the humors, the four body fluids that had to stay in balance for health.

Tienen cantidad de serezas de la tierra que lleban fruta, y muchos tunales y magueyes de que se sustentan y benden a los pueblos comarcanos.

They have quantity of cherries of the land which bear fruit, and many tunales and magueys, on which they sustain themselves and [which they] sell to the neighboring towns.

They have many native cherry trees that bear fruit, and many prickly pears and magueys, which they live on and sell to the towns nearby.

Cogese mucho mais en el dicho pueblo y sus terminos, y frisoles y guautle y chia para su sustento; danse algunas y ortalizas de Spaña.

Much maize is gathered in the said town and its lands, and beans and guautle and chia for their sustenance; some vegetables of Spain grow [there].

Much maize is harvested in the town and its lands, as well as beans, guautle and chia, on which they live.17 Some Spanish vegetables also grow there.

17. Huauhtli, amaranth, grown, like chia, for its small seeds, eaten as grain.

Biben todos los naturales del dicho pueblo y sus subjetos en casas de piedra y adobe con terrados: son las casas de los prinçipales de edifiçio airoso y bien labrado.

All the natives of the said town and its subjects live in houses of stone and adobe with flat roofs: the houses of the principals are of graceful and well-worked building.

All the people of the town and its villages live in houses of stone and adobe with flat roofs. The houses of the lords are handsome and well built.

Son ynclinados a labranças y los frutos dellas; es su prinçipal contrataçion criar aves de Castilla y de la tierra de que se sustentan, sin tener otra contrataçion.

They are inclined to farming and the fruits of it; their principal dealing is to raise birds of Castile and of the land, on which they sustain themselves, without having other dealing.

They are given to farming and what it yields. Their chief business is raising chickens and native turkeys, which they live on; they have no other trade.