Module 8 - Nahuatl Speech and Poetry

Nahuatl Speech and Poetry

            Three thousand year ago, there were Mesoamerican civilizations inhabiting central Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula, Guatemala and many surrounding areas. Those who spoke Nahuatl mainly occupied central Mexico and were known as the Mexica or the Aztec, more commonly. The Aztec empire was the largest in all of Mesoamerica, which stretched from the Gulf Coast to the Pacific (Silver & Miller 1997). While some of the Aztecan language and culture remains a mystery, much has been discovered regarding their use of poetry and storytelling.

            The first introduction to Nahuatl a young Aztec child has is through education. It isn’t quite known about the early life of a child, but sources of later years painted the picture clearer. There were two separate schools: calmecac (religious) or tēlpōchcalli (military). Thecalmecac was only open to children of nobility, with the occasional merchant. This kind of schooling was necessary to gain any form of leadership position inside the empire, such as governors, administrators, lawyers, judges, etc. The young scholars in school would learn sacred verses and the art of writing. If a child’s parents decided to continue their education, they would then enter priesthood. Generally, those who entered priesthood received a fuller education. Each city also had a tēlpōchcalli school, which was open to all boys. It was mandatory for those who could not enter the calmecac. Emphasis in their training was on martial arts and community service. Regardless of the school, however, every boy and girl attended the cuīcalli (song house). Here the children would gather before sunset and learn music, rhetoric, dance and morals (Silver & Miller 1997).

            The Aztec people stressed heavily on how one should behave and have a strong work ethic. For example, in one lecture a nobleman gave his son:

Thou art to speak very slowly, very deliberately; thou art not to speak hurriedly, not to pant, nor to squeak, lest it be said of thee that thou art a groaner, a growler, a squeaker. Also thou art not to cry out, lest thou be known as an imbecile, a shameless one, a rustic, very much a rustic. Moderately, middingly art thou to carry, to emit thy spirit, thy words. And thou art to improve, to soften thy words, thy voice (Silver & Miller 1997, p. 104).

            Most of what the Aztec learned as young children was to moderate all aspects of behavior, such as dress, manner of walking, speech, eating, etc. This falls under the genre of oratory or moral instruction—or huehuetla?tōlli (words of the ancient ones) in Nahuatl. Another example of this comes from the speech given after a new ruler had spoken to the city. The speech is far too long to reciprocate in this post, but the priests would first introduce the ruler as a mighty person, one capable of great wonders. However, when the new king spoke afterwards, he would have a sense of modesty, as if he had no right to have this title.

Perhaps thou hast mistaken me for another, I who am a commoner; I who am a laborer. In excrement, in filth hath my lifetime been—I who am unreliable; I who am of filth, of vice. And I am an imbecile. Why? For what reason? It is perhaps my desert, my merit that thou takest me from the excrement, from the filth, that thou placest me on the reed mat, on the reed seat (Silver & Miller 1997, p. 106).

            Xōchitl (poetry) was an integral part of Nahuatl society. It was sung with a drum and sometimes a flute, and the topics ranged from nature to religion. The following example was written from a foreign diplomat, who was traveling from the mountains to the capital city:

I climb; I reach the height.

The huge blue-green lake

Now quiet, now angry,

Foams and sings among the rocks…

Flowery water, green-stone water

Where the splendid swan

With its rippling feathers

Calling swims to and fro.

(Silver & Miller 1997, p. 106)

            From this poem, the Aztecs valued a “flowery” language, especially if it was in the style of song or poetry. Flowers were often added to Nahuatl scrolls if the writing was a poem or song. They produced flowery speech by using a grammatic device called reverential. This is when the speaker is to show special respect to the hearer. It basically adds a meaning of something being holy or honored. For example, ta?-tli(father) can be changed to ta?-tzin-tli (honored father) or coco-tli (turtle dove) becomes coco?-tzin-tli (beloved turtle dove) (Silver & Miller 1997, p. 154).

            Another device the Aztecs used was the use of doublets, the pairing of words or phrases in which the meaning of the two is the same. It was called machiyōtla?ōlli (words of example). For example, to describe the word “poetry,” in Nahuatl they say in xōchitl in cuīcalt (the flower, the song) or “his speech” is itla?tōl i?yo (his word, his breath) (Silver & Miller 1997, p. 108).

            Most of what the Aztecs spoke was passed down through speaking and memorization. Being able to speak well and correctly, by knowing the verses taught in school, was a necessary attribute in order to pursue higher ranks. A great warrior could have years of military experience and achievement, but without verbal knowledge, he would never progress far enough. The king of the Aztecs was called tla?toāni(speaker), the one who possessed the greatest ability as an orator, not by having the highest nobility or birth status.

While the Aztecs did have a writing system of glyphs, most of the information in their codices (books) were those of notation. This included taxes, tribute, history, who lived in each city, religious documents, dates, etc. It certainly helped students pursue their studies in memorizing traditional lore. The meaning of “to read” in Nahuatl was pōhua (to count, to relate). It was a way to jog the memory, so to speak. Scribes had considerable prestige in their communities, but without the way of speech, one could never be of greater value in the Aztec way of life (Silver & Miller 1997).

References

Silver, Shirley and Wick R. Miller. 1997. American Indian Languages. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.