Aztecs, Moors, and Christians

Festivals of Reconquest in Mexico and Spain

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book Aztecs, Moors, and Christians by Max Harris, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Max Harris ISBN: 9780292779297
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Max Harris
ISBN: 9780292779297
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English
In villages and towns across Spain and its former New World colonies, local performers stage mock battles between Spanish Christians and Moors or Aztecs that range from brief sword dances to massive street theatre lasting several days. The festival tradition officially celebrates the triumph of Spanish Catholicism over its enemies, yet this does not explain its persistence for more than five hundred years nor its widespread diffusion.In this insightful book, Max Harris seeks to understand Mexicans' "puzzling and enduring passion" for festivals of moros y cristianos. He begins by tracing the performances' roots in medieval Spain and showing how they came to be superimposed on the mock battles that had been a part of pre-contact Aztec calendar rituals. Then using James Scott's distinction between "public" and "hidden transcripts," he reveals how, in the hands of folk and indigenous performers, these spectacles of conquest became prophecies of the eventual reconquest of Mexico by the defeated Aztec peoples. Even today, as lively descriptions of current festivals make plain, they remain a remarkably sophisticated vehicle for the communal expression of dissent.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
In villages and towns across Spain and its former New World colonies, local performers stage mock battles between Spanish Christians and Moors or Aztecs that range from brief sword dances to massive street theatre lasting several days. The festival tradition officially celebrates the triumph of Spanish Catholicism over its enemies, yet this does not explain its persistence for more than five hundred years nor its widespread diffusion.In this insightful book, Max Harris seeks to understand Mexicans' "puzzling and enduring passion" for festivals of moros y cristianos. He begins by tracing the performances' roots in medieval Spain and showing how they came to be superimposed on the mock battles that had been a part of pre-contact Aztec calendar rituals. Then using James Scott's distinction between "public" and "hidden transcripts," he reveals how, in the hands of folk and indigenous performers, these spectacles of conquest became prophecies of the eventual reconquest of Mexico by the defeated Aztec peoples. Even today, as lively descriptions of current festivals make plain, they remain a remarkably sophisticated vehicle for the communal expression of dissent.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Murder on the White Sands by Max Harris
Cover of the book The Jaguar Within by Max Harris
Cover of the book On Story—Screenwriters and Their Craft by Max Harris
Cover of the book Naturally Healthy Mexican Cooking by Max Harris
Cover of the book Demosthenes, Speeches 23-26 by Max Harris
Cover of the book The Expense of a View by Max Harris
Cover of the book Captivity Beyond Prisons by Max Harris
Cover of the book The Men of Cajamarca by Max Harris
Cover of the book Twelve Prophets of Aleijadinho by Max Harris
Cover of the book Defiance and Deference in Mexico's Colonial North by Max Harris
Cover of the book Making Faces, Playing God by Max Harris
Cover of the book The Making of a History by Max Harris
Cover of the book The Road to OPEC by Max Harris
Cover of the book Guatemalan Journey by Max Harris
Cover of the book Blossoms and Blood by Max Harris
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy