The Aztecs, Inca, and Maya are among the most interesting ancient civilisations and ones that continue to captivate people around the world. Much of the intrigue around them, particularly the Aztecs, is for their blood rituals, stone carvings and massive temples, legends of riches, and their eventual demise.
What makes these civilisations quite unique is how well documented their cultures are from multiple sources. You’ve got yourself the Aztec codices penned by people before the conquests, as well as later codices that were also written by the colonial parties examining the ways of these people from their unique perspective.
The writings in the books are still widely available, with further books analysing the information also published around the world. So here, we’re looking at these ancient books that have allowed us to be fascinated by ancient Mesoamerican civilisations.
Exploring the Codice
Aztec codices are coveted as key pieces of Mexico’s past and heritage. Just in 2024, in fact, the Smithsonian reported that the Mexican government had purchased three Aztec codices dated to the late 16th and early 17th Centuries that had been passed down through one family for generation after generation.
Known as the Codices of San Andrés Tetepilco, the tomes are now in the library of the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico. They are written both in Nahuatl, the indigenous language of the time, and Spanish, creating an incredible look at the culture from two perspectives.
Of course, these are quite recent discoveries. The two most prominent writings come from the colonial era. These are the Florentine Codex and Codex Mendoza. That said, the Florentine Codex offers a narrative from the viewpoint of the native people during the times of colonisation.
Codex Borbonicus is also seen as a vital book of information for those interested in the Aztecs. It was written by priests, possibly just before the conquests arrived, and features the 52-year calendar that Mesoamerican cultures followed. Then, the Boturini Codex tells of finding the Valley of Mexico from their original home of Aztlán.
Origins of the Famed Legend
One of the most famous legends to emerge from ancient Mesoamerican cultures is that of El Dorado. The idea of this city of riches, smuggled away in the jungle, has captivated us for centuries. This is even to the extent that the legend continues to inspire creatives of more modern entertainment.
Combining both the importance of the codices to our understanding of the age and the legend itself, Book of El Dorado at the Vegas casino is all about trying to uncover the mysteries of this lost city. It joins a series of games, including Book of Dead, where the goal is to find the tomes to trigger the features that hold the top prizes.
The mystery surrounding El Dorado is the big initial selling point of the game, speaking to enduring intrigue in the legend. At the time of the conquests, of course, there was a strong belief that El Dorado was real, helping the legend pass through generations to remain known to this day.
Initially, Christopher Columbus’ efforts to find the lost city around the Caribbean came up short, but later conquistadors, like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, would continue the search. Some insight into these searches can be found in Juan Rodríguez Freyle’s 1636 writings, The Conquest and Discovery of the New Kingdom of Granada.
Of course, as the BBC relays, he didn’t find the city of gold, but did speak of the legend’s potential origins. These might be the stories of the chosen “golden one” from a Colombian tribe, the Muisca. Other origins for this legend point to the conquest of Ecuador in the 1500s.
Regardless of where the tales began, El Dorado remains a legendary city known around the world today, helped by the well-preserved writings of the people on both sides of the conquests.