HIST 251 Nahuatl Language, Writing, and Culture

This course offers an introduction to the language, writing, and culture of the Nahuas (the Aztecs) in ancient and colonial Mexico. Students will learn elementary classical Nahuatl grammar and vocabulary. In addition, we will study Nahua pictorial and alphabetic writing systems, read major texts produced by Nahua intellectuals, and use a philological approach to study changes in Nahuatl over time. The Nahuatl texts will address a number of themes, including: history and cultural expression, Nahua gods and myths, ritual and sacred relations, and gender and power. The study of classical Nahuatl language texts, written in ancient and colonial times, are indispensible for understanding ethnohistorical methods and sources, and contemporary Nahua culture, language, and communities today. May be repeated once for credit.