Feathered Serpent: The Rise and Fall of the Aztecs

By Ruth Karen

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 059007413X
• ISBN13: 9780590074131
• Release Date: January 1979
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Feathered Serpent: The Rise and Fall of the Aztecs

The Aztecs were a civilization regarded as barbarians because of their rite of human sacrifice. Even today they are sometimes regarded as a barbaric and merciless tribe. Ruth Karen's book, Feathered Serpent, is an informative and unbiased account of the origins, beliefs, conflicts and destruction of the Aztecs. Ruth Karen was a reporter, foreign correspondent and editor and went to many parts of the globe, including Central and South America. Her book, Kingdom of the Sun: The Inca, Empire Builders of the Americas, was selected as an Outstanding Children's Book of the year by the New York Times Book Review. The purpose of the book was not stated, however, it can be assumed that it was to educate readers about the Aztecs, give readers a better understanding about the Aztec way of life and prove that the Aztecs weren't just a barbaric and malicious tribe. The purpose of the book was fulfilled because the author successfully incorporated fact with the Aztec's beliefs and legends, to provide a very interesting, educational and unbiased book. The author used some primary sources, such as the diary of the captain Bernal Diaz del Castillo, which was translated and edited by Albert Idell as well as some contemporary books, such as Fireflies in the Night by Irene Nicholson. The primary sources used, provided some excellent quotations and information about how the Spanish felt upon arriving in Mexico. Ruth Karen's book was very informative, and the information given made the book quite entertaining. The Aztec myths and legends were also included in the book, which made the book even more entertaining and gave an idea of what the Aztecs were thinking. When the author was talking about the Aztec gods, she stated, "They believed that the serpent that was part of Quetzalcoatl's head signified that man could never hope to stop groveling on the ground, but that on the other hand, the plumes on Quetzalcoatl's head indicated that at least man's mind could attempt to fly" (Karen, 8). This excerpt explained a lot of things. It explained about Aztec mythology, it explained about the Aztec view on life, and it explained why the Aztecs had such an emphasis on education. Later, when explaining the desire to appease the gods with human blood, she quoted a primary source and wrote "`next comes the sacrificer, whose office is not the least among them and he takes a stone blade that cuts like steel and is the size of a large knife. In the time it would take one to make the sign of the cross, he thrusts the knife into the victim's chest and opens it, and takes out the heart while it is still hot and beating'" (Karen, 93). The author excerpted a very graphic but informative primary source. This report was placed in the right part of the book, because it was enforcing the previously stated facts that the Aztecs were extremely devout and spent most of their lives trying to appease the gods. It is even better evidence of this because nowhere does it say that the victim offered r