Indian Languages Database
Record Details
NexcuitilMachiotl quimoteittitila. Yn to nantzin. Santa Yglesia ytechpa tlâtohua. Çe tlâtlacohuani Aic chipahualiztica. Omoyolcuiti Ocentelchihualoc Mictlan. Oquimotecpanilli padre fray Augustin de Betancurt San Francisco teycnoPiltzin; San Joseph Mexico motlapielia
[Mexico]: , [1749]
Physical Description: 3-28 leaves ; 22 cm. (4to)
Call number: Codex / Ind / 18
Accession number: 06490
Notes: Ms. codex.
Title from caption on leaf 3 recto.
Nahuatl mystery play predominantly in the Nahuatl language with some Spanish loan words. The principal character is don Rafael, by whose name the play was, apparently, sometimes called.
Written at foot of leaf 27 verso: Oy a 7 de mayo de 1749 a[ño]s se traslado este papel que contiene el titulo d[o]n Rafael; de mano y forma de Thomass Baldes[.] Original a 8 de julio de 1718 a[ño]s se traslado, açoban d[o]n Domingo Antt[oni]o.
The note above indicates that this manuscript was copied in 1749 by Thomás Baldés (or perhaps Valdés?) from the manuscript version that was itself presumably a transcript of the original, made by Domingo Antonio [i.e. Antonio de Santo Domingo?] in 1718. Although it seems as if Father Vetancurt could not have written this mystery play, as he died in 1700, he did publish a work called Teatro mexicano, originally printed in Mexico City from 1697-1698; it is possible that the information in the 1749 transcription was a transcription of a copy made in 1718 from an earlier manuscript written about the same time as the author's Teatro mexicano.
A printed transcription and translation of this miracle play appears in Nahuatl theater, v. 4, Nahua Christianity in performance edited by Barry D. Sell and Louise M. Burkhardt, Norman, Oklahoma, 2009, p. 334-385.
There are blank leaves numbered 1-2 and 29-30 preceding and following written text.
John Carter Brown Library copy imperfect: caption title page is water stained with some loss of text.
John Carter Brown Library copy half bound in 19th century brown morocco with marbled boards; front and rear boards fully detached.
Provenance of the John Carter Brown Library copy: inscription in the Nahuatl language signed by Maximiano José Juarez on leaf 3 recto reading: Nehuatl, Nican Nictlatecpanilia ynic CaciCamatis ihuan ynemaquixtiloca llies, yn itlachihualtzi in totecuio Dios, ytocan Macsimiano Jose, Juarez, and 28 recto reading: Ynin teamoxtlanonotsali; din notlasoAchColtsitsinhua; Axcan nehuatl O, niContecocho; notocan Jose MacximianoJuarez; blank leaves numbered 1-2 and 29-30 preceding and following written text bear the watermark of Ben[i]to Picardo and probably served as the original covers to the manuscript.
Digital facsimile copy of book available.
Languages: Nahuatl
Genre: Specimen
Region: Spanish America
