Chema Hernández Gil

This blew my mind: In 1614, the #Indigenous #Nahua noble and #historian Chimalpahin Messenger with Shield, documented (in Nahuatl!) the arrival of the Japanese embassy in Mexico on their way to Spain.

Chimalpahin writes out the dates using the Mexica calendar as well, staring with 1-Tochtli (1-Rabbit) and goes into great detail about how the Japanese dressed and acted. Amazing.

If you read Spanish, Miguel León-Portilla translated the diaries. You can find them here, with ample background: https://sci-hub.se/10.2307/40312014

#Japan #Mexico #Native #Aztec

A San Franciscan

Dec 23, 2022 at 5:38amWeb
Show threadChema Hernández GilDec 23, 2022

Maybe my favorite part is when Chimalpahin describes the suede sandals the Japanese wear and then goes on to say that they wear them without any shame, and that they walk proudly, like eagles.

I think he says this because sandals (huaraches) were associated with the #Indigenous population and not something to be worn with pride.

Even today, people will use the racist term “indio patarrajada” (Indian with rough/slashed feet) in reference to people wearing sandals as opposed to shoes.

A San Franciscan

Show threadChema Hernández GilDec 23, 2022
Again, if you read Spanish, give the PDF linked above a read. It is a super fascinating bit of New World meets Old World, #Nahua meets #Japanese.

And follow me for random bits of #Indigenous history (and random political thoughts and photos of dogs and SF).
Show threadChema Hernández GilDec 24, 2022
Many thanks to @chaprot for uncovering an actual physical item from this amazing story: The actual 1613 letter to the Pope from Date Masamune brought by the #Japanese embassy, and which the #Indigenous #Nahua historian Chimalpahin documented as they passed through #Mexico

https://pouet.chapril.org/users/chaprot/statuses/109567485037898582
Pierre Chambert-Protat (@[email protected])

Attaché : 2 images @[email protected] Can't access the paper but I'm guessing that's the very same embassy who carried this incredible 1613 letter from Date Masamune to the pope, gilded with gold and silver flakes ✨ Now in the Vatican library The letter is digitized here https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Borgh.363.pt.B/0003 Its lacquer box here https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Borgh.363.pt.A/0001

Mastodon Chapril
Show threadCatmama 🐈Dec 24, 2022
@chema
Downloaded it to read later 😊
Show threadJai Half-Elven 🏹🍜🐉Dec 23, 2022

@chema oh wow!!

#Japan #Mexico #Native #Aztec #History #NorthAmerica

Show threadLoukas (They/Them) 🏳️‍⚧️Dec 23, 2022
@chema we need a TV series where a Nahuatl warrior and a samurai solve crimes together in the 17th century Spanish empire. It starts off with this embassy and the jokes are the culture shock in Mexico. Later they go to Japan via Philippines and we get the reverse shock there.
Show threadChema Hernández GilDec 23, 2022

I mean, it basically writes itself honestly. It can be a prequel to the The Baroque Cycle. It can start off with the Felipe de Jesús, the young Hispano-Mexican missionary crucified in Japan in 1597.

https://mexicounexplained.com/felipe-de-jesus-mexican-martyr-japan/

Felipe de Jesús, Mexican Martyr in Japan – Mexico Unexplained

Show threadLoukas (They/Them) 🏳️‍⚧️Dec 23, 2022
@chema ok sure, but let's keep the white people mostly in the background as exotic and mysterious figures.
Show threadChema Hernández GilDec 23, 2022
I think crucified with no speaking parts counts as that.
Show threadLoukas (They/Them) 🏳️‍⚧️Dec 23, 2022
@chema
Show threadTony SantamariaDec 23, 2022
@Loukas @chema Claro que sí!
Show threadDavid BowlesDec 23, 2022

@chema I'm literally writing a book set mostly in New Spain / Mexico in 1619 that features some Japanese characters who remain in Acapulco and Mexico City when the embassy heads back in the opposite direction.

Tens of thousands of people from Asia lived in Mexico City by then (mostly from the Philippines).

Show threadChema Hernández GilDec 24, 2022
Sounds very cool!

And yes, the relationship between Mesoamerica and East Asia stretches back a long time. There was a Chinatown in Mexico City back in the 16th century and the Philippines was "administered" from Mexico City. There were Asian folks in Mexico and Mexicans in Asia. Tagalog even has a decent number of Nahuatl loan words:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_loanwords_in_Tagalog#Nahuatl
List of loanwords in Tagalog - Wikipedia

Show threadDavid BowlesDec 24, 2022
@chema Yup!
Show threadCatmama 🐈Dec 24, 2022
@DavidOBowles @chema
You have both blown my mind tonight! 🤯 Thank you for your knowledge drops. I have my homework for the next several years now learning more about all of that. Whew!
Show threadPierre Chambert-ProtatDec 24, 2022

@chema Can't access the paper but I'm guessing that's the very same embassy who carried this incredible 1613 letter from Date Masamune to the pope, gilded with gold and silver flakes ✨

Now in the Vatican library
The letter is digitized here https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Borgh.363.pt.B/0003
Its lacquer box here https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Borgh.363.pt.A/0001

DigiVatLib

Show threadChema Hernández GilDec 24, 2022
That’s exactly right! The Japanese embassy sent by the daimio Date Masamune arrived in Mexico in the year 5-Tochtli (5-Rabbit)/March 4, 1614. Amazing find. Incredible that this artifact might have been seen by Chimalpahin.