The Ramirez Codex is the name applied to two unrelated post-conquest manuscripts from central Mexico. In general, a reference to "the Ramirez Codex" refers to the Tovar manuscript

Ramirez Codex (Tovar manuscript)

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The Ramirez Codex (Tovar manuscript) is a post-conquest codex from the late 16th century entitled Relación del origen de los indios que hábitan esta Nueva España según sus Historias ("Relation of the Origin of the Indians who Inhabit this New Spain according to their Histories"). Ascribed to Juan de Tovar, most scholars believe that he based this work on an existing Nahuatl source written by a Christianized Aztec; this earlier document (or documents) is often referred to as "Chronicle X" and is presumed to be the source of number of early manuscripts, including the Durán Codex.

The Tovar manuscript was created using traditional indigenous techniques and consists of four manuscripts that narrate the history of the Aztecs, from their peregrination into the Anahuac valley to the fall of Tenochtitlan. It also discusses some aspects of the Aztec religion.

The Ramirez Codex (Tovar manuscript) was discovered in 1856 by José Fernando Ramírez in the library of the convent of San Francisco in Mexico. There remain two extant copies of the codex. One is located in the Mexico's Museo Nacional de Antropología, while the other is in the library of John Carter Brown, in Rhode Island.

The codex was first published in 1847 as a preface to Crónica mexicayotl, a 1598 work by Fernando Alvarado Tezozomoc.

Ramirez Codex (Olmos manuscript)

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The Ramirez Codex (Olmos manuscript) is a Spanish language, post-conquest codex from the 1530's entitled Historia de los Mexicanos por sus pinturas ("History of the Mexicans as Told by Their Paintings").

This manuscript was likely composed by Father Andrés de Olmos, an early Franciscan friar. It is presumed to be based upon one or more indigenous pictorial codices.

Henry Phillips Jr., a 19th century historian, made a translation of the document in the 1880's and referred to it as the Codex Ramírez, after Bishop Ramírez de Fuenleal who authorized its creation in 1532.

It is presently held in the library of the University of Texas at Austin.

See also

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• Aztec codices

External link

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• Phillips' full translation of the Ramirez Codex (Olmos manuscript).

16th century books | Manuscripts | Aztec culture | Colonial Mexico | Mesoamerican codices