the Early Americas: History and Culture14 Humor Laughter among Pre Hispanic Nahua

Through Nahuatl and Spanish colonial texts, this study explores the roles of humor and laughter in Nahua culture, offering insights into religion, history, politics, and daily life, and revealing their complex significance in pre-Hispanic and early colonial Nahua society. What made the Nahua laugh? This book dives into colonial-era Nahuatl and Spanish sources to uncover the roles of humor and laughter in pre-Hispanic Central Mexico, offering a lively and original look at an often-overlooked dimension of Mesoamerican culture. From ritual clowns and sacred jokes to satirical songs and political mockery, laughter emerges as a powerful tool in religion, community life, and resistance. Drawing on lesser-known documents and on familiar texts viewed through a fresh interpretive lens, this volume reveals how the Nahua used humor to engage with the divine, critique power, and shape collective memory.