Humor and Laughter Among the Pre-Hispanic Nahua: The Rabbit, the Navel, and the Jester Ruler

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.