Relationship of Michoacán

The original manuscript of the Relación de Michoacán is preserved in the Library of El Escorial and consisted of three parts.

• In the first, of which only a folio is preserved, the Purépecha gods were described, named Tarascans by the Spaniards, and the festivals that were held in their honor;
• the second tells the life of the legendary hero Tariacuri,
• The third part describes the customs of the Tarascans and tells how the kingdom was conquered by the Spaniards.

Some researchers believe that the first part was destroyed by the Spanish authorities, who in 1557 strictly prohibited the study of the beliefs of the Indians.
As can be seen in the manuscript, the author considers himself an interpreter of the references contained here and everything indicates that he mastered the Purépecha language.
It is probably the work of the Franciscan friar Jerónimo de Alcalá, a connoisseur of indigenous traditions. It is believed that at the request of the first viceroy of New Spain, Don Antonio de Mendoza, with the information provided by old indigenous priests.
The Relación de Michoacán is one of the most complete works on the origin and traditions of the Purépecha people.
Due to the richness of its content, the Relación de Michoacán is an indispensable source for studies on the Tarascans and the first years of colonial Michoacán.