Volume 10 - Issue 1, February 15, 2008 - Lake Chapala Review

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Page 18 Lake Chapala Review February 2008 Early Chronicles and Histories by Ronald A. Barnett Mexico and Guatemala In the last article we looked at the Aztec document, the Codex en Cruz. These pre-Hispanic chronicles or annals contained dated events recorded in chronological order. The priest or scribe familiar with the symbols in the pictorial manuscript would then use it as a kind of prompt book or mnemonic guide that could be turned into a continuous historical narrative. This way of recording history passed continued into the post-Hispanic period. For example, the Anales de Cuauhtitlan (in Nahuatl) follows the annalistic format but also contains long narrative passages interspersed with mere lists of dates in chronological order. The early chroniclers and historians of Mexico and Guatemala included both secular and religious writers, although the distinction is often blurred. The basic purpose or mission of the former was to send reports back to Spain, as Cortes did in his letters to the emperor, the latter to instruct other friars in the conversion of the natives. The Cartas de Relación of Hernando Cortes and the Historia de la Conquista de la Nueva España of Bernal Diáz del Castillo were essentially justifications of the Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. However, some religious writers, such as Andres de Olmos (d. 1571) and Las Casas (1474-1566), wrote works dealing directly with the indigenous language and culture. Much of our knowledge of the language spoken by the Aztecs at the time of the Conquest comes from colonial grammars and vocabularies written by Franciscan missionaries. Indian and mestizo writers on the other hand were anxious to record their own native history. Our main early historical source for the history of the Maya of Yucatan is the Relación de las Cosas de Yucatan of friar Diego de Landa (1524-1579), who came to Yucatan in 1549 and became bishop of Merida. Although classified among the religious writers for his over-zealousness in destroying Maya codices, his work covers every phase of the social anthropology of the Maya from pre-Conquest times to about 1630. Of even greater importance for the native view of Yucatecan history and the Conquest are the various Books of Chilam Balam (Books of the Jaguar Priest), Chumayel, Tizimin, and others. Other early written sources of Maya history include the Annals of the Cakchiquels (in Cakchiquel, a Mayan language) and the Popol Vuh and other documents in Quiche Maya. All written history of course dates from the time of the Conquest when the Spanish missionaries taught the Indians how to write in Roman transcription. There is therefore the possibility of Christian influence even in historical writing by mestizos and Indians. The problem then is to separate the genuine pre-Hispanic record from the biases of the Spanish missionary-historians. For example, the Historia de los Indios de la Nueva España and the Memoriales of the Franciscan Benevente, Toribio de “Motolinia” (1482-1568), contain a wealth of information on pre-Hispanic Aztec religion but, among other things, he translates tlamacazque, the title of Aztec temple priests, as “the Devil’s Officials,” indicating the extreme hostility of the Spanish missionaries towards native religion. Even Bernardino de Sahagún (1499-1590), considered the greatest of the Spanish ethnographers in New Spain, refused to translate the twenty Aztec hymns he collected because he considered them the work of the Devil (presumably the Christian Devil, the Aztecs didn’t have one until the Spaniards arrived). Still, the Spanish version of the Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España, the Nahuatl text of the Florentine Codex, and the earlier Primeros Memoriales still provide a comprehensive coverage of Aztec life and culture. The Monarquia Indiana of Juan de Torquemada (1564-1624) poses the problem of early plagiarism. We have few data on his life. Nevertheless he used native sources and his major work is therefore an important source of information on the origin and wars of western Indians as well as the themes of discovery, conquest, and conversions. His aims, if not his methods, were admirable enough: to give a true picture of the early state of the Indians, to describe and assess the influence of the Spaniards and the Franciscan missionaries in New Spain; and to evaluate the acculturation process that began with the arrival of the Spaniards. It cannot be emphasized too strongly that the Spanish missionaries did not come to New Spain to learn about Aztec religion or Maya hieroglyphs but rather to destroy the native religion and, in effect, commit cultural genocide on an entire people. This becomes most clear in such works as the Historia eclesiastica of Jeronimo de Mendieta (1528-1604). Like other Spanish missionaries Mendieta’s mission in life was to convert the Indians of New Spain to Christianity. In the Prologue to Book II he tells us that the Indians were somewhat less than human. However much we may abhor the Aztec practice of human sacrifice or denigrate Mesoamerican religious beliefs as mere superstition they pale into insignificance besides the atrocities committed by the Spaniards against the Indians.
February 2008 Lake Chapala Review Page 19 Focus on Travel by Karen McConnaughey Best Travel Tips for Your Aching Back karen@focusonmexico.com Traveling is hard on our bodies for two main reasons: it requires us to use our bodies in ways they’re not used to, such as hoisting luggage over our heads into bins and yanking it off a moving baggage claim, and to sit still for long periods, often in a cramped space. Planning in advance is imperative to help you have as comfortable a trip as possible. Here are a few things others have tried and found to work well. Lift luggage in stages. Move slowly when lifting your luggage and break the action into smaller parts. For example, when lifting a bag into an overhead bin, first lift it to the arm of the seat, then to the top of the seatback and then into the bin in separate motions. And, never twist while lifting! Pack light. Use two smaller bags rather than one large/heavy bag, especially if you will have to lift the bags in/out of car trunks, off airport baggage carousels, into and out of overhead bins, etc. Medication. Be sure you keep all your medication with you in flight—do not check it in with luggage. Do not put different medications into the same containers. Keep each type of medication in its own prescription bottle. Always take a little more than you will need. And consider muscle relaxants for long trips. Hot & cold pain relief. Bring extra Ziploc bags and ask a flight attendant to fill one with ice for you. Place it between your lower back and the seat. Leave it on for 20 minutes to numb the lower back, repeat as needed. Heat is great too, but you would have to check with your airline to see what is allowed past security. Get wheelchair assistance. Ask for a wheelchair in advance…it can be a back saver! You won’t have to carry your bags, walk to the gate or stand while waiting in line at security. Ask when you make your reservation. Even if it is supposed to be just a short walk to the gate, remember gates can change, and there’s a lot of standing in line going through security. Try it; you’ll love it! Preboard. When they call for pre-boarding for people who need assistance, that’s you. Make sure the gate agent knows you will need to pre-board. Conversely, if sitting for a moment longer than necessary will be unbearable, board last. If you do this, make sure your carry-on can fit beneath your seat, because if you board last, the overhead bins might already be full. Sit with support. Place a small rolled-up airline pillow, blanket, or a towel or lumbar pillow between your back and the seat to support the natural inward curve of your lower back. Think knees. While seated, your knees should be bent at a right angle. If your seat is too high, place your feet on something that can act as a firm footrest—like a book or box —to keep your knees at a right angle and avoid stressing the low back. Drink water. Water circulates healing nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. Drink water frequently to help keep your pain at bay and keep your body nourished. Wear slip-on shoes. Wear good, comfortable supportive shoes if you will be walking distances through airports, train stations, etc. Slip-on shoes are the best, because it’s easy to get them on and off (without having to bend over) when going through security. Happy traveling! Karen McConnaughey is Manager of Operations for Focus on Mexico. If you want to read additional archived articles by Karen, go to www.focusonmexico.com.
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Volume 10 - Issue 1, February 15, 2008 - Lake Chapala Review

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