Cuauhtémoc

I found the small book, “Cuauhtémoc,” in Ipswich County Library in early May, 2019. Cuauhtémoc was the last Aztec emperor.

Plot

Birth, early life and marriage.

Cuauhtémoc was born in 1496. His father was the emperor Ahuízotl, who had been one of the best rulers of Tenochtitlán. His mother was the Tlatelolca princess Tiyacapantzin. His name meant “descending eagle,” referring to the moment when an eagle folds its wings and plummets down to strike its prey. His father died when he was six years old. Cuauhtémoc had a good education.

At the age of 15, Cuauhtémoc left school and joined Moctezuma´s court, as a noble warrior. At 20, he married.

Bad omens for Tenochtitlan

It had been prophesied that various calamities would destroy Moctezuma´s kingdom. For instance, a huge comet was seen, a temple burnt down, and the waters of the lake around the city seemed to boil. A strange bird was captured, which had a mirror in its head, in which stars could be seen, even during the day.

Spanish conquistadores arrive

In 1518, Moctezuma´s tax collectors in Veracruz saw the ships of Juan de Grijalva, a Spanish conquistador. They told Moctezuma that they had seen gods in the sea. They gave these “gods” blankets, and in exchange the “gods” gave them glass beads.

On the 10th of February, 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico, with 11 ships, 508 men and 100 sailors, and 16 horses. He brought with him Gerónimo de Aguilar, who had sailed 8 years before to the Yucatan peninsula, and la Malinche, a native woman. These two helped Cortés to translate what the Aztec people said.

Moctezuma thought Cortés was Quetzalcóatl coming back from the east to get his throne. He sent five of his nobles to Cortés , with presents. Cortés sought allies among the native Mexican tribes. After five months at the coast, Cortés started moving towards Tenochtitlán, with the intention of capturing Moctezuma.

Cortés fought the Tlaxcaltecas, won, and then used them as allies against Moctezuma. The Tlaxcaltecas had been formidable traditional enemies of the Aztecs. The Aztecs didn´t know whether to make war against the Spaniards now, or to let them enter the city, where they could kill them more easily.

Cortés sees Tenochtitlán, and Moctezuma gives up his throne to Cortés

Cortés fought his way to the pass between the volcanoes Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl. He and his soldiers then saw the wonderful terrain of Mexico. Moctezuma came to meet them on a sedan chair covered with a canopy bordered by precious stones. He gave Cortés his throne, believing him to be a god. Cortés had Moctezuma living with him as “obliged guest,” in other words Moctezuma was now Cortés´ prisoner.

Narváez attacks, and Moctezuma is killed

Pánfilo de Narváez, arrived . He was a Spanish captain sent by the governor of Cuba to stop Cortés from invading Mexico. Cortés went to meet Narváez, leaving Tenochtitlán under the command of Pedro de Alvarado. Cortés defeated Narváez, but while he was away, Alvarado killed a lot of Mexican noblemen. The Aztecs then surrounded and attacked the palace of Tenochtitlán.

When Cortés came back from defeating Narváez, he made Moctezuma talk to his people from the terrace roof of the palace, to calm them. But the people shot arrows and threw stones at him, and Moctezuma died of a stone thrown at his head.

Cuitláhuac becomes emperor and fights the “Noche Triste”.

The Aztecs chose Cuitláhuac as their new emperor. One of his first actions was to lead the Aztecs in a battle called “la Noche Triste,” when the Spaniards tried to escape from Tenochtitlán, taking with them treasure.

Cortés went to hide in Tlaxcala. Cuitláhuac died of smallpox, brought by the Spaniards.

Cuauhtémoc then took the throne. He had six of Moctezuma´s sons executed, for colluding with the Spaniards. His first jobs were to reorganize his army, reconstruct the city and look after the people who were suffering from smallpox. Meanwhile, Cortés was reorganizing his army and finding more than 75,000 allies among the warriors of Tlaxcala, Cholula, Huexotzingo and Chalco, native tribes who didn´t want to be subjugated by the Aztecs.

Cortés attacked Tenochtitlan from three directions at once. At first, Cortés gradually won the bridges to Tenochtitlan during the day. But Cuauhtémoc´s warriors won the bridges back at night. The Spaniards began to leave sentinels on the bridges at night, and then Cortés managed to get to the city. Cuauhtémoc then changed his army´s strategy. They let the Spaniards get as far as the city streets, and then attacked them from the terraces. Cortés then decided to destroy all the buildings of the city. He escaped, although the Aztecs managed to take 53 Spaniards alive.

Then Cortés decided to defeat the Aztecs by hunger. His ships intercepted the canoes that brought food to Tenochtitlan. He offered to make peace with Cuauhtémoc. Cuauhtémoc accepted, in order to avoid total destruction of the city and the death of all its inhabitants. The priests didn´t want to go along with the peace and Cuauhtémoc had to keep defending Tenochtitlan.

Cortés took total control of the city on the 13th of August, 1521. Cuauhtémoc tried to escape with his people in canoes, but was captured immediately. Cuauhtémoc came before the Cortés, and asked his interpreter, la Malinche, to kill him.

Cortés had Cuauhtémoc tortured. They put boiling oil on his hands and feet.

In 1524, Cortés took Cuauhtémoc to the Honduras, so that Cuauhtémoc couldn´t organize a rebellion.

Then in 1525, Cuauhtémoc was accused of plotting against Cortés. Cortés had him hung in a sacred Mayan tree.

Vocabulary new to me in this book

se yerguen, third person plural , present tense, erguir, to raise, lift, straighten

partera, midwife

adoratorio, shrine,

esmero, care

a pesar de que, even though

los necesitados, the needy

se reventó, it burst

Calmécac, Aztec school for priests

si bien, although

esmerado, careful

templar, to moderate, restrain, control

florido, choice, select, full of flowers

facciones, features

risueños, smiles

funesto, ill-fated, adjective

garza, heron

cobrador, collector

conseguir, to obtain

consejero, adviser, consultant

aparatoso, showy, ostentatious

penacho, tuft, crest

codicia, greed

apresar, to capture , catch

partidario, supporter,

emboscada, ambush

riberas, banks of a river

calzada, paved,

calicanto, stone wall

dosel, canopy

andas, litters, sedan chairs

comitiva, retinue

azotea, terrace roof

apaciguar, to calm down, pacify

pedrada, throw of a stone

rodeo, detour

opacar, to tarnish, darken

bergantines, brigs

jinete, horseman

mosquetero, musketeer

ballestero, crossbowman

conforme, according

milagro, miracle

tecolote, owl

aniquilar, to annihilate

espantar, to frighten

asedio, siege

varas, sticks, poles, branches, staffs

mortandad, loss of life

deleite, delight

vasallo, vassal

escampar, to clear up

ceiba, kapok tree

hazañas, feats, exploits, deeds,