The Incredible Tale of the Conquest of Mexico

2008-05-07T04:26:00.000-05:00

I’ve written two novels, Skull Rack and Hummingbird God, which, together, tell the complete story of Cortés Conquest of Mexico through the eyes of one of its participants, Rodrigo de la Peña. The basic history is, in fact, stranger than fiction and is, in my opinion, one of the most exotic and bizarre events ever recorded. In writing the story I was always wondering whether I could do justice to such a fabulous tale.

Judging from my Amazon commentators, I have succeeded. The story is primarily the narrative of the young Rodrigo’s first person experience during the Conquest. Much of the book, however, is a discussion between two priests—one of whom is the ancient Dominican Bishop—the ancient and cynical Rodrigo de la Peña. Structuring the story this way, gives me abundant opportunity of explain events and motives in detail. I take no sides in the struggle between Spain and the Aztec Empire. I am equally critical of both.

Cortés and his men were unquestionably barbarians and thieves. The Aztec Empire, on the other hand, was a religious dictatorship that sacrificed as many as twenty thousand souls annually. At the same time, however, my novels have political aspects relevant to the present day.

Moctecuzoma, Emperor of Mexico, was a weak man, quite possibly a moral coward. He could have brushed Cortés’ away with the back of a hand but—despite the recommendations of his war chiefs—he refused to do so. Instead, he preferred to negotiate with the acquisitive Cortés and, in doing so, lost his life and then his entire empire. The lesson is one of weak leadership. Vacillation is a mistake and negotiation with the wrong enemy can be fatal. A present-day example could well be the desire, by some of our politicians, to negotiate with religiously imperialistic Iran. Given the strength of Iran’s fundamentalist clerics and the vacillation of our potential leaders, negotiation can only go against us.

Also, I contend that it is extraordinarily difficult for a nation to lift itself from its history. If things get off on the wrong track, it is extremely difficult to get back on the right track. In Mexico’s case, Cortés’ conquistadors—single men out for loot and land—founded the present-day nation. They lorded over the defeated native population. They founded governorships based on the same principles i.e. the use of natives for labor and women for pleasure. To be certain, this process created the present-day mestizo population of Mexico but the basic political system has changed very little. Governorships and political leadership are—despite all protestation to the contrary—based on exploitation of the many for the benefit of the few, just like at the beginning.

Mexico—a nation rich in culture and resources—has therefore remained poor. Desperate Mexican citizens, who would otherwise cling to their country of birth, flee to the economic giant of the north, Los Estados Unidos. We, who are citizens of the U.S., tend to regard illegal immigration as an American problem. Of course, it is but, even more, it is a Mexican disgrace—a disgrace that can be laid at the feet of Hernán Cortés and the Empire of Spain.

Comments anyone?

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The Incredible Tale of the Conquest of Mexico