Mexica: A History Podcast
Mexica: A History Podcast
Foreigners in Tenochtitlan (Ep 7)
In Episode 7, Cortes enters the Mexica capital and is welcomed. But things quickly go bad and violence erupts.
Part 1 - Entering Tenochtitlan
Cortes, his Spanish soldiers and 4 or 5 thousand Tlaxcalan warriors enter Tenochtitlan along the causeway.
Part 2 - Meeting Moctezuma
Moctezuma emerges from the crowd to welcome Cortes to Tenochtitlan.
Part 3 - Guests in the Capital
The Spanish are welcomed and granted use of the Palace of Axayacatl, the former Tlatoani.
Part 4 - The Hostage Moctezuma
In one of history's boldest moves, Cortes takes Moctezuma hostage in his own capital and begins to manipulate the empire.
Part 5 - Death of Cualpopoca
The indigenous chief of nautla, Cualpopoca is brought to Tenochtitlan for his own execution as a manipulation to undercut Moctezuma's sincerity.
Part 6 - Narvaez Arrives on the Coast
A Spanish captain arrives to reign in Cortes, who will not go so easy.
Part 7 - Festival of Toxcatl
Pedro de ALvarado loses control of the capital and caves into his fears, attacking the heart of Mexica nobility.
Episode 7 Credits
Written, researched, performed and produced by Jeremy Lipps.
~ Music ~
Fuego de Mateo by downforthecount
Away by Meydän
Surreal Forrest by Meydän
Daniel Birch, www.danielbirchmusic.com
Breathe
Sustained Light
The Gates Are Locked
guitar percussion by bangcorrupt
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
Infinite Taiko Drum Sequence by Infinita08
~ Sound Effects ~
jungle tropical birds and insects by mikevpme
rumble loop by unfa
horses by arnaud coutander
walk on dirt road by mikeypme
horse snort by bruno auzet
horses whinnying by leandiviljoen
ancient old time battle combat horses snorting... by ylearkisto
stones falling by iwanPlays
orest stream between mekhanizatorov settlement and akhtyrka vilage moscow region by halfofthesky
water-lapping by ceivh93
soft wind by florianreichelt
fire 2 by pushtobreak
horse whinny by inspectorj
coopers hawk by blimp66
walking2-gravel by tec-studio
Episode 7 - Foreigners in Tenochtitlan
Last time in Episode 6: The Aztec world is rocked by the massacre of thousands at Cholula. Moctezuma is pushed by Cortes’s relentless path toward Tenochtitlan as the Spanish now sit on the doorstep of the capital with almost 10,000 allied warriors.
Part 1 - Entering Tenochtitlan
On the morning of November 8th, 1519, the Spaniards and Tlaxcalans awoke in the lakeside city of Iztapalapa, just a few miles outside of the Mexica capital of Tenochtitlan. The night before they had seen the causeway leading out into the lake where the great city stood, its temples dominating the horizon. But today they would take this final, fateful step before either being turned into sacrifices for the Mexican gods or heroes of the Christian Conquest of the New World. Cortes seemed impartial to the idea of fate, his patron St Peter and his bold leadership style had always protected him. Fate was passive. Cortes felt the divine protection of his Lord in almost all he did, and he felt forgiven for the rest. The ends always justify the means for people like Cortes.
The men had polished their dented and rusted armor, they sharpened their swords the night before by the fires in their chambers. Today everyone took a little extra care in preparing. The soldiers tied on their shining armor tightly, double-checked that their swords were properly sheathed and ready for action. The banners were dusted off and held especially high as all the pageantry they could muster was on display. History was near.
The caravan set out from Iztapalapa along the road to Tenochtitlan, toward the first causeway, a short east-west causeway that joined the main north/south Itztapalapa Causeway in the lake. By this point in the journey the Spanish caravan was a bit of an economy unto itself with stragglers, nobles, holy men, messengers, traders and ambassadors representing every town from the coast to Tenochtitlan tagging along, coming and going. With his most impressive horsemen up front, banners held high, Cortes approached the Itztapalapa Causeway with 350 Europeans, about 4,000 Tlaxcalan soldiers, a mixed group of other people from various Indigenous communities and a group of indegenous women, some who cooked and others that provided sex and labor. There was also a large amount of cargo and men to carry it. The cargo was made up of food, precious metals, art as well as piles of cotton cloth. The caravan passed through the last town on the mainland, Churubusco, and onto the Itztapalapa Causeway, which was wide enough for about eight horses side by side. Soon the cavalcade filled the causeway as it pushed westward toward a juncture where the main causeway turned 90 degrees toward the heart of Tenochtitlan.
The lake was covered with canoes full of people that had gathered to watch the parade of strange foreigners and the beasts they rode. Fishermen, chinampa farmers, tamemehs bringing goods to and from the city had all stopped to stare. Up on the causeway these men offered a sight never seen before. Their hairy faces buried under steel helmets were fearsome and strange to the people of the valley. Their armor glinted in the sun, their weapons at the ready. And the beasts that some rode, were like giant deer, the nearest proxy for an indigenous animal. In pre-Contact America there were no large beasts of burden beyond dogs. To see horses pulling freight and carrying men was also unimaginable.
Moctezuma had received word that Cortes was on the causeway headed into the city. This moment, his moment of fate had arrived. Moctezuma’s nephew Cacamatzin, lord of Texcoco, and his brother Cuitlahuatzin, lord of Itztapalapa had been with Cortes just a few minutes before, having marched with him from Itztapalapa. They had come back to change into more humble attire to wear in the presence of the Tlatoani, and to advise Moctezuma however they could. Attendants brought out his ceremonial cotton robes, one representing his royal Mexica lineage, another representing the crown of Tenochtitlan. A rich, feathered cape was placed around his shoulders. The attendants placed thick, round gold studs in his ear lobes. A gold labret was placed through his bottom lip, a small shining figure of Quetzalcoatl peering from his chin. A jade tube was placed through the piercing between his nostrils. Finally, they placed on his head the jade crown of the Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan.
Cuitlahuatzin took Moctezuma by the hand, broke protocol and looked him knowingly in the eyes. His look said, “be careful, don’t trust these men.”
Behind Moctezuma’s other shoulder was Cacamatzin, who was eager to please Cortes and welcome him to the capital. And then the entourage left his personal quarters for his litter. Moctezuma stepped into the shining gold and silver litter, draped in green quetzal feathers. Several other lords present outside his chamber helped to carry the litter. They left the royal courtyard for the procession of nobles, priests and warriors who were to escort the lord of Tenochtitlan and Huey Tlatoani of the Triple Alliance to his fateful meeting.
Part 2 - Meeting Moctezuma
Cortes, upon his horse El Arriero, walked confidently along the main Itztapalapa Causeway. On his left were the marshes of Lake Xochimilco and on his right began to appear chinampa gardens of the Zoquiapan district, the farmers now gawking at the procession of aliens marching into their city. Behind Cortes were his 350 Spanish foot soldiers and the nearly ecstatic Tlaxcala warriors who were now whooping and singing as they marched, protected, into their ancient enemy’s capital. Certainly this was not a comfortable feeling for any Tenochca citizens.
By now Cortes was at the Xoloc Gate, which was described as a crenelated arch spanning the causeway, marking the entrance to the city proper. There he was met by the first wave of nobles, several hundred of whom all had to run through the ceremonial greeting, bowing and putting a hand on the ground, then to their mouths. For almost an hour Cortes greeted nobles one after the other. The rooftop crowds thickened, side streets were crowded with onlookers, the lake was choked with canoes and flat-bottom boats. The warmth of the day was beginning to peek through the November clouds and shine on the historic scene unfolding in the streets of Tenochtitlan.
Cortes and the caravan proceeded north from the Xoloc Gate where the surface turned from causeway to a main road. They crossed a wooden bridge over a canal and entered Tenochtitlan’s central urban area, just a quarter of a mile from the Sacred Precinct, the Mexica’s most sacred place. The Spanish approached Moctezuma’s procession a few hundred yards south of the Plaza of the Fliers and Moctezuma’s palace. This moment was the result of one man’s diligent pursuit of glory and riches: Cortes. Moctezuma had done all he could to discourage this moment. He had sent gifts to persuade Cortes to leave but they only served to entice Cortes further. And now, through Cortes’s own will, they were about to meet - a low ranking noble-adventurer from the dusty hills of Extremadura, and the emperor of the most powerful Indigenous empire in the New World.
From his royal palace, Moctezuma, seated high in his litter, made his way south down the Itztapalapa road toward Cortes. From his palace he passed through the Plaza of the Fliers, where men bravely swung upside down from ropes on a pole to mark special occasions and festivals. Next the royal procession passed along adobe homes, their residents perched on the roofs to get a glimpse of history.
In his litter above the crowd Moctezuma could see directly down the road to Cortes and the other horsemen who stood above the rest of the Spanish caravan. The litter swayed and bumped along with the movement of the men beneath, Moctezuma looked down the road over the mass of people, at Cortes. His stomach fluttered, his muscles clenched. He mentally reassured himself of his own power and nobility, but it was wavering in this moment.
From the front of the footsoldier column Francisco de Aguilar peered over the heads of his fellow soldiers for a glimpse of the historic scene. Mostly he could see helmets, spears and horse butts. The street was wide, but rather boxed in by buildings on either side, plus the crowds lining the street made progress slow. Aguilar strained his eyes again as word filtered back that they could see Moctezuma up ahead. For a split second, through the spears and dust and commotion he caught a glimpse, a flicker of gold. He could briefly make out a golden box, a green canopy, possibly someone inside. As it neared the gossip came through the column faster than the sights came into view. “That’s Moctezuma!” the soldier ahead whispered back. The column slowed to a halt. The two men were about to meet.
Moctezuma arrived in his litter, flanked by two columns of nobles, all barefooted. The litter was lowered to the ground and he was helped out by Cacama and Cuitlahuac. Other lords swept the ground and placed clean cloth down before he placed his feet there. Priests walked before him with incense. Not a single person with him looked at him. Cacama, Cuitlauhuac, Tetlepanquetzaltzin, lord of Tlacopan, had changed their clothes to more humble attire than they had worn earlier when they met Cortes. This was in deference to the power of Moctezuma, more powerful than the other leaders of the area.
Cortes, now about 20 yards from Moctezuma, dismounted from El Arriero and approached the Emperor. Marina joined him and was by his side to translate. Both men bowed deeply to the other. Moctezuma welcomed Cortes to Tenochtitlan and asked him to be at home, to make it his own place. Cortes produced a necklace of blue margarita beads strung on a gold string and gently offered to put it around Moctezuma’s neck, which he was allowed to do. Cortes then went to hug the emperor but was stopped by Cuitlahuac. Nobody touched the Tlatoani. Moctezuma then had a necklace brought to him, decorated with seashells and hefty, golden figures of sea life, and he placed it around Cortes’s neck as well as a garland of flowers. With few words, Moctezuma turned and guided Cortes back toward the Sacred Precinct on foot.
If any conversation was made between the two men it is lost to history. Moctezuma personally escorted Cortes up the Itztapalapa road, through the Plaza of the Fliers, toward his own palace. Ahead of them were the thick walls of the Sacred Precinct and the Templo Mayor. The city-scape was lined with temples poking up above the homes and markets. Tenochtitlan was not as densely packed as might be imagined, most buildings were stand-alone and had space or arable land around them.
In the distance the Tlatelolco pyramid stood tall above other features. As the procession approached the Sacred Precinct they turned left along the wall toward the palace of the former Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, Axayacatl. Known as a military strong-man, he is best remembered for winning the Mexica Civil War over Tlatelolco, their fellow lake-dwelling Mexicas. After the Mexica people had settled on the lake conflict and division arose and the Tlatelolca-Mexica founded their own town, Tlatelolco, leaving Tenochtitlan to the Tenochca-Mexica. Axayacatl’s war finally determined a winner and Tlatelolco lost its political voice.
Part 3 - Guests in the Capital
Axayacatl’s palace was large, covering several modern city blocks and built around a central courtyard with rooms and halls around the rectangular complex. The front of the palace, which faced the Sacred Precinct, had stairs that led up from the ground level street to the pillared entrance. The palace was made of stone and adobe with wooden cross beams and coated with plaster. The palace was in a bit of storage mode with older idols, large wooden representations of gods, stored in some of the chambers. But Moctezuma had hundreds of beds made up and a room for Cortes himself, which was well decorated with rugs, furniture, colorful murals and feathered art. The horses were put up in the courtyard and piles of grass were brought in for them to eat. Moctezuma’s servants brought in food for the Spanish and their Tlaxcala allies. This included turkey, eggs, corn, beans, mellon, peppers, tortillas and other Central American staples.
At this point Moctezuma departed, leaving the Spanish and Tlaxcalans to settle in. There were enough beds and mats for nearly all 5,000 people that made up their contingent, with the Totonacs warriors having turned back after Cholula. Cortes quickly ascertained the room situation and assigned rooms to his captains, and designated some as barracks for soldiers, other rooms were for Tlaxcalans or other groups. The women set up their grinding and cooking stones in the open courtyard, smoke from their fires stretched upward into the open-air. Cortes also looked for vulnerabilities in their accommodation and posted sentries and arranged the artillery at strategic points around the palace and on the front steps.
The men settled that night in the Mexica palace, their fires cast dancing, orange light onto the red and white plaster walls. The faces of Tlaloc, Huitzilipochtli, Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl and others that were painted on the walls seemed to move. Under heavy guard some of the Spanish slept that night on actual mattresses or mats. Each man kept his sword, crossbow or arquebus by his side as he slept.
The next morning, November 9, 1519, more nobles arrived with food and gifts to speak with Cortes. There was a never-ending stream of nobles, kissing their hands, then touching the ground, bringing food and small treasures. But Cortes wanted to speak to Moctezuma so he gathered a few men, including Bernal Diaz. This small group of captains, along with Cortes, marched down the steps of the palace, across the plaza to Moctezuma’s palace. The front of his palace stretched across the width of the building, with a broad staircase at the front leading up to a large portico. The plaster was detailed with patterns and gods in red and yellow paint with turquoise highlights. Numerous guards protected the front. Cortes was admitted and escorted into the palace. They passed along a wide central courtyard toward the royal residence in the center of the massive com[lex. At the rear of the courtyard they went up some stairs into a great hall where several nobles sat having discussions of the empire’s business. When Cortes entered they all stopped and looked at the foreign warriors now in the heart of their most sacred political building.
The large chamber was smoky, men moved about in the shadows behind pillars or sat on cushions. Torches crackled, the aroma of tobacco lingered. An attendant greeted the Spaniards, then went to bid on Moctezuma regarding their presence. The Spaniards were admitted and entered Moctezuma’s greeting chamber. Moctezuma sat on a wooden bench at the far side of the chamber, he rose and again they greeted each other with reverence and deep bows. Moctezuma was kind and welcoming. Disregarding the Mexica tradition of not looking at the Tlatoani, Cortes finished with the courtesies and launched into his much rehearsed speech about god and country. While Moctezuma was fascinated by all of it, he declined to take the Christian faith, saying that his gods would be angry if he worshiped another. He also acknowledged that Charles did indeed sound like a powerful king, and he would send gifts to him. Moctezuma, in return, inquired about the previous Spanish explorers Grijalva and Cordoba and whether they were also of his people. This understanding would place Cortes amongst an explorer class, and give Moctezuma more context of his role. Mexica representatives Pinotl and Cuitlalpitoc had spoken directly with Grijalva a year before and their people spent a week in contact trading food and trinkets. After much discussion about gods and kings, Cortes returned to his quarters.
Several days passed without much venturing out by the Spanish. They had been ordered to stay alert and not wander off.
Loitering on the steps of Axayacatl’s palace became quite the hobby for the Spanish. From the steps a great plaza could be overseen, full of people hustling about, or who likewise came to gawk at the Spanish. A small market was held there some days. The Western wall of the Sacred Precinct was opposite the palace, within the sacred precinct the temple to the wind god Ehecatl was visible with the Templo Mayor behind. On top of the temple sat the red shrine to Huitzilopochtli on the southern side of the pyramid and the blue shrine to Tlaloc on the northern side. From the steps one could also see part of Moctezuma’s palace, with its broad front wall and steps, and colorful murals. When the sun would break through the clouds midday the city glowed with a warm golden light.
After several days of official visits, meetings and some downtime in the palace, Cortes decided a trip about the city would be of benefit. Moctezuma was pleased to accommodate the request and he took them to Tlatelolco to see the market and pyramid there. Cortes and several of his captains brought their horses out from the courtyard and mounted up in the plaza. Moctezuma met them there, also held above the crowd in his litter. The people lingering around cast their eyes away from Moctezuma, as it was forbidden to look directly at the Tlatoani. Moctezuma led the procession toward the Tlatelolco Market, just over a mile from Axayacatl’s palace. Cortes, and several of his mounted men, plus about 100 soldiers on foot, headed out, fully armed.
The procession moved through the packed-dirt streets of Tenochtitlan. The density around the Sacred Precinct dropped off quickly as they moved into more scattered adobe residences and farms. They crossed several bridges and canals. Some children ran behind them excitedly and curiously laughing at the strange sight, free of the anxiety the adults carried. Farmers stopped tilling, and watched as the emperor, the Spaniards and the horses passed. The flat boats built to go under the low bridges of Tenochtitlan, floated motionless in the canals as their operators stared.
Tlatelolco was founded as its own island and Mexica community, distinct from the Tenochca Mexica. The two cities had conflict, Tenochtitlan won and since then the islands had grown together culturally, although a distinct identity was held onto by both sides. As its own civic entity, it had a large market, possibly the largest in all of the Americas at the time. Moctezuma had left Cortes and gone ahead to the Tlatelolco temple hoping to appease Huitzilipochtli and keep any celestial turmoil to a minimum. The Spanish went to the market with Moctezuma’s noble attendants. The men marveled at the size of the market, the number of people and clearly ordered rows of merchandise that stretched on forever. From beans and gourds to poultry and venison. There was gold and silver, textiles, furs, raw building materials, animals and even slaves. It would take more than a day to see all the available merchandise.
Mextli, a local market buyer, caught the Spanish out of the corner of his eye as they meandered through the market. Near one of his family’s vegetable markets he practically jumped into the small space out of fright. Silence settled over the market row as one by one the vendors and shoppers took note of the foreigners. Some stared, others bowed respectfully, a few ran. Several opportunistic merchants offered them squash and other earthly goods. A few of the Spanish even traded for a few items to eat. Mextli watched as Cortes and his small group slowly walked down the row looking at vegetables and fruit. Every once in a while one Spaniard would hold a strange or curious product up and show the others with a laugh or expression of curiosity. There was a lot to see that was new to them. To the merchants the men were big, and their facial hair and armor made them quite fearsome. Their odor was also overwhelming, filling the space around them with deep rank body odor.
Mextli watched the Spaniards from behind a pile of green peppers. They moved down the row and turned toward the hot food sellers, which made him sad because he wanted to buy a tamale for lunch. From a distance Mextli followed the men through the hot food market where women kept fires, steam pots, warming baskets, and hot stones to cook everything from stews to tortillas to tamales. The Spaniards were told it was time to visit the great Tlatelolco temple where Moctezuma had pleaded with the gods and was now prepared to greet the Spanish at the top of the pyramid. The attendants guided them from the market to the Tlatelolco sacred precinct where several temples were built near the foot of the great Tlatelolco pyramid. Seeing the Spanish gather and leave, Mextli breathed a sigh of relief then soothed his nerves with a tamale.
This pyramid was taller than that of Tenochtitlan, although not quite as robust. Cortes and his captains climbed the steps, having declined help from some priests sent to assist. At the top was a wide platform and the two stones of sacrifice, the chac mool and a sacrifice stone for bending victims backward over and piercing their chest cavity. A shrine to Huitzilipochtli stood there as well, and from this shrine emerged Moctezuma after having observed some sacrificial rituals. He asked if the men were tired from their ascent, to which Cortes replied that nothing tired them. Moctezuma took them to the back edge of the pyramid, opposite the steps, and from there they could see the market and its vastness, they could see beyond to the Great Temple in Tenochtitlan, across the lake to the many cities on the shore, their view only obstructed by the ring of mountains forming the valley. They could see the causeways, stretching across the lake, leading into the heart of the Mexica city.
“I’ve been to Rome, all over Italy and the great cities of Spain and never seen such a market,” said one soldier to Bernal Diaz, both staring in awe at this dream of a landscape. Father Olmedo, who had always shown restraint in forcing his faith on reluctant populations, speculated to Cortes that eventually a church here would be a great way to convert these people, but again he said to Cortes not to push it now. But to Cortes there was no time better than now to push his faith. The men somewhat forcibly entered the temple where two wooden statues stood, covered in fine clothes, jeweled eyes sparkled in the dim light. The statues were painted brightly and dressed in feathered capes. One of the statues, representing the god of the underworld and death, Tezcatlipoca had a frightful skull face with three black bands across the chin, nose and forehead, large eyes glaring out. The other, representing Huitzilipochtli, was covered in what Diaz thought were pearls, with large eyes, a stylized bow in one hand and a quiver of arrows in the other. A huge horizontal drum, called a teponaztli, was positioned in the center and when played could be heard across the entire island and beyond.
There was also clear evidence of human sacrifice, which the Spanish found to be beyond reprehensible, an absolute sin to the extreme. Despite their own savage brutality and lack of hesitation at murdering thousands, the act of intentionally killing people for spirituality stood apart to them. The difference between war and religion seemed to be where the death occurred. To the Mexica, their entire war machine was aimed at getting live combatants back to Tenochtitlan, deferring a death on the battlefield to one of religious purpose. European battle demanded utter devastation of humanity until there was no more. Regardless, Cortes mocked their beliefs, insinuating it should be obvious these gods were actually devils. He asked to erect a cross and to remove these false idols. To the deeply religious Moctezuma this was pure afront. Firmly, and holding as tightly as he could to courtly etiquette, Moctezuma rejected this, “these gods give us health, rain for crops and victory in war. Say no more against our gods.” Reading the anger behind the Tlatoani’s strained words Cortes decided not to press this issue in a rare show of restraint. Instead he pivoted toward a slightly more plausible plan and asked Moctezuma if it might be ok if they built a church in their palace quarters, to which he said yes.
To build the church Moctezuma had ordered supplies be brought to the Spanish. Working with the carpenter Alonso Yañez and the friar Bartolome de Olmedo an altar and cross were built in one of the palace halls and a large cross on the front steps of the palace was erected, part faith, part promotion, part land claim. As the carpenter, Yañez, conducted a quick study of the building’s materials he ran his hand along the plaster walls. There his trained eye noticed a slight bulge in the plaster that ran in an arch. It seemed to have been recently plastered over archway or door. After informing Cortes the Spaniards knocked the plaster off and forced the adobe bricks apart. What they saw was one of the world’s greatest masses of treasure ever seen: the collected wealth of Axayacatl. Cortes entered first, astonished to see piles of gold and silver as high as a man on the floor, precious jewels and jade sculptures. Large, gold platters and dishes were stacked. The walls were lined with shields and featherworks. There were weapons of all types, the brutal obsidian-lined macuahuitl clubs, bows, arrows and knives. There were a few old statues of gods, stacks of cotton clothing and other uncountable treasures.
After several of the men looked around in awe Cortes forced everyone out without touching a piece of treasure. The room was sealed back up for safe keeping, but Cortes knew he was not leaving this place without it. That night, Diego de Ordaz was on guard up on the roof of the palace. Looking out at the city he could see the causeways leading to the mainland. He could hear the frightful drumming of the temple drums. And he could see the tens of thousands of citizens that surrounded them and his thoughts turned to escape. After his shift Ordaz approached several men and said to them he feared being trapped on this island and massacred. If the Mexica wanted they could simply drop the bridges and the Spanish would be stuck, sitting ducks for Moctezuma’s elite eagle and jaguar warriors, whom the Spanish had not yet faced. The other men agreed and began to work themselves up over the prospect and so the group went to Cortes.
As usual, Cortes did heed the word of his men, and had considered several other drastic plans based on the same thoughts Ordaz had. The plan the men settled on is one of the boldest in history, and one that boggles the mind even 500 years later. Given their vulnerability being in the heart of a hostile island-city, they felt the best course of action was to take the empire hostage through Moctezuma’s person. They were going to kidnap the Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, while in Tenochtitlan. It seemed to them the only way to control the Mexica people.
The next day Cortes went out in front of the palace with the rest of the Spanish. The Friar Bartolome de Olmedo said mass, with Father Juan Diaz helping with the ceremony on the steps of Axayacatl’s palace. A crowd of Tenochcas gathered to watch and listen to the chanting and ceremony. Once mass was finished Cortes ordered guards to stand along their path to Moctezuma’s palace and block roads in to the plaza. Several men went to stand near the Itztapalapa road entrance, others gathered near the southern gate to the Sacred Precinct and Cortes along with Marina, Bernal Diaz, Pedro de Alvarado and four other captains walked to Moctezuma’s palace.
The Spanish were admitted and passed through the central courtyard, up the stairs and into Moctezuma’s greeting chamber. He was pleased to meet with Cortes again and had prepared more gifts of gold and women. Cortes and the men looked upon both with greedy eyes. They started with small affairs of business, but Cortes literally had a plan in his pocket.
In Cholula Cortes had received word of an attack on a Spanish force in a northern town they had called Almeria, which was known to its people as Nautla. Nautla’s leader, a man named Cualpopoca, had lured a group of Spaniards along a path and attacked them. The immediate attack left one man and one horse dead, but several more men died of their wounds, including Juan de Escalante, who Cortes had left in charge back on the coast at Villa Rica. These types of losses were not good strategically, but also made it clear the Spanish were vulnerable and could be killed.
Cortes presented Moctezuma with this news and said he had heard the attack was conducted on Moctezuma’s orders. For that reason Cortes said he could no longer trust Moctezuma and that he had to take him to Axayacatl’s palace as his hostage. Moctezuma was outraged. He stood up and waved his arms in disgust. Marina hastily translated his tirade to Cortes, his animated body movements speaking louder than any translation. What came through was that Moctezuma insisted he had nothing to do with this attack on the Spanish, that Cualpopoca had acted alone and that Moctezuma would send for him and put him to justice himself to prove his own innocence.
Cortes took the king up on his offer, but added that until Cualpopoca was brought to justice Moctezuma would have to stay with him as a kind of collateral on the lives of his captains and horse. After four hours of heated debate Moctezuma agreed to stay in the Spanish quarters until Cualpopoca had been brought to justice. Despite the protestations of his attendant Lord of Tlatelolco, Itzcuahtzin, Moctezuma ordered a specific room in his father’s palace made up for him.
With great sadness Moctezuma mounted his litter and marched in a small procession to Axayacatl’s palace. There was silence in the palace as the diminished leader of the Triple Alliance slinked into his confinement along with Itzcuahtzin and several attendants and wives. His small entourage crossed the plaza toward his father’s palace. The plaza was mostly empty of Tenochca people, but some could see the king moving to Axayacatl’s palace. Although not a panicked moment, the stomachs of many who saw it sunk with a bad feeling. Moctezuma was allowed to run the empire from his quarters, but everything was parsed and analyzed by Cortes now. Here, the fire of Moctezuma’s reign would be quashed into embers. His time as a true Mexica king was over and his influence with his people was crumbling, fast.
Part 4 - The Hostage Moctezuma
Cortes and Moctezuma organized a mission to Nautla to apprehend Cualpopoca, the leader who had killed several Spanish. Andres de Tapia, Francisco de Aguilar and a man named Valdelamar, accompanied a troop of Mexica captains and soldiers to Nautla. On the way they passed through many farming towns and villages, all well populated farming communities. The group passed through the desert highlands and down the lush Sierra Madre mountains to the coastal plateaus north of Villa Rica to the coastal city of Nautla.
Despite his captivity, Moctezuma did have significant freedom to come and go as he pleased. He visited the Templo Mayor for ceremonies and even a few sacrifices. He took trips to see his concubines and to hunt. And all the time he held court from Axayacatl’s palace, settling land disputes, hearing nobles and commanding military activities in the far reaches of the empire. He also began to know his Spanish guards and had connected with them. A small set of men was rotated through every other day. Together they asked each other questions, played games, including one of Moctezuma’s favorites, a board game called patolli. Another game Moctezuma enjoyed playing with his captors was totoloque, where competitors tossed small tokens toward a target, the closest toss winning the wager. In one match, everyone had a good laugh when Alvarado was caught adding to Cortes’ score. In another cultural clash, one of the Spanish guards, a brute named Trujillo, farted in front of Moctezuma. The gracious king offered the soldier several small pieces of gold and asked him not to do that again. Later that night, thinking it funny perhaps, Trujillo similarly assaulted the emperor’s nasal sovereignty and was quickly relieved of duty.
During their time in Tenochtitlan, Cortes had several small sailboats built on Lake Texcoco, which Moctezuma took great pleasure in. Their speed was impressive compared to Mexica boats and exhilarated the 52-year-old emperor. Moctezuma took the Spaniards, and their boats, to his private hunting island in the lake which was stocked with deer, javelina, hare and other prey animals. And so, as they waited for the Nautla expedition to return, the days passed in a tense but courteous exchange of culture.
Part 5 - Death of Cualpopoca
After 20 days the Nautla expedition returned with Cualpopoca and his son, in a mock trial the coastal chief said he acted on his own accord, thus clearing Moctezuma. After his confession Cualpopoca was swiftly taken to a stake posted in the center of the Sacred Precinct, where he and his son were burned alive over a pile of weapons seized from Moctezuma’s stores. The men screamed in pain as the wooden bows and obsidian lined clubs crackled and turned red in the heat of the fire. This brutal scenario enraged Moctezuma, whose kindness, tact and political strategy were completely overwhelmed by Spanish violence and scheming. Moctezuma was mired in etiquette and captive to diplomacy with murderers, scoundrels and warmongers.
Watching that day was a young captain named Cuahtemoc, just 18 years old. A member of the royal caste, he was a fiery military leader. As Cualpopoca and his son screamed in pain, flames blistering their skin, Cuahtemoc watched the cruelty. His heart burned with rage, but he stood motionless, taking the inferno in. On the platform at the foot of the Templo Mayor he could see Moctezuma and Cortes. His Tlatoani’s weakness nauseated him. He and his men were ready to fight and drive the Spanish from their city once and for all, but Moctezuma had urged peace and welcoming for the foreigners. Cuahtemoc was in line for the thrones of Tlatelolco and Tenochtitlan, but would have to pass through other ranks and scenarios to become Tlatoani. But death was about to eviscerate the power structure and he would soon find himself in a position to make history.
After the dramatic death of Cualpopoca in front of the entire city, in their most sacred space, on the orders of a foreign invader, there was a stunned depression over the city. This foreigner was commanding things, demanding subjects of the empire be brought before him and put to death. Moctezuma’s impotence was obvious. He was still a captive, despite Cortes’ word he would be freed upon Cualpopoca’s confession. Cortes had also begun to dispatch men to the corners of the empire where he had learned of the mines that fed the economy. He sent men to the Pacific coast, the Central Highlands, to the mountains of Oaxaca in the South and several other places to assess the richness of the land. The mood in the Mexica capital was dark. And the days of darkness turned into months.
Part 6 - Narvaez Arrives on the Coast
When Cortes had landed on the coast at San Juan de Ulua, Mexica messengers painted images of the Spanish ships, and the men fishing. The images captured their beards and helmets, their large ships. The images had fascinated Moctezuma and he used the messenger’s oral storytelling and his own questioning to fill in the complete story of what had been seen. Like that day, seven months ago, again Moctezuma received a report, with illustrations, and narrated by the messenger. Another Spaniard had arrived on the coast.
Drawn on the amate paper folio were 18 ships. The messenger indicated there were a thousand men and 100 horses. The Spaniards had landed at San Juan de ulua, and had settled in Cempoala. As with Cortes, Xicomecoatl had offered this Spaniard the sacred precinct where the finest palaces and temples were. Moctezuma alerted Cortes of the information he had received, he had hoped Cortes may take this opportunity to leave since he had said they had no ships to return. Cortes feigned pleasure at the news, it was not the reaction Moctezuma had hoped for.
Soon Cortes’s own intelligence arrived. It was a Spaniard named Panfilo de Narvaez. A true Castillian, Narvaez had come to the New World and participated in the brutal conquests of Jamaica and Cuba. He had inflicted brutalities on the locals wherever he had gone, including presiding over the Massacre of Caonao, Cuba where 3,000 men, women and children were killed while on a mission of peace. The Franciscan friar, Bartolome de las Casas, who was present that day, screamed at Narvaez as his men hacked at the envoy of civilians. Las Casas would later write about this incident, and other offenses of the Conquistadors, with scathing disgust. His book, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies is one of the first works of civil rights literature in the Americas.
Cortes knew of Narvaez’s work in Cuba as he had also helped to conquer parts of the island with Diego Velazquez. This was alarming news for Cortes. Cortes’s men posted at San Juan de ulua had been captured and Narvaez was spreading information to his Totonac allies in Cempoala that Cortes was a fugitive and would be taken back to Spain. Cortes sent messengers to Narvaez and Xicomecoatl, the fat chief, and to his men at Villa Rica. Narvaez was here to reign Cortes in.
As always Cortes went straight at the problem. He rounded up 150 of his fittest footsoldiers, including Bernal Diaz, Andres de Tapia and Francisco de Aguilar and set out for Cempoala at a quick pace - only himself on horseback. In Axayacatl’s palace he left almost five thousand Tlaxcalan allies and 130 Spaniards under the command of Pedro de Alvarado. The 550 Spaniards who had come were now split three ways, some in Tenochtitlan, some in Villa Rica, and some marching with Cortes to Cempoala.
The men set off along the causeways, through Chalco and the hot lands, then down the Sierra Madres into the lowlands of Cotaxtla. Within a couple days they were camped, secretly, outside of Cempoala. At midnight Cortes and his small platoon of men began to move down the road in the darkness, quietly stepping as they moved. A Spanish guard spotted them and bolted for Cempoala’s sacred precinct where the bulk of Narvaez’s force was located. Cortes and his men were not far behind. The soldiers in Cempoala barely had any time to react to the stealth attack, despite the brief warning the guard provided.
Cortes and his men swooped toward the artillery, the ones that had time, and powder dry enough, managed to get a shot off but Cortes and his war-weathered men dove to the ground, and crawled until the shots sailed over their heads. And within seconds were on Narvaez’s men and in command of his artillery. At the same time, Cortes had taken a contingent of men around the back of the sacred precinct to the main pyramid where Narvaez was camped. Cortes and his men protected the temple steps while Gonzalo de Sandoval and his group of 80 men climbed to the top where Narvaez had set up his quarters.
There on the temple pyramid in Cempoala, Sandoval’s men set fire to the temple-shrine while Narvaez’s guard of 40 men put up the only hearty defense of the assault, until only Narvaez was still scrapping. After losing an eye, and the city, in the scuffle Narvaez was taken prisoner and dragged down the steps of the pyramid.
Narvaez, badly hurt and embarrassed, congratulated Cortes on capturing him.
“It's the least of my accomplishments in this land,” Cortes replied. Narvaez was shackled and taken to Villa Rica as a prisoner. Years later as the head of another failed expedition Narvaez’s fleet was sunk and the last time anyone saw him he was seen drifting out to sea in a lifeboat in the Gulf of Mexico, to Davy Jones's Locker.
His men joined Cortes with little persuasion beyond the promise of wealth, glory and Godliness. The victory provided Cortes with much needed supplies, gunpowder and men. Narvaez had brought about 900 men, including 150 ranged units and 80 horsemen. These men were a bounty for Cortes, some of whom he dispatched to Villa Rica. The rest were bound for Tenochtitlan.
Part 7 - Festival of Toxcatl
In Tenochtitlan there was an uneasy peace, but Cortes and Moctezuma had agreed that the Mexica festival called Toxcatl could proceed. The Festival of Toxcatl was one of the most important in the Aztec calendar, honoring the god of night and death Tezcatlipoca, as well as Huitzilopochtli. With news that the festival was on, the city became alive with preparation. After gloomy days of their city being host to a parasitic group of hungry invaders, their leader being held captive and their treasure getting raided, the festival would be a welcome distraction.There was a measure of joy in the Mexica city again.
As part of the Toxcatl festival a man who had been impersonating Tezcatlipoca for the last year would be sacrificed. This man, a captured enemy combatant, spent the year as if he were the god himself, dressed as Tezcatlipoca with the trademark black stripe across his eyes. He dined on the hospitality of citizens and acted in ceremonies. The patron deity of Tenochtitlan, Huitzilpochtli, also made an appearance as a life size sculpture made of amaranth dough. The sculpture was painted, decorated with gold jewelry, hummingbird feathers, and dressed with the symbols of Huitzilopochtli. The fully-dressed deity was then paraded around the festival. The sculpture’s attendants were women who had fasted the last year as part of their role in the ceremony. These women also ground the amaranth seeds into a paste, then formed it into the shape of the god. The sculpture would be unveiled at the festival the next day and paraded around the sacred precinct.
Festival preparations were underway and Pedro de Alvarado, the acting captain in Cortes’s absence, took a few men to keep an eye on things. The Spaniards walked down the steps of Axayacatl’s palace, across the street to the West entrance of the Sacred Precinct. They passed through the thick adobe walls that guarded the main temples, the ballcourt and the school for noble youth called the calmecac. They passed the circular temple of Ehecatl, the wind god, that faced the Templo Mayor, aligned specifically with the temple to Tlaloc at the top. Ehecatl and Tlaloc worked together to bring rain to the valley. As they continued toward the main courtyard they came to the Tzompantli, or skull rack. This massive structure was almost as long as the foot of the great pyramid it faced. On each end stood a massive circular tower, 10-feet high, that seemed to be made entirely of human skulls and mortar. Between the towers was a latticework of vertical wooden posts, each supporting poles with hundreds of skulls. The skull racks went back six or seven rows. The vertical racks stood about 15 feet high. All of this was set upon a stone platform which allowed priests to maintain and refresh the skulls as they dried, cracked and had to be replaced. The men, in a quick calculation based on five skulls per pole, estimated there to be over 100,000 skulls that made up the rack. The tzompantli was an intimidating and frightening structure. The Spaniards spent quite some time staring at it, discussing it in awe of such a display of death. The Spaniards left those they killed in war behind, they didn’t display them as trophies.
Across from the tzompantli was the brightly colored Templo Mayor painted in red ochre, green and aquamarine tones. It’s large green and red serpents at the base wrapped around the pyramid like guards. A large courtyard stretched between the tzompantli and Templo Mayor. The sun was shining on the female caretakers of Huitzilipochtli, who were grinding the amaranth flour. The priests prepared and cleaned the god’s statues up in the Templo Mayor, drums were brought in and the place was thoroughly cleaned despite an already persistent cleanliness. Alvarado walked among the women, who were grinding in the open plaza between the Templo Mayor and the Tzompantli, the Spaniards looked at them closely as they worked, examining their work, their bodies. Alvarado also noticed many of the people preparing were their fittest warriors. Hundreds of their elite warriors were milling about. The elders were out too, basking in this moment of brightness, anticipating the snake dances and rituals of another yearly festival. The day faded and Alvarado returned to the palace where they were staying. The Mexica delivered the nightly dinner, the Spaniards ate well and their thousands of Indigenous allies got some meager ration, maybe.
The celebration started the morning of May 22, 1520 with the revealing of the Huitzilopochtli figure. By that May afternoon the celebration was going strong. The entirety of Aztec nobility was expected in the Sacred Precinct that day to dance or watch the festivities. In the center of the courtyard was the enormous wooden drum, carved from a single log. Its sound boomed through the sacred space and drove the rhythm of the dancers as the drummer pounded away with heavy drum sticks. Like any good festival, you save the best for last. First the younger warriors danced, those young men who had not yet had glory in battle.
In Axayacatl’s palace it was impossible not to hear the drum and the music and the crowds. The intensity of the music, of the drumming, put Alvarado on alert. Alvarado put a few men in charge of Moctezuma and his attendants then took a hundred men, fully armed, out to watch the dancing. All of the grandeur of the Mexica people was on display. Cortes had forbidden sacrifice so instead it seems the Mexica poured extra energy into their dancing. The rhythm was overwhelming, its sound dominating the Sacred Precinct. Nude dancers adorned with bright green and red headdresses, feathered anklets and arm bands danced with a fury that even the Mexica elders found surprising.
Alvarado walked among the crowd, sizing up the warriors, none of whom were armed by order of Cortes. The rhythm picked up, the drum boomed. The female dancers were on full display, the delicate native beauty of the Mexica women, there for the gods, but their bodies were also taken in by the pious Spaniards. Soon the women faded to the back and the bravest warriors took to the courtyard. Led by the decorated warrior Cuatlazol. These were the bravest, those who had taken multiple prisoners in war, who had eaten the flesh of their enemy, these jaguar warriors stormed out into the dance space, right up to the Spaniards. The fury of their movements alarmed Alvarado, he flinched backward. Despite only having the protection of quetzal feathers they danced as if at war. They danced up into the faces of the Spaniards, glaring into their eyes. The Spaniards began to have fear in their hearts again. Cuatlazol turned to his warriors, stirring them more, whipping them with the rhythm of his voice and arms. They responded with battle cries, building into a mosh pit of color and Mexica fury. The drum sounded like thunder overhead, the ground shook with the tempo of the dancer’s feet.
Alvarado placed a hand on his sword handle, sweat beaded on his brow. He looked to Bernardino Velazquez de Tapia and nodded. Several men fanned out to cover the entrances to the Sacred Precinct. The walls of their most sacred place were about to become a trap of genocidal proportions. The drummer carried on, so entranced that he was unaware of the Spaniards stalking among them. Alvarado walked into the dancers, feathers brushing his face as he scanned the thousands of festival goers. A warrior bumped into him hard, bouncing away with a scowl worth a hundred arrows. A feather from his headdress had left a paper-thin cut on Alvarado’s cheek. Up on the Templo Mayor the priests watched the festivities below. Alvarado took a quick count of how many were up there. The snake-dancing intensified, dancers spinning and skipping past the Castilian as he walked among them. Several of his men had taken up position behind the drummers.
The dancing was so intense, the Spanish were so calm and deliberate that it all happened in a moment, it came as a surprise. From behind one of Alvarado’s men slashed across the drummer’s arms with his sword, and just like that the booming drum stopped. Before most could turn to see why the music ended Spanish steel had already cut at their flesh. The dancers stopped, the warriors began to scramble but unarmed they were no match for the steel-clad Spaniards. Cuatlazol was the first dancer attacked and killed, caught entirely by surprise. Once the captain was down the Spaniards fell upon the other warriors who could only defend themselves with ritual staffs and feathered canes. The elders and women moved to the gates but found themselves slaughtered by those posted there. Some tried to climb up the wall but were slashed down. Others scrambled into the House of the Eagle Warriors, hoping to find safety but the Spanish had moved from the courtyard into the buildings looking for more warriors or nobles to kill.
In the years after this most devastating erasure of Mexica culture it was written that the flower of the Mexica had been wiped out that day, all her most beautiful princes and princesses sent to Mictlan to navigate the nine layers, all of her bravest warriors now guardians of the rising sun. The bulk of the Mexica armies still existed, but the loss of so many captains, nobles and elite warriors at once was a military disaster for the Mexica, and in their capital city no less. For the Spanish and Tlaxcalan forces it was a military coup of epic proportions. A near decapitation of the ruling class.
The massacre continued up the steps of the Templo Mayor, as Alvarado and a few of his men climbed after the religious elite. To defend themselves they rolled a log down the steps but the Spanish had significant luck in catching a good bounce and evading death. At the top the priests were incapable of putting up a defense and some were killed by the sword, others jumped to their death. The temples to Tlaloc and Huitzilipochtli were burned, the fires could be seen from anywhere in the valley. The destruction of Tenochtitlan, and the Mexica people, had begun.
Next time, in the final Episode 8: Cortes returns to a besieged Tenochtitlan and his Spaniards holed up in the palace, with a captive Moctezuma. In a desperate midnight escape, know as the Noche Triste, Cortes tries to flee the Mexica capital.
