Anahuatlacanco: The Land Between the Waters, Land of the Nahuatlaca
- Thread starter Cuāuhtemōc
- Start date
And so the serpent gods begin to crash and fall to the missionaries. With Alvarado gone, it seems "going native" will be an easier transition, with better relations among the natives anyway. I could see Castro twisting the whole Quetzalcoatl philosophy into him being a humble servant of Jesus sent to convert the "oppressed" Indian peoples.
Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
Castro? I didn't know I put Fidel Castro in this!
Communist Aztec Empire. I kid though.
Alvarado, again isn't gone, he's just been quickly kicked to the curb. And that stuff with the serpent gods was pretty much OTL though come to think of it, I can make something up for the Spanish sacrilege of the Maya temples. The Spanish will probably equate Quetzalcoatl to Saint Thomas, one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles. The former was a god that forbade human sacrifice. Castro? I didn't know I put Fidel Castro in this!
Communist Aztec Empire. I kid though.
Freudian Slip with Castro, I supposed. The fact that Cortes and Castro both have C,R,S and T in their names did me in.
And St. Thomas gains a Second Indian Church, considering he already has the churches in India? Thomas gets all the cool places to go. I think the other apostles are jealous.
Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
I'm just funning with you.
And yeah, I can see the Spaniards or some converted natives down the road make up a story of St. Thomas, after being killed in India, was somehow resurrected or brought back to life by God to spread the Word to the Americas. Though I know that the Mormons believed Quetzalcoatl was actually Jesus Christ which is interesting in of itself. Maybe I can introduce as an idea for the distant future a Mormon-esque sect of Christianity emerging in Anahuatlacanco. Some Roman Catholics believe Quetzalcoatl was Jesus too.
It's some pretty interesting stuff.
yourworstnightmare
Banned
More likely the church will adapt some native traditions, but stay nominally Catholic (not that different from OTL, except perhaps a greater native influence).
Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
Decided to bump this thread since I'll be posting an update later today, though most likely it'll be done late tomorrow if I want it to get done just right.
Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
take your time. i thought that was the purpose of doing things over anyway
Oh don't use that
on me. That's my gist. I have the post almost ready. I want to just check my sources. It's hard work but for little to no reward.
And by rewards, I mean comments.
Oh don't use that
I have the post almost ready. I want to just check my sources. It's hard work but for little to no reward.
BITCH I COMMENT!!!
juuuust kidding
Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
BITCH I COMMENT!!!
juuuust kidding
Of course you are.
Anyways, have patience. As much as I am tempted to rush an update, I want to make it just right for all of you, particularly 9 Fanged Hummingbird who is sure to hunt me down if I get one aspect of the Maya culture wrong.
Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
Anahuatlacanco: The Land Between the Waters, Land of the Nahuatlaca
An Alternate History Timeline
By Luis Felipe Salcedo
An Alternate History Timeline
By Luis Felipe Salcedo
Volume One
[The Spanish Conquest]
Book I of Cortesia: The Series
Chapter VII: Aguilar Found, His Account
(1518-1700)
[The Spanish Conquest]
Book I of Cortesia: The Series
Chapter VII: Aguilar Found, His Account
(1518-1700)
Cortés and Aguilar meet.
Diego de Ordás had returned from the mainland of Yokatlān without tidings of the Spaniards who were held captive. Though he was disappointed with the news, Cortés did not choose to postpone his departure from Kùutsmil, not wanting to risk the chance of his soldiers to destroy the relationship they had built with the local Mayans. The fleet of ships had been restocked with fresh provisions by the islanders and embarking his soldiers, Cortés, in the beginning of March, took leave of the island's hospitable shores. The squadron did not proceed very far before a leak in one of the vessels compelled them to return to the same port that they disembarked from.
Soon after returning to Kùutsmil, a canoe with several Indians was seen making its way from the neighboring shores of the mainland. On reaching the island, a soldier approached Cortés and his company of officers, deep in the middle of a conversation regarding Alvarado's punishment and demotion from officer.
His brown eyes were closed as he tried to not pay attention to the arguing amongst his officers in concerns to his recent decision to have Alvarado punished for ransacking the temples at Kùutsmil. He was to be stripped of command and his men were to join his own under his direct, personal command. He believed that Alvarado, in contrast to himself, was too hot-blooded and rash to be trusted and no one was to convince him to change his mind. His officers had been doing nothing but arguing since the meeting began, they had a thing or two to learn about respecting the decisions of their superiors. Sandoval opened his mouth again, presumed to tell him of what he thought was best. Sandoval, and the others were lucky that Cortés had a calm temperament.
Growing tired of his officers, he delved deep in thought in concern to the captives. Diego has not come with news in regards to the captives. I wonder if they are still alive, are their lives worth postponing our arrival on the mainland? We might find them if we advance but at the same time, we may lose our chance to save them from these savages. Hm. What to do.
"Cortés," muttered Sandoval, interrupting his thought process. He tried not to pay any mind to him until he looked up and saw several Indians in front of him. He frowned.
"What's the meaning of this?"
One of them came forward towards him, and asked in broken Spanish, "Am I among fellow Christians?"
It had been a long time since Aguilar had a conversation with one of his fellow countrymen. He had been so long with the Indians that he had almost forgotten to speak Spanish but he carried with him the bits and pieces of a book of prayers, tied in a ragged bundle at his waist, and kept on repeating, fearful that he might forget the few Spanish words he remembered, "Dios, Santa Maria, and Sevilla." He soon recovered his lost language, and, as he also spoke the language of the Maya, an asset that the Spaniards would learn to utilize for their benefit.
Cortés, gave him a suspicious look and said with a hint of hesitation in his voice, "Yes. You are among Christians." He motioned his officers to draw their swords, as a cautionary measure.
The man, having his question answered, looked joyous. He threw himself down on his knees and muttered, "Thank you Holy Father for my delivery." He then saluted the Spaniard in the fashion of the local natives, by touching the earth with his hand and carrying it to his head.
There was no doubt in the mind of Cortés that this near naked, brown man had to be one of the captives that were reported to be missing in the mainland and so he embraced him. He immediately handed over his cloak and whispered in his ear. "You no longer have to worry. You are now among your countrymen." He turned towards Sandoval and the other officers. "What are you doing standing there? Find the man some food! He looks to have been through Hell and black, and treat the Indians accordingly as well." His officers cursed under their breaths and followed their leader's orders.
Once the strange man had been fed and given a set of clothes to wear, Cortés sought to find out who he was. The man revealed himself to be Geronimo de Aguilar, from Ecija, a town back in Spain, where he had been educated to serve in the Church. He had been established with the Spanish colony at Darién, and on a voyage from that place, eight years ago, was wrecked near the coast of the mainland. Geronimo stated that he escaped with several of his companions on a small boat, where some ended up dying from hunger and exposure to the elements. Others were sacrificed, on their reaching land, by the natives of the peninsula.
Aguilar was preserved from the same dismal fate by escaping into the interior, where he fell into the hands of a powerful cacique, who, though he spared his life, treated him at first with great rigor, The patience of the captive, however, and his singular humility, touched the better feelings of the chief tain, who would have persuaded Aguilar to take a wife among his people, but the ecclesiastic steadily refused, in obedience to his vows. This admirable constancy excited the distrust of the cacique, who put his virtue to a severe test by various temptations, and much of the same sort as those with which the Devil is said to have assailed St. Anthony. From all these fiery trials, however, like his ghostly predecessor, he came out un- scorched. Continence is too rare and difficult a virtue with barbarians, not to challenge their veneration, and the practice of it has made the reputation of more than one saint in the Old as well as the New World.
Aguilar had been now intrusted with the care of his master s household and his numerous wives and concubines, taking the role of a eunuch minus the castration. He was a man of discretion, as well as virtue ; and his counsels were found so salutary that he was consulted on all important matters. In short, Aguilar became a great man among the Maya. It was with much regret, therefore, that his master received the proposals for his return to his country men, to which nothing but the rich treasure of glass beads, hawk-bells, and other jewels of like value, sent for his ransom, would have induced him to consent. Aguilar's long residence in the country had familiarized him with the Mayan dialects of Yokatlān, and, as he gradually revived his Castilian, he became of essential importance as an interpreter. Cortés saw the advantage of this from the first, but he could not fully estimate all the con sequences that were to flow from it.
The repairs of the vessels being at length completed, the Spanish commander once more took leave of the friendly natives of the island, and set sail. Keeping as near as possible to the coast, he doubled Cape Catoche, and with flowing sheets swept down the broad bay, fringed with the rich dye-woods which have since furnished so important an article of commerce to Europe. Their next destination, in the mainland, would lead them to their first great confrontation with the natives with the island, and introduce Cortés to the woman known in occidental sources as Doña Marina, or Malintzin.
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Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
It's pretty short but hey, I haven't been posting in a while and plus it concludes their time in Kuutsmil (Cozumel) and they now have Aguilar.
Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
I kinda had the idea from MNP's Raptor of Spain - an excellent time-line on its own right that deserves attention as well. I'll keep it balanced between textbook style and narrative.