History of the Spanish Conquest of Yucatan and of the Itzas

by Philip Ainsworth Means

PAPERS

OF THE

PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND
ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Vol. VII

HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST
OF YUCATAN AND OF
THE ITZAS

BY
PHILIP AINSWORTH MEANS

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM
1917

Copyright, 1917,
BY THE PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND
ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

NOTE

THIS Paper is the result of work carried on by Mr. Means as a graduate student in the Division of Anthropology during the years 1915-1917. It consists mainly of translations of early Spanish books and manuscripts.

It is gratifying to note that this is the first publication by the Museum based upon the large collection of photographic reproductions of early manuscripts from Mexico and Central America brought together by Professor W. E. Gates of Point Loma, California, and presented to the Museum by Mr. Charles P. Bowditch. Among these manuscripts is Avendaño's account of his journey to Peten, the greater part of which is included in the present paper. The original of this manuscript is in the British Museum. Cano's account of a trip to Guatemala is also given here. This manuscript is in the Brinton Collection at the University of Pennsylvania. It is through the kindness of Dr. George B. Gordon, Director of that Museum, and of Miss Adela C. Breton, who copied the manuscript, that it is possible to publish it at this time. The Avendaño and the Cano manuscripts were translated by Mr. Bowditch and Señor G. Rivera.

CHARLES C. WILLOUGHBY

Director

INTRODUCTION

IN the library of the Peabody Museum of Harvard University there is an invaluable collection of photographs of old manuscripts relating to Middle America. These photographs, made by Professor William E. Gates of Point Loma, California, were given to the Peabody Museum by Charles P. Bowditch, Esq., of Boston. One of the volumes contains a photographic reproduction of an original manuscript entitled Relación de las dos Entradas que hizé a Peten Ytza. The author, Fray Andrés de Avendaño y Loyola, of the Order of Saint Francis, will receive much of our attention later. Fortunately Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Guillenno Rivera have deciphered and translated the crabbed old text, so that we have at hand an account of the subjection of the Itzas of Tayasal, or Peten Itza, which is not only invaluable as being the work of an eyewitness of that subjection, but which also is filled with a rare charm. It was largely with a view to bringing this old manuscript to the attention of students that Mr. Bowditch and Dr. Tozzer asked me to work it up into a study of the Itzas of Tayasal. At the same time we must not neglect to notice here the translation, made by Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Rivera, of another inedited worlt on the same subject. I refer to the account by Fray Alonso Cano, which will be of great use to us later.

Though Avendano and Cano are, so to speak, the prime reasons for the writing of this study, they have been supplemented in no inconsiderable degree by two other early Spanish writers on the history of Yucatan and its people, Diego Cogolludo and Juan de Villagutierre y Sotomayor. A few comments on the works of these two authors will later prove useful to the reader.

Though Villagutierre’s Spanish style is far superior to that of such writers as Fernando Montesinos and Antonio de la Calancha, it is, nevertheless, atrocious. Although he wrote about 1700, Villagutierre's style is excessively archaic; his grammatical construction can hardly be called construction at all, so formless and ambiguous is it. Villagutierre never hesitates to write several long sentences without a single main verb between them, nor does he often refrain from going on and on for a page or so without using a period. In the use of capitals he is most whimsical; usually he has them when they are called for, but he has many that are out of place as well.

The style of Cogolludo, on the other hand, is very good, and that, be it noted, despite the fact that Cogolludo wrote prior to 1688. One remarks with considerable surprise that in several cases Villagutierre and Cogolludo use almost the same words. For example, in speaking of the visit which Cortes made to the island of Tayasal, Cogolludo says: "...y aun la ida de Cortes se tuvo por ossadia, y demasiada confianza..." Villagutierre, in the same connection says: "...que lo tenian a grandissima temeridad, y ossadia, y por demasiada confianza. ..." This is an interesting point, and perhaps it is significant that Cogolludo's book was published in 1688, whereas that of Villagutierre was not brought out until 1701. It is to be noted that Cogolludo, the earlier writer, uses only two epithets, and that Villagutierre, the later writer, uses the same two, plus a new one of his own. I know of two other cases where equally close and significant similarity exists between the two. It is possible, then, that Villagutierre copied (not to say plagiarized) the work of Cogolludo without giving credit for it. But the important point for us in this matter does not concern the personal integrity of Villagutierre. Rather does the importance of the matter lie in this: if Villagutierre was acquainted with the history of Yucatan by Cogolludo to such a degree that he frequently borrowed whole phrases from it, he must have had a very good reason for diverging widely now and again from the version of events given by Cogolludo. Such a reason could only be supplied by the fact that Villagutierre possessed information which he regarded as superior to and more official than that of Cogolludo. Therefore, since in several instances (as in his account of the events leading up to the visit of Cortes to Tayasal) Villagutierre occasionally departs from the footsteps of Cogolludo, we may safely assume that he was at once more critical and better informed than the latter, whom, however, he valued enough to be willing to draw from his work much of his information and even some of his phraseology.

The virtues and defects of Avendaño and of Cano are less subtle; so much so, indeed, that it would be absurd to attempt a criticism of them here. The reader will have ample opportunity to see their qualities for himself in the body of the book.

A word as to the method adopted in translating is in order. In the various passages taken from Cogolludo and Villagutierre I have preserved the spelling and capitalization of proper names that appear in the text. All passages from Avendaño and Cano are from the translations made by Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Rivera.

All the other works used are so well known that comment on them is superfluous.

Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to Mr. Bowditch and to Dr. Tozzer, both of whom have spent much time and thought in going over the manuscript of this work. Among the others who have shown me kindness and courtesy during the preparation of this study are Mr. Putnam of the Library of Congress; Dr. George Byron Gordon of the University Museum, Philadelphia; Professor Holmes of the United States National Museum; Dr. Edward Luther Stevenson of the Hispanic Society of America, New York; and, lastly, my mother, Mrs. James Means. These and others have generously given me much of their time and information.

PHILIP AINSWORTH MEANS

February 23, 1917

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
The Pre-columbian History of the Mayas
and of the Itzas, 1445

	PAGE
Migratory period	2
The Golden Age or Old Empire of the Maya	3
The Colonization period	5
Transitional period	6
Renaissance or League period	6
The period of the Toltec mercenaries	8
Disintegration	9
Note: Cogolludo's account of the early history of the Mayas and of some of their customs	10

CHAPTER II
The Political, Social, and Geographical Features of
the Itza State During the Period of 1445-1697

The significance of the Itzas	16
The location of Peten or Tayasal	16
Description of Peten and its surroundings	17
The lake neither rises nor falls	18
The temples of Tayasal described by Avendaño	18
The palace of Canek, Chief of the Itzas	19
The districts of Peten Itza	19
Extent of the Itza dominion under the Chief Canek	20
Quincanek	21
Further infomation about the region	21
The Itzas described	22

CHAPTER III
The First Spanish Entradas into Yucatan, 1517-1526

The first Spaniards in Yucatan	24
Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, 1517	24
Juan de Grijalva and other, 1518	25
Cortes in Mexico, 1519	26
Villagutierre's account of the entrada of Cortes, 1524-1525	26
Cortes starts for Honduras	27
Cortes arrives at Izancanac	27
Description of a large town	28
The Spaniards suspect treachery	28
The Indians explain why their own town was deserted	29
Cortes takes leave of them in a friendly spirit	29
The deer hunt	30
The army of Cortes proceeds on its way	30
The lake	31
They capture an Indian	31
The Indian is sent to Tayasal	32
Some Indians come to Cortes from Tayasal	32
Canek himself comes and is courteously received	32
Canek hears Mass and promises to put away his idols	33
Cortes goes to Tayasal with Canek	34
The Itzas give Cortes news of Olid	34
Cortes takes leave of Canek, leaving Morzillo	35
Idols not burnt	35
Cortes arrives in Honduras	36
Comparison of Villagutierre with other authorities	36
Canek's attitude toward Cortes	38

CHAPTER IV
The Entrada of Francisco De Montejo and his Son,
and the Arrival of the Franciscans, 1526-1542

Francisco de Montejo and his son	39
Montejo's preparations and sacrifices	39
He sets out	40
Montejo and his men go along the shore of Yucatan	40
Description of the campaign	41
Dávila and Vazquez search vainly for gold in the region of Chetemal	42
Foundation of Villa Real de Chetemal	43
Hardships of those who were at Chichen	43
Continual misfortunes	43
Chichen Itza and Villa Real both deserted	45
Dávila goes to Honduras	46
The Elder Montejo goes to Tabasco in 1535	46
The Franciscans enter Yucatan, 1535	47
Renewal of the subjection of Yucatan by Montejo, 1537	48
Hostility of the Indians	48
The Elder Montejo's instructions to his son	49
The Younger Montejo founds Campeche, 1540-1541	50
Tutul Xiu of Mani offers his aid	51
Foundation of Merida and of Valladolid, 1542-1543	52
Bishop Bartolomé de las Casas arrives in Yucatan	53

CHAPTER V
The Entrada of Padres Fuensalida and Orbita, 1618

	PAGE
The name Canek	54
Increased power of the Itzas	55
The mock embassy from Tayasal	55
The mock embassy considered to be a rebellion	56
A new period in the history of the Itzas	58
Fuensalida and Orbita	59
Preliminaries to the departure of the Padres	59
Briceño's opposition	59
The Padres set out	60
Their route	61
The journey up the river from Tipu	62
Arrival at Tipu	63
Events at the village of Tipu	63
The friendliness of Carrillo and the Indians	64
Don Christoval Na, Cacique of the Indians of Tipu	64
Francisco Cumux goes with an embassy to Canek	65
Cumux returns from Canek with two chiefs of Tayasal	66
The two chiefs are cordially received	66
The Padres prepare to travel to Tayasal	67
Delays; the Padres' anger	67
The return to Tipu	68
All precautions taken, they set out once more	68
Lake Yaxha is crossed; arrival at Lake Zacpeten	69
The Padres camp beside Lake Peten	69
The Padres arrive at Tayasal and are well received	70
Mass is said	71
Fuensalida preaches; Orbita destroys an idol	71
The Padres urge the Itza to be Christians	72
They refuse because the appointed time has not come	72
After a few days the Padres leave Tayasal	73

CHAPTER VI
The Entrada of Padre Fray Diego Delgado and the
Events that Followed, 1621-1624

Padre Fray Diego Delgado's offer to christianize the Itzas	75
Delgado travels to the convent of Xecchacan	75
He is well provided with guides and other Indians	75
Zaclun	76
The proposal of Mirones	77
Mirones and the Governor make an agreement	77
Mirones raises an army for his entrada	77
Mirones arrives at Zaclun	78
The wanton and foolish oppression caused by Mirones	78
Delgado opposes Mirones	78
Delgado determines to anticipate Mirones	79
Delgado's message to Canek	80
Delgado receives permission from Canek to come to Tayasal	80
The treachery of the Itzas	80
Delgado and others are put to death	81
Mirones sends Ek after Delgado	81
Revolt of the Indians	82
An epidemic of apostasy; the third phase of the conquest of the Itzas begins	82

CHAPTER VII
the Early History of Guatemala and the Entrada
from that Country, 1694-1695

The Indian tribes of Guatemala	84
Account of the Cakchiquel and of the Quiché	84
The government and the cities of the Cakchiquel and of the Quiché	84
Spanish conquest	85
Gallegos and Delgado	85
The Indians are friendly to them	86
The route taken by the two Padres	86
Several villages founded	87
The Dominicans and the Franciscans	87
Struggles between the Dominicans and the Indians	87
The inception of the plan to subdue the ltzas, 1689	88
Soberanis ordered to coōperate	89
Ursua to succeed Soberanis in office	89
A letter from Ursua y Arizmendi to the King of the Spains	89
The King grants all that Ursua asks	90
President Barrios aids in the undertaking	90
Arrangements for the entrada; supplies, etc.	91
The voluntary contributions	92
Quarrels between Soberanis and the Bishop of Yucatan	92
President Barrios decides to join the entrada in person	93
The expedition sets out from Guatemala City	95
Events at Huehuetenango	95
Ursua’s activities	96
An army sets out from Yucatan for the Montaña	96
Padres Cano and Avendaño y Loyola	96
Cano’s account of the entrada from Guatemala	96
The route followed by Cano	97
The Chols and the Mopanes	98
From Mopan to the lake	99
Cano advises return	100
Explanations of their withdrawal sent to Guatemala	100
The decree of the General Assembly	101
Quarrels among the soldiers and the officials	101
The writers of the decree punished	101

CHAPTER VIII
The First and Unsuccessful Attempt Made by Fray Andrés
de Avendaño y Loyola to Reach the Itzas
of Tayasal, 1695-1699

	PAGE
Preamble	103
Preparations for the journey	103
The start	105
Indian singers	105
Arrival at Cauich	106
Departure from Cauich	106
Aguada of Hobon Ox; Chunzalam, Vecanxan	106
Nohhalal, Tha Ayn, Sucte	107
Ix Kata-Kal	107
Nohku	108
Nohvecan	108
Hardships suffered by the Padres	109
Oppol; a bridge built across a river	109
Tanche	109
Deserted village of Temchay	110
Nohpek	110
Nohthub	111
Bacechac	111
Buete	112
Lack of supplies	112
Paredes seizes some farms	112
Fifty-one Indians of Buete surrender	113
Avendaño argues with Paredes about his plundering	113
The royal decrees are mentioned by Avendaño	114
Paredes promises to return the plunder	115
Paredes fails to keep his word	115
Tzucthok, once before reduced, had rebelled	115
The Padres endeavor to instruct the Indians	116
The captains promise to give warning before fighting	117
A skirmish	117
The avarice of Paredes	118
Chunpich is reached	118
Zuviaur goes to the Itzas; the Padres return	119
Further troubles	120
The Padres determine to get to the Itzas some other way	121
Letter to the captains	121
Governor Ursua vexed by the captains' letter	121
Return to Merida	122

CHAPTER IX
The Second Entrada of Padre Avendaño

Orders of the Governor	123
Departure of Avendaño	124
The same route followed as before; Batcab in reached	124
Chuntucí	124
The hardships of the journey	126
Approaching the ltzas	127
Tan Xuluc Mul; temples on a great height	128
Chakan Itza	128
The Chakan Itzas	129
Treatment of the natives	129
The Padres please other Indians by means of little gifts	130
The Padres renew their march	131
Nich	131
Indians arrive from Tayasal	132
Bravery of Avendaño	133
The landing at Tayasal; the idol	135
At the temple	136
The Padres read the letters	136
The curiosity of the Itzas	137
A baptism performed	138
Other Caciques arrive	139
The Caciques in war paint	140
Avendaño makes inquiries as to their manner of reckoning time	141
Avendaño explains the prophecies	143
Objection of Covoh	144
Discussion with Canek and others	145
Friendliness of Canek	146
Demonstrations against Canek	146
Leniency promised by the Padres	147
Avendaño takes steps to protect the Itzas from further molestation	148
The letter of counsel	148
Before leaving Tayasal, Avendaño shames Covoh	149
The hatred of the Chakan Itzas for the Padres increases	150
Canek helps the Padres to escape	151
Paredes’ stupidity; the plot of the Chakan Itzas	152
The Chakan Itzas are foiled by God	153
The departure of the Padres from Tayasal	153
Avendaño goes eastward to Yalain	154
Trouble with soldiers	155
The Padres suffer hardships and lose their way	157
Hard travel in the wilderness for fifteen days	158
Miracle of the bent branch	159
An uncomfortable night	160
Great want of food	161
The situation grows still worse	161
They find some miraculous honey	163
Two Padres go ahead	164
A desperate situation	165
They find some edible thistles	165
Some hills are reached	166
Deserted buildings	167
False hopes; further hardships	167
They face starvation	168
A sign from our Lady of the Apparition	168
They climb some high hills	169
Avendaño left alone	170
The miracle of the sapote	171
Rescued	171
What had happened to the Indians whom Avendaño sent off	172
The messenger from Tayasal	174
Reasons for Avendaño's distrust	174

CHAPTER X
The Consummation of the Conquest of Tayasal
by the Spaniards, 1695-1696

The expedition from Guatemala reaches Cahabon	175
Preliminary movements and plans	175
The fate of Diaz de Velasco; Amezquita follows him	175
Conclusion of the subjection of the Itzas begun	175
Paredes is ordered to march to Los Dolores	176
Canek's ambassador, Can, arrives at Merida	177
Zuviaur goes to the lake	179
Ursua determines to take vigorous measures	179
Lawsuits between Soberanis and Ursua	180
Captain Parades at Tzucthok	180
Captain Hariza at Tipu	180
The Cacique Cintanek's villages	181
Can's report	181
The commands of King Charles II	181
Soberanis and Ursua in agreement at last	182
The part to be taken by Indian villages	182
The road completed as far as the lake	183
Quincanek feigns friendliness	183
The hostilities begin	184
The captains urge Ursua to fight; the battle	184
Tayasal becomes a Spanish possession	185
Later history of Tayasal	185

APPENDICES

I	The Question of Orthography	187
II	The Dialect of Peten. (From an unpublished manuscript by Dr. Berendt in the Brinton Collection in the University Museum, Philadelphia)	188
III	The Maps of Yucatan, 1501-1800	192
IV	Itinerary of Avendaño, together with geographical information	200
Bibliography		202

LIST OF PLATES

Ia	Avendaño's Map of Lake Peten, circa 1697.
Ib	Avendaño's Map with English translation.
II	Peten Itza in the Middle of the Eighteenth Century.
III	Lake Peten and Flores.
IV	Sketch (with English translation) of a Map of Yucatan, circa 1566, found with the Landa MS.
V	Sketch (with English translation) of another Map of Yucatan, circa 1566, found with the Landa MS.
VI	Map showing Entradas to Lake Peten.