History of the Spanish Conquest of Yucatan and of the Itzas: Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Hard University. Vol. VII.Means, Philip Ainsworth
History
History of the Spanish Conquest of Yucatan and of the Itzas: Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Hard University. Vol. VII.
Means, Philip Ainsworth
Itza Indians; Yucatán (Mexico : State) -- History
"When the Religious had set foot on Land, Canek received them with
demonstrations of great love and good will, and with much content. He
invited the Religious to a House which he had made for them, although
it was not very large, near his Palace, or rather, large House where he
resided, and which was some twenty paces from that of the Padres, which
was ample for their necessities. Two very good _Barbacoas_ (=?) were
set up, according to their usage as Beds, and all those who were with
the Padres were quartered nearby.
"The House of Canek was some forty paces from the Lake and before it
was a small Square in which was the House which he had had built for
the Religious and with which they were much pleased, seeing how near it
was to his own and how easy it would be to communicate with him
frequently. Besides, the site was a very good one. And on the day after
their arrival they embellished a Room in their House and erected there
an Altar so that they might say Mass; and Padre Fuensalida chanted that
of Saint Paul the Apostle, to whom they gave the Patronage of that
Island."
Mass is Said. "Very many of the Itzaex were looking on from outside
with profound silence and without making a single sound that could
disturb what the Religious were doing. They, after having said Mass,
went to see Canek, and after having saluted him, they remained in
conversation with him a great while, for they knew the Language very
well. They asked his leave to go all through the Village and to see its
Houses and all its _Cues_ or Temples, which were numerous. Canek
conceded it, and gave them important Indians who were to go with them
through the Village and show them all that they wished to see. The
principal purpose of the Padres in soliciting this permission was to
make a beginning to their preaching; from that time on, in the presence
of Canek, of the Chiefs and of a great crowd of _Zamaguales_ or Common
People, they began to preach the Law of God...."
Fuensalida Preaches; Orbita Destroys an Idol. "With great attention the
Indians who were congregated there listened to the discourse of the
Padre Fuensalida...." For a brief time it looked as if the Padres might
attain success in the errand, but as we saw in Chapter III, Padre
Orbita, in anger, destroyed the idol of the horse and also the
tolerance of the Itzas.
"Having returned to the guest house, and having rested a little from
the toil of the Spiritual Battle and of breaking the Idol, the
Religious went to see Canek, who, although he already knew what had
happened in the Temple, and though they themselves spoke of it to him,
did not say a word about it, nor did he show anger on account of it. So
that the other Indians, seeing their Lord calm, became entirely
appeased, and spoke no more of the affair to the Padres. But it is true
that the Canek did not leave off wondering that they should have dared
to do such a thing as that."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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