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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.

Name: 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.
Author: Means, Philip Ainsworth

Means, Philip Ainsworth

Itza Indians; Yucatán (Mexico : State) -- History

Thus ended the entrada of Fuensalida and Orbita into the country of the
Itzas. One cannot but admire the stanch faith and unswerving loyalty to
their ideals of these two men. They were both of great personal courage
and virtue, but from the foregoing account of their entrada it is easy
enough to deduce that Fuensalida was the greater man of the two. Orbita
was skillful in making effective altar displays, but he was hasty and
unwise in his treatment of the idol of the horse. We must, however,
frankly acknowledge that for two men to go alone and unarmed into the
midst of a powerful nation of barbarians whom they believed to be
cannibals was a deed of very great bravery, especially as they had no
expectations of personal material gain. This entrada of 1618 is just
barely mentioned by Fray Andres de Avendano y Loyola (30 recto), who,
however, speaks of the idol incident as a mistake of policy.




                               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. In spite of
the unfortunate turn that events had taken while Fuensalida and Orbita
were at Tayasal, another Franciscan, Fray Diego Delgado, was filled
with a desire to Christianize the Itzas. He set out from Merida;
Villagutierre (lib. ii, cap. 8) relates the story thus:

"... A year and a half, with a slight difference, after the return of
the Padres Orbita and Fuensalida, repulsed by the Itzaex, at a time
when already the year 1621 was running its course and the Provincial
Chapter of the Order of Saint Francis had already been held in the City
of Merida, a proposal was made by the Padre Fray Diego Delgado, of the
same Order and a Son of the Province of Los Angeles, to the new
Provincial of Yucatan, the proposal being dictated by the desires of
his Spiritual Love."

There follows a setting forth of Delgado's belief that the fugitive
Indians were likely to relapse into idolatry. Delgado asked leave to go
and reconvert them; this was given by Arias Conde, Governor _ad
interim_ of Yucatan.


Delgado Travels to the Convent of Xecchacan. "Everything having been
made ready for his journey, the Monk journeyed to that Convent of his
Order which is in the Village of Xecchacan. And when his intention was
known there, several Indians of the Village offered to go with him, for
those of that place are well-versed in the Woodlands. And also certain
other Indians who were Singers and Sacristans of the Convent, as is
customary ..., also promised to go with him."

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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

Thus ended the entrada of Fuensalida and Orbita into the country of the
Itzas. One cannot but admire the stanch faith and unswerving loyalty to
their ideals of these two men. They were both of great personal courage
and virtue, but from the foregoing account of their entrada it is easy
enough to deduce that Fuensalida was the greater man of the two. Orbita
was skillful in making effective altar displays, but he was hasty and
unwise in his treatment of the idol of the horse. We must, however,
frankly acknowledge that for two men to go alone and unarmed into the
midst of a powerful nation of barbarians whom they believed to be
cannibals was a deed of very great bravery, especially as they had no
expectations of personal material gain. This entrada of 1618 is just
barely mentioned by Fray Andres de Avendano y Loyola (30 recto), who,
however, speaks of the idol incident as a mistake of policy.




                               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. In spite of
the unfortunate turn that events had taken while Fuensalida and Orbita
were at Tayasal, another Franciscan, Fray Diego Delgado, was filled
with a desire to Christianize the Itzas. He set out from Merida;
Villagutierre (lib. ii, cap. 8) relates the story thus:

"... A year and a half, with a slight difference, after the return of
the Padres Orbita and Fuensalida, repulsed by the Itzaex, at a time
when already the year 1621 was running its course and the Provincial
Chapter of the Order of Saint Francis had already been held in the City
of Merida, a proposal was made by the Padre Fray Diego Delgado, of the
same Order and a Son of the Province of Los Angeles, to the new
Provincial of Yucatan, the proposal being dictated by the desires of
his Spiritual Love."

There follows a setting forth of Delgado's belief that the fugitive
Indians were likely to relapse into idolatry. Delgado asked leave to go
and reconvert them; this was given by Arias Conde, Governor _ad
interim_ of Yucatan.


Delgado Travels to the Convent of Xecchacan. "Everything having been
made ready for his journey, the Monk journeyed to that Convent of his
Order which is in the Village of Xecchacan. And when his intention was
known there, several Indians of the Village offered to go with him, for
those of that place are well-versed in the Woodlands. And also certain
other Indians who were Singers and Sacristans of the Convent, as is
customary ..., also promised to go with him."

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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.

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.

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