Steve, That's indeed a little know historical fact about the father of "Mestizaje". In Mérida, the capital city of the State of Yucatán, there is a statue erected in honor of the Spaniard sailor Gonzalo Guerrero, who together with the Mayan woman Ix Chel Cam, procreated the first mestizo children in the Americas. Here's the link: http://www.yucatan.com.mx/especiales/montejo/estatua_gonzaloguerrero.a sp The book "Historia General de las Indias", written by Francisco López de Gómara, although a lesser work when compared to Diaz del Castillo's "Historia Verdadera", makes also a brief reference to Gonzalo Guerrero. Here's a link to the full (Spanish) online version: http://usuarios.lycos.es/Onuba/MA110.htm If you like history books don't miss the chance to save this one! Victor --- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, "Steve G. Apodaca" <sgapodaca@y...> wrote: > > I just wanted to write something that I found out recently while > reading Historia de la Conquista de la Nueva Espana, by Bernal Diaz > del Castillo. Perhaps many of you know about this story, but anyways, > it is about the first mexican mestizo. It was not, like I used to > believe, from the union of Cortes and la Malinche, but rather of > another espanol way before that. > > The story says that when Cortes first landed on the Yucatan peninsula, > he heard the news from the indian translators that two espaniards were > slaves in that area. He sent for his rescue, and paid a ransom to > their masters for their freedom. One of them was a priest called > Jeronimo de Aguilar. As soon as he was freed, he went to look for the > other espanol. This is what the book says: > > "When he had read the letter and received the ransom, he carreid the > beads delightedly to his master the Cacique an begged leave to depart. > The Cacique gave him permission to go wherever he wished, and Aguilar > set out for the place some fifteen miels aways where his comrade, > Gonzalo Guerrero, was living. But on hearing the contents of the > letter Gonzalo answered: 'Brother Aguilar, I am married and have three > children, and they look on me as a Cacique here, and a captain in time > of war. Go, and God's blessing be with you. But my face is tattooed > and my ears are pierced. What would the Spaniards say if they saw me > like this? And look how handsome these children of mine are! Please > give me some of those beads you have brought, and I will tell them > that my brothers have sent them from my own country.' And Gonzalo's > Indian wife spoke to Aguilar very angrily in her own language: 'Why > has this slave come here to call my husband away? Go off with you, and > let us have no more of your talk.' Then Aguilar spoke to Gonzalo > again, reminding him that he was a Christian and should not destroy > his soul for the sake of an Indian woman. Besides, if he did not wish > to desert his wife and children, he could take them with him. But > neither words nor warnings could persuade Gonzalo to come. I believe > he was a sailor and hailed from Palos." > > I know, this story is not from our target area. I just wanted to let > know those who did not know how the mestizaje in Mexico started. > > P.s. Read this book. You'll love it, but be warned that there will be > some words and phrases you will have trouble to understand. Have > patience, it is worth it.
