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Thanks. I went to go stop, but then wrote 2 emails and then guitily browsed through the Disinfo Personals section. (blush)
...and now I'm here, but I'm going to bed! Right now!
Tenochtitlan fell because of smallpox, religion (both sides), Spanish Conquistadores, Aztecs treating the rest of Mesoamerica like shit, and because of luck.
(Thankfully I studied all of this a few years ago when I was in Mexico for a semester, so i guess I can bluff my way through the readings)
FUN FACT: The only reason the Spanish and Aztecs could communicate was because of one weird twist of fate.
Early 1500s a ship is wrecked off the Yucatan. The Mayas get the survivors and execute all but 2 of them. One because he caught the King's daughter's eye and she wanted him for a husband, the Second because they saw he was a Shaman of some sort because he blessed everyone and whatnot (he was a priest.)
So...these two live happily with the Mayans for years, learning the language, living comfortably, etc. One day the Spanish show up again and the priest goes back to Cuba with them (the other guy, of course, stays since he's now a prince).
Priest heads off with Cortez to Mexico where the Spanish are given some slaves and gold and whatnot. By sheer luck, one of the slaves is an Aztec girl who was sold to the Maya-speaking tribe in the area.
So... now that the Aztecs want to talk to the Spanish, the slave girl (who becomes Cortez's lover) translates it into Mayan to the priest, who then translates it into Spanish for Cortez.
So,... if not for this weird twist of fate, the Spanish would have had a lot rougher time in Mexico and may not have taken over the place so easily.
Thus ends the lesson. Buenos noches amigos y hasta luego. Estoy muy dormiendo.
Neat story, eh? |
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