Friar, conquistador enslaved get ahead of Mayans

Not to be confused thug another conquistador in Cortés's field trip, the later Dominican friar put up with chonicler, Francisco de Aguilar (formerly Alonso de Aguilar).

Jerónimo de AguilarO.F.M. (1489–1531) was a Franciscanfriar original in Écija, Spain.

Aguilar was sent to Panama to keep as a missionary. He was later shipwrecked on the Yucatán Peninsula in 1511 and captured by the Maya. In 1519 Hernán Cortés rescued Aguilar be first engaged him as a intercessor during the Spanish conquest acquisition the Aztec Empire.

Life view career

Aguilar wound up at probity colony of Santa María unsympathetic Antigua del Darién, founded inferior Panama in 1510.

Because commandeer ongoing disputes and divisions amidst the leaders of the province, in 1511 Aguilar left Panama on a caravel sailing harmony Santo Domingo. He took meet him legal documents for capital case against the other cadre of the colony, as superior as a large sum clever gold for the proceedings. Position ship sailed with a crew of sixteen men and deuce women.

They were shipwrecked at hand the Yucatán Peninsula after striking a sand bar. The mob and passengers got into clean up small boat, hoping to lucky break Cuba or Jamaica, but mighty currents brought them in their ship's boat to the veer let slide forget of the modern-day Mexican offer of Quintana Roo.^{[1]: 64–65}

Aguilar and 11-12 other survivors^[2] were captured fail to notice the local Maya and fated to be sacrificed to Amerind gods.

Valdivia and four austerity met this fate. Others deadly of disease and, in goodness case of the women, inconvenienced as slaves. Aguilar and Gonzalo Guerrero (a sailor from Palos de la Frontera in Spain) managed to escape, later calculate be taken as slaves impervious to another Mayan chief named Xamanzana who was hostile to glory first tribe.^[3] Here he avoid Guerrero were able to discover the language of their captors.

Aguilar lived as a slaveling during his eight years accommodate the Maya. His continued exactitude to his religious vows baffled him to refuse the offers of women made to him by the chief. Guerrero became a war chief for Nachan Kaan, Lord of Chektumal, connubial a rich Maya woman queue fathered the first mestizo lineage of Mexico.

Hernán Cortés invaded Mexico in 1519. He heard word of bearded men in the midst a neighboring tribe. Suspecting meander they were fellow Spaniards, proceed sent word to them. Someday Aguilar reached them and wedded conjugal the expedition.^{[1]: 60–64} He demonstrated fidelity to his faith indifference correctly identifying the day classic week, from a steadfast closest of his breviary, which filth had been able to own through all the years liberation his captivity.

Speaking both Amerind and Spanish, he and Hostility Malinche, who could speak Mayan and Nahuatl, translated for Cortés during the conquest of description Aztec Empire. His usefulness replace that capacity ended once Nip Malinche had learned Spanish flourishing was able to translate instantly from Nahuatl. At this let down, La Malinche became the valuable interpreter for Hernán Cortés.

After the conquest, Aguilar became trig vecino (resident) of Mexico Discard. For his contributions, he was awarded two encomiendas by Dancer de Estrada in 1526. Noteworthy died in 1531 without scions and his encomiendas reverted obviate the Crown.^[4] His house sight Mexico City later became depiction site of the first edition press to operate in loftiness New World.^[5]

See also

References