# History of the Spanish Conquest of Yucatan and of the Itzas

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PAPERS
OF THE
PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Vol. VII
HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST OF YUCATAN AND OF THE ITZAS
BY PHILIP AINSWORTH MEANS
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM 1917
Copyright, 1917, BY THE PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
THIS Paper is the result of work carried on by Mr. Means as a graduate student in the Division of Anthropology during the years 1915-1917. It consists mainly of translations of early Spanish books and manuscripts.
It is gratifying to note that this is the first publication by the Museum based upon the large collection of photographic reproductions of early manuscripts from Mexico and Central America brought together by Professor W. E. Gates of Point Loma, California, and presented to the Museum by Mr. Charles P. Bowditch. Among these manuscripts is Avendaño's account of his journey to Peten, the greater part of which is included in the present paper. The original of this manuscript is in the British Museum. Cano's account of a trip to Guatemala is also given here. This manuscript is in the Brinton Collection at the University of Pennsylvania. It is through the kindness of Dr. George B. Gordon, Director of that Museum, and of Miss Adela C. Breton, who copied the manuscript, that it is possible to publish it at this time. The Avendaño and the Cano manuscripts were translated by Mr. Bowditch and Señor G. Rivera.
CHARLES C. WILLOUGHBY
Director
INTRODUCTION
IN the library of the Peabody Museum of Harvard University there is an invaluable collection of photographs of old manuscripts relating to Middle America. These photographs, made by Professor William E. Gates of Point Loma, California, were given to the Peabody Museum by Charles P. Bowditch, Esq., of Boston. One of the volumes contains a photographic reproduction of an original manuscript entitled Relación de las dos Entradas que hizé a Peten Ytza. The author, Fray Andrés de Avendaño y Loyola, of the Order of Saint Francis, will receive much of our attention later. Fortunately Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Guillenno Rivera have deciphered and translated the crabbed old text, so that we have at hand an account of the subjection of the Itzas of Tayasal, or Peten Itza, which is not only invaluable as being the work of an eyewitness of that subjection, but which also is filled with a rare charm. It was largely with a view to bringing this old manuscript to the attention of students that Mr. Bowditch and Dr. Tozzer asked me to work it up into a study of the Itzas of Tayasal. At the same time we must not neglect to notice here the translation, made by Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Rivera, of another inedited worlt on the same subject. I refer to the account by Fray Alonso Cano, which will be of great use to us later.
Though Avendano and Cano are, so to speak, the prime reasons for the writing of this study, they have been supplemented in no inconsiderable degree by two other early Spanish writers on the history of Yucatan and its people, Diego Cogolludo and Juan de Villagutierre y Sotomayor. A few comments on the works of these two authors will later prove useful to the reader.
Though Villagutierre’s Spanish style is far superior to that of such writers as Fernando Montesinos and Antonio de la ​Calancha, it is, nevertheless, atrocious. Although he wrote about 1700, Villagutierre's style is excessively archaic; his grammatical construction can hardly be called construction at all, so formless and ambiguous is it. Villagutierre never hesitates to write several long sentences without a single main verb between them, nor does he often refrain from going on and on for a page or so without using a period. In the use of capitals he is most whimsical; usually he has them when they are called for, but he has many that are out of place as well.
The style of Cogolludo, on the other hand, is very good, and that, be it noted, despite the fact that Cogolludo wrote prior to 1688. One remarks with considerable surprise that in several cases Villagutierre and Cogolludo use almost the same words. For example, in speaking of the visit which Cortes made to the island of Tayasal, Cogolludo says: "...y aun la ida de Cortes se tuvo por ossadia, y demasiada confianza..." Villagutierre, in the same connection says: "...que lo tenian a grandissima temeridad, y ossadia, y por demasiada confianza. ..." This is an interesting point, and perhaps it is significant that Cogolludo's book was published in 1688, whereas that of Villagutierre was not brought out until 1701. It is to be noted that Cogolludo, the earlier writer, uses only two epithets, and that Villagutierre, the later writer, uses the same two, plus a new one of his own. I know of two other cases where equally close and significant similarity exists between the two. It is possible, then, that Villagutierre copied (not to say plagiarized) the work of Cogolludo without giving credit for it. But the important point for us in this matter does not concern the personal integrity of Villagutierre. Rather does the importance of the matter lie in this: if Villagutierre was acquainted with the history of Yucatan by Cogolludo to such a degree that he frequently borrowed whole phrases from it, he must have had a very good reason for diverging widely now and again from the version of events given by Cogolludo. Such a reason could only be supplied by the fact that Villagutierre possessed information which he regarded as superior to and more official than that of Cogolludo. Therefore, since in several instances (as in his account of the events leading up to the visit of Cortes to ​Tayasal) Villagutierre occasionally departs from the footsteps of Cogolludo, we may safely assume that he was at once more critical and better informed than the latter, whom, however, he valued enough to be willing to draw from his work much of his information and even some of his phraseology.
The virtues and defects of Avendaño and of Cano are less subtle; so much so, indeed, that it would be absurd to attempt a criticism of them here. The reader will have ample opportunity to see their qualities for himself in the body of the book.
A word as to the method adopted in translating is in order. In the various passages taken from Cogolludo and Villagutierre I have preserved the spelling and capitalization of proper names that appear in the text. All passages from Avendaño and Cano are from the translations made by Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Rivera.
All the other works used are so well known that comment on them is superfluous.
Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to Mr. Bowditch and to Dr. Tozzer, both of whom have spent much time and thought in going over the manuscript of this work. Among the others who have shown me kindness and courtesy during the preparation of this study are Mr. Putnam of the Library of Congress; Dr. George Byron Gordon of the University Museum, Philadelphia; Professor Holmes of the United States National Museum; Dr. Edward Luther Stevenson of the Hispanic Society of America, New York; and, lastly, my mother, Mrs. James Means. These and others have generously given me much of their time and information.
PHILIP AINSWORTH MEANS
February 23, 1917
CHAPTER I The Pre-columbian History of the Mayas and of the Itzas, 1445 :
| | PAGE |
| Migratory period | 2 |
| The Golden Age or Old Empire of the Maya | 3 |
| The Colonization period | 5 |
| Transitional period | 6 |
| Renaissance or League period | 6 |
| The period of the Toltec mercenaries | 8 |
| Disintegration | 9 |
| Note: Cogolludo's account of the early history of the Mayas and of some of their customs | 10 |
CHAPTER II The Political, Social, and Geographical Features of the Itza State During the Period of 1445-1697 :
| The significance of the Itzas | 16 |
| The location of Peten or Tayasal | 16 |
| Description of Peten and its surroundings | 17 |
| The lake neither rises nor falls | 18 |
| The temples of Tayasal described by Avendaño | 18 |
| The palace of Canek, Chief of the Itzas | 19 |
| The districts of Peten Itza | 19 |
| Extent of the Itza dominion under the Chief Canek | 20 |
| Quincanek | 21 |
| Further infomation about the region | 21 |
| The Itzas described | 22 |
CHAPTER III The First Spanish Entradas into Yucatan, 1517-1526 :
| The first Spaniards in Yucatan | 24 |
| Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, 1517 | 24 |
| Juan de Grijalva and other, 1518 | 25 ​ |
| Cortes in Mexico, 1519 | 26 |
| Villagutierre's account of the entrada of Cortes, 1524-1525 | 26 |
| Cortes starts for Honduras | 27 |
| Cortes arrives at Izancanac | 27 |
| Description of a large town | 28 |
| The Spaniards suspect treachery | 28 |
| The Indians explain why their own town was deserted | 29 |
| Cortes takes leave of them in a friendly spirit | 29 |
| The deer hunt | 30 |
| The army of Cortes proceeds on its way | 30 |
| The lake | 31 |
| They capture an Indian | 31 |
| The Indian is sent to Tayasal | 32 |
| Some Indians come to Cortes from Tayasal | 32 |
| Canek himself comes and is courteously received | 32 |
| Canek hears Mass and promises to put away his idols | 33 |
| Cortes goes to Tayasal with Canek | 34 |
| The Itzas give Cortes news of Olid | 34 |
| Cortes takes leave of Canek, leaving Morzillo | 35 |
| Idols not burnt | 35 |
| Cortes arrives in Honduras | 36 |
| Comparison of Villagutierre with other authorities | 36 |
| Canek's attitude toward Cortes | 38 |
CHAPTER IV The Entrada of Francisco De Montejo and his Son, and the Arrival of the Franciscans, 1526-1542 :
| Francisco de Montejo and his son | 39 |
| Montejo's preparations and sacrifices | 39 |
| He sets out | 40 |
| Montejo and his men go along the shore of Yucatan | 40 |
| Description of the campaign | 41 |
| Dávila and Vazquez search vainly for gold in the region of Chetemal | 42 |
| Foundation of Villa Real de Chetemal | 43 |
| Hardships of those who were at Chichen | 43 |
| Continual misfortunes | 43 |
| Chichen Itza and Villa Real both deserted | 45 |
| Dávila goes to Honduras | 46 |
| The Elder Montejo goes to Tabasco in 1535 | 46 |
| The Franciscans enter Yucatan, 1535 | 47 |
| Renewal of the subjection of Yucatan by Montejo, 1537 | 48 |
| Hostility of the Indians | 48 |
| The Elder Montejo's instructions to his son | 49 |
| The Younger Montejo founds Campeche, 1540-1541 | 50 |
| Tutul Xiu of Mani offers his aid | 51 |
| Foundation of Merida and of Valladolid, 1542-1543 | 52 |
| Bishop Bartolomé de las Casas arrives in Yucatan | 53 |
CHAPTER V The Entrada of Padres Fuensalida and Orbita, 1618 :
| | PAGE |
| The name Canek | 54 |
| Increased power of the Itzas | 55 |
| The mock embassy from Tayasal | 55 |
| The mock embassy considered to be a rebellion | 56 |
| A new period in the history of the Itzas | 58 |
| Fuensalida and Orbita | 59 |
| Preliminaries to the departure of the Padres | 59 |
| Briceño's opposition | 59 |
| The Padres set out | 60 |
| Their route | 61 |
| The journey up the river from Tipu | 62 |
| Arrival at Tipu | 63 |
| Events at the village of Tipu | 63 |
| The friendliness of Carrillo and the Indians | 64 |
| Don Christoval Na, Cacique of the Indians of Tipu | 64 |
| Francisco Cumux goes with an embassy to Canek | 65 |
| Cumux returns from Canek with two chiefs of Tayasal | 66 |
| The two chiefs are cordially received | 66 |
| The Padres prepare to travel to Tayasal | 67 |
| Delays; the Padres' anger | 67 |
| The return to Tipu | 68 |
| All precautions taken, they set out once more | 68 |
| Lake Yaxha is crossed; arrival at Lake Zacpeten | 69 |
| The Padres camp beside Lake Peten | 69 |
| The Padres arrive at Tayasal and are well received | 70 |
| Mass is said | 71 |
| Fuensalida preaches; Orbita destroys an idol | 71 |
| The Padres urge the Itza to be Christians | 72 |
| They refuse because the appointed time has not come | 72 |
| After a few days the Padres leave Tayasal | 73 |
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 | 75 |
| Delgado travels to the convent of Xecchacan | 75 |
| He is well provided with guides and other Indians | 75 |
| Zaclun | 76 |
| The proposal of Mirones | 77 |
| Mirones and the Governor make an agreement | 77 |
| Mirones raises an army for his entrada | 77 |
| Mirones arrives at Zaclun | 78 |
| The wanton and foolish oppression caused by Mirones | 78 ​ |
| Delgado opposes Mirones | 78 |
| Delgado determines to anticipate Mirones | 79 |
| Delgado's message to Canek | 80 |
| Delgado receives permission from Canek to come to Tayasal | 80 |
| The treachery of the Itzas | 80 |
| Delgado and others are put to death | 81 |
| Mirones sends Ek after Delgado | 81 |
| Revolt of the Indians | 82 |
| An epidemic of apostasy; the third phase of the conquest of the Itzas begins | 82 |
CHAPTER VII the Early History of Guatemala and the Entrada from that Country, 1694-1695 :
| The Indian tribes of Guatemala | 84 |
| Account of the Cakchiquel and of the Quiché | 84 |
| The government and the cities of the Cakchiquel and of the Quiché | 84 |
| Spanish conquest | 85 |
| Gallegos and Delgado | 85 |
| The Indians are friendly to them | 86 |
| The route taken by the two Padres | 86 |
| Several villages founded | 87 |
| The Dominicans and the Franciscans | 87 |
| Struggles between the Dominicans and the Indians | 87 |
| The inception of the plan to subdue the ltzas, 1689 | 88 |
| Soberanis ordered to coōperate | 89 |
| Ursua to succeed Soberanis in office | 89 |
| A letter from Ursua y Arizmendi to the King of the Spains | 89 |
| The King grants all that Ursua asks | 90 |
| President Barrios aids in the undertaking | 90 |
| Arrangements for the entrada; supplies, etc. | 91 |
| The voluntary contributions | 92 |
| Quarrels between Soberanis and the Bishop of Yucatan | 92 |
| President Barrios decides to join the entrada in person | 93 |
| The expedition sets out from Guatemala City | 95 |
| Events at Huehuetenango | 95 |
| Ursua’s activities | 96 |
| An army sets out from Yucatan for the Montaña | 96 |
| Padres Cano and Avendaño y Loyola | 96 |
| Cano’s account of the entrada from Guatemala | 96 |
| The route followed by Cano | 97 |
| The Chols and the Mopanes | 98 |
| From Mopan to the lake | 99 |
| Cano advises return | 100 |
| Explanations of their withdrawal sent to Guatemala | 100 |
| The decree of the General Assembly | 101 |
| Quarrels among the soldiers and the officials | 101 |
| The writers of the decree punished | 101 |
CHAPTER VIII The First and Unsuccessful Attempt Made by Fray Andrés de Avendaño y Loyola to Reach the Itzas of Tayasal, 1695-1699 :
| | PAGE |
| Preamble | 103 |
| Preparations for the journey | 103 |
| The start | 105 |
| Indian singers | 105 |
| Arrival at Cauich | 106 |
| Departure from Cauich | 106 |
| Aguada of Hobon Ox; Chunzalam, Vecanxan | 106 |
| Nohhalal, Tha Ayn, Sucte | 107 |
| Ix Kata-Kal | 107 |
| Nohku | 108 |
| Nohvecan | 108 |
| Hardships suffered by the Padres | 109 |
| Oppol; a bridge built across a river | 109 |
| Tanche | 109 |
| Deserted village of Temchay | 110 |
| Nohpek | 110 |
| Nohthub | 111 |
| Bacechac | 111 |
| Buete | 112 |
| Lack of supplies | 112 |
| Paredes seizes some farms | 112 |
| Fifty-one Indians of Buete surrender | 113 |
| Avendaño argues with Paredes about his plundering | 113 |
| The royal decrees are mentioned by Avendaño | 114 |
| Paredes promises to return the plunder | 115 |
| Paredes fails to keep his word | 115 |
| Tzucthok, once before reduced, had rebelled | 115 |
| The Padres endeavor to instruct the Indians | 116 |
| The captains promise to give warning before fighting | 117 |
| A skirmish | 117 |
| The avarice of Paredes | 118 |
| Chunpich is reached | 118 |
| Zuviaur goes to the Itzas; the Padres return | 119 |
| Further troubles | 120 |
| The Padres determine to get to the Itzas some other way | 121 |
| Letter to the captains | 121 |
| Governor Ursua vexed by the captains' letter | 121 |
| Return to Merida | 122 |
CHAPTER IX The Second Entrada of Padre Avendaño :
| Orders of the Governor | 123 |
| Departure of Avendaño | 124 ​ |
| The same route followed as before; Batcab in reached | 124 |
| Chuntucí | 124 |
| The hardships of the journey | 126 |
| Approaching the ltzas | 127 |
| Tan Xuluc Mul; temples on a great height | 128 |
| Chakan Itza | 128 |
| The Chakan Itzas | 129 |
| Treatment of the natives | 129 |
| The Padres please other Indians by means of little gifts | 130 |
| The Padres renew their march | 131 |
| Nich | 131 |
| Indians arrive from Tayasal | 132 |
| Bravery of Avendaño | 133 |
| The landing at Tayasal; the idol | 135 |
| At the temple | 136 |
| The Padres read the letters | 136 |
| The curiosity of the Itzas | 137 |
| A baptism performed | 138 |
| Other Caciques arrive | 139 |
| The Caciques in war paint | 140 |
| Avendaño makes inquiries as to their manner of reckoning time | 141 |
| Avendaño explains the prophecies | 143 |
| Objection of Covoh | 144 |
| Discussion with Canek and others | 145 |
| Friendliness of Canek | 146 |
| Demonstrations against Canek | 146 |
| Leniency promised by the Padres | 147 |
| Avendaño takes steps to protect the Itzas from further molestation | 148 |
| The letter of counsel | 148 |
| Before leaving Tayasal, Avendaño shames Covoh | 149 |
| The hatred of the Chakan Itzas for the Padres increases | 150 |
| Canek helps the Padres to escape | 151 |
| Paredes’ stupidity; the plot of the Chakan Itzas | 152 |
| The Chakan Itzas are foiled by God | 153 |
| The departure of the Padres from Tayasal | 153 |
| Avendaño goes eastward to Yalain | 154 |
| Trouble with soldiers | 155 |
| The Padres suffer hardships and lose their way | 157 |
| Hard travel in the wilderness for fifteen days | 158 |
| Miracle of the bent branch | 159 |
| An uncomfortable night | 160 |
| Great want of food | 161 |
| The situation grows still worse | 161 |
| They find some miraculous honey | 163 |
| Two Padres go ahead | 164 |
| A desperate situation | 165 |
| They find some edible thistles | 165 |
| Some hills are reached | 166 |
| Deserted buildings | 167 |
| False hopes; further hardships | 167 ​ |
| They face starvation | 168 |
| A sign from our Lady of the Apparition | 168 |
| They climb some high hills | 169 |
| Avendaño left alone | 170 |
| The miracle of the sapote | 171 |
| Rescued | 171 |
| What had happened to the Indians whom Avendaño sent off | 172 |
| The messenger from Tayasal | 174 |
| Reasons for Avendaño's distrust | 174 |
CHAPTER X The Consummation of the Conquest of Tayasal by the Spaniards, 1695-1696 :
| The expedition from Guatemala reaches Cahabon | 175 |
| Preliminary movements and plans | 175 |
| The fate of Diaz de Velasco; Amezquita follows him | 175 |
| Conclusion of the subjection of the Itzas begun | 175 |
| Paredes is ordered to march to Los Dolores | 176 |
| Canek's ambassador, Can, arrives at Merida | 177 |
| Zuviaur goes to the lake | 179 |
| Ursua determines to take vigorous measures | 179 |
| Lawsuits between Soberanis and Ursua | 180 |
| Captain Parades at Tzucthok | 180 |
| Captain Hariza at Tipu | 180 |
| The Cacique Cintanek's villages | 181 |
| Can's report | 181 |
| The commands of King Charles II | 181 |
| Soberanis and Ursua in agreement at last | 182 |
| The part to be taken by Indian villages | 182 |
| The road completed as far as the lake | 183 |
| Quincanek feigns friendliness | 183 |
| The hostilities begin | 184 |
| The captains urge Ursua to fight; the battle | 184 |
| Tayasal becomes a Spanish possession | 185 |
| Later history of Tayasal | 185 |
APPENDICES :
| I | The Question of Orthography | 187 |
| II | The Dialect of Peten. (From an unpublished manuscript by Dr. Berendt in the Brinton Collection in the University Museum, Philadelphia) | 188 |
| III | The Maps of Yucatan, 1501-1800 | 192 |
| IV | Itinerary of Avendaño, together with geographical information | 200 |
| Bibliography | Bibliography | 202 |
LIST OF PLATES :
| Ia | Avendaño's Map of Lake Peten, circa 1697. |
| Ib | Avendaño's Map with English translation. |
| II | Peten Itza in the Middle of the Eighteenth Century. |
| III | Lake Peten and Flores. |
| IV | Sketch (with English translation) of a Map of Yucatan, circa 1566, found with the Landa MS. |
| V | Sketch (with English translation) of another Map of Yucatan, circa 1566, found with the Landa MS. |
| VI | Map showing Entradas to Lake Peten. |
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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