Cortés did, after all, have to operate within an operational framework not entirely of his own making—one in which a concern for religion and spiritual mission was simply a necessity. Cortés even had ship-builders who made boats used in the battle for Tenochtitlan. Read Episode #10- Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was A God? The Aztecs believed that Cortez was the God Quetzalcoatl due to his light skin and blue eyes. That's Cortés' own account on how Motecuhzoma assured Cortés that Motecuhzoma was not a god and was in fact a person just like Cortés. An unnerving series of coincidences led Montezuma to believe that perhaps Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, who had promised to return one day to reclaim his kingdom. Why did the Aztecs think Cortes was a god? He symbolized knowledge, arts, and religion. Read unlimited* books and audiobooks on the web, iPad, iPhone and Android. To warn him about the conquest. Their empire was composed of bustling cities that were larger, cleaner, and more architecturally sophisticated than most cities in Europe at that time. I heard it wasn't true, that Spanish made it up to make themselves look good for the history books. Channel: OUR FAKE HISTORY. He represents a fertility cult and was said to assist the earth in making a new skin each spring. The final twist in Quetzalcoatl’s story came with the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, who claimed that Cortés was welcomed as the long-departed Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl who, in another story, did not kill himself but left on a long voyage over the ocean, promising one day to return. (Part I) from Our Fake History on Podchaser, aired Monday, 16th November 2015. Relevance. Answer Save. They suggested the well-known version of this story was a Spanish creation that was subsequently incorporated into Aztec lore. Who did Montezuma, king of the Aztecs, think Cortés was? did the aztecs really think Cortes as a god? (4) According to Document C, why did Spanish missionaries claim that Moctezuma believed Cortés was Quetzacoatl? Xipe–Totec, “Our lord the flayed one,” is manifested first in Teotihuacan culture and continues in importance up to Aztec times. The Aztecs did not believe in Cortez's men being gods at all, though at first some of them, not having seen horses before, thought the horse and its rider were one being. Time: 54:27 Uploaded 30/11 a las 00:39:00 11128534 (Part I) By ourfakehistory / Entertainment One (eOne) Before the Spanish arrived in the early 1500's, the Aztec, or Mexica, people had built an impressive civilization. They brought them gold wheels and shields and buckets full of gold. He had the printing press, indicative of a relatively rapid global communications system. If Cortes wanted the Aztecs to convert to Catholicism,the first step was to show that their gods were false gods,by destroying their temples.Additionally,such destruction removed an obvious centre of focus for the Aztec religion. A persistent myth about the conquistador Hernan Cortés being mistaken for Quetzalcoatl is almost certainly false. Some sources claim King Montezuma truly believed the conquistador Hernan Cortés was the god Quetzalcoatl. They weren't entirely sure. Mexican God Xipe-Totec. Why? By 1520, a year before the conquest was complete, Europeans were already looking at Aztec art, shipped over the Atlantic. Sure enough, Cortez soon conquered the Aztecs and established colonies in Mexico. As an Aztec deity, he was one of four sons of the creator god Ometeotl, associated with the wind god, and the patron god of arts and knowledge. 2 times (within a year) How many times did it take for Cortes and his men to defeat the Aztecs? Appeared to have identification after the Conquest. They had never seen horses before. (Part II) by with a free trial. A God. Did the Aztecs really think Cortes was a god? The story of the war between the Aztec (Mexica) empire and the Spanish conquistadors is one of the most dramatic in world history. Cortes was a Catholic Christian who believed in 1 God that didn't allow pagan idols or worship of other gods. What is the definition of polytheism? Episode #9- Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was A God? 4 Answers. Kulkulkan is described to have a white beard and lighter skin, which is why Montezuma thought Cortes was Kulkulkan. Particularly strategic were communities which had been subject to the Aztecs, who had heavily taxed the people and practiced human sacrifice. maize. Cortés did make Moctezuma say that he and his people awaited the return of the descendants or representatives of an unnamed past ruler. Quetzalcoatl (Aztec God) Sailed to the East on a canoe made of serpents and was said to come back to destroy the empire being bearded and have wight skin. (Part I) by with a free trial. Episode #9 – Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was a God? the belief in more than one God. Who do you think this guy is???? (Part I) Before the Spanish arrived in the early 1500’s, the Aztec, or Mexica, people had built an impressive civilization. 00:43:39 - Before the Spanish arrived in the early 1500's, the Aztec, or Mexica, people had built an impressive civilization. The problem is that Sahagun's Aztec informants were all recent converts to Christianity. The Aztec representations of Quetzalcoatl depicted him as a tall and bearded white male that headed for the sea and sailed toward the sun but legend said one day he would return to the Aztec people, coincidentally, that year the first Spaniards arrived on the very coast by which Quetzalcoatl disappeared. The accounts of the conquest are diverse and, at times, contradictory. Their empire was composed of bustling cities that were larger, cleaner, and more architecturally sophisticated than most cities in Europe at that time. Except no one, not even the Spanish, initially suggested there was any case of mistaken identity. Using the image and quote below, why did the Aztecs believe that Cortes was a god? Anonymous. Rather, Cortés tried to use it as a propaganda ploy similar to Alexander showing himself as the incarnation of Krishna and Shiva to Hindus in India (these gods identified with Hercules and Dionysus, see A. Cortés’ victory over the Aztecs was not brought about solely by the Spanish sword. Read Episode #9- Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was A God? We can be sure Moctezuma never said what Cortés claimed, since Cortés’s version of the speech contains allusions to the bible and to Spanish legal traditions - sources inaccessible at the time to the Aztecs. Some 21st- century historians, however, questioned not only whether the Aztecs thought Cortés was a god but whether the legend of Quetzalcóatl was really a part of the Aztecs’ belief system. The Aztecs -- or the Mexica as they are more properly known -- ruled an area that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, populated by millions. Many within the Aztec Empire came to believe that Cortés was Quetzalcoatl the god who would return to overthrow the god Tezcatlipoca, who demanded human sacrifice. When Montezuma thought Cortes was a God, he gave him many luxurious items such as, gold, and cacao bean drink. Hernan Cortes. Listen and download OUR FAKE HISTORY’s episodes for free. Name one of the Aztecs favorite Gods. (Part II) The story of the war between the Aztec (Mexica) empire and the Spanish conquistadors is one of the most dramatic in world history. Before the Spanish arrived in the early 1500's, the Aztec, or Mexica, people had built an impressive civilization. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the 16th century, the conventional narrative declares that the native Aztecs (properly: the Mexica) mistook the conquistadors for gods. To view Cortés as a Machiavellian manipulator of religion, however, does him injustice. That, along with Spanish steel, guns, and horses, was the reason for the small Spanish retinue's unlikely conquest. B Bosworth's Alexander and the East), but which evidently did not work at least until perhaps the taking of Tenochtitlan. Why did the Aztecs think that Cortés and his men were two-headed, six-legged monsters? Why did the Aztecs think Cortes was a god? Many within the Aztec Empire came to believe that Cortés was Quetzalcoatl the god who would return to overthrow the god Tezcatlipoca, who demanded human sacrifice. Favourite answer. Aztecs never held Cortés as a god. Kulkulkan is believed to be a God in the aztec civilization. They let him in to show their power, and some of the Spanish thought the Aztecs were worshipping them when they doused the conquistadors with incense, but that was because they smelled really bad. His appearance and arrival fulfilled an obscure prophecy, and spooked them into treating him with kid gloves. The idea that Cortés was seen as a reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl Topiltzin can be traced to the work of Sahagun, who claimed that the Aztecs supposedly believed this and that's why they didn't take action against Cortés sooner. Their empire was composed of bustling cities that were… Why was Cortés able to conquer Montezuma and the Aztecs so easily? Their empire was composed of bust… Their empire was composed of bust… Episode #9- Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was A God? The accounts of the... Podcast: OUR FAKE HISTORY. How did the meeting of Cortés and Montezuma mark a turning point in the way we think about other people? Episode #10- Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was A God? Particularly strategic were communities which had been subject to the Aztecs , who had heavily taxed the people and practiced human sacrifice. The Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, whom they credited with the creation of humans among other notable feats, was set to return to Earth. How did the Aztecs welcome Cortés and his men? It was foretold in their religion that the Quetzalcoatl would return and it would lead to their end. In fact, thousands of natives aided Cortés’ conquest of Mexico. The cult required the sacrifice of human victims by removing the heart and, afterward, flaying the skin. Did Motecuhzoma really think Cortés was a god? Quetzalcoatl, “the feathered serpent,” stood for the solar light, the morning star. He thought that Cortés was a god, Queztalcoatl coming to claim his throne. Read unlimited* books and audiobooks on the web, iPad, iPhone and Android. Montezuma thought Cortes was an aztec God name Kulkulkan. (3) According to Document C, why did Moctezuma tell Cortés that the Aztecs had been expecting him? Episode #9- Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was A God? How did the Aztecs travel through their capital city? 7 years ago. Much has been made of the Aztecs’ “superstitious” belief that Cortés was a god, and that Montezuma was paralysed with fear by a series of omens predicting the downfall of the city. conquistador. What is a conquistador? The Aztecs dominion over Mexico came about by years of war, as a result, the Aztec had many enemies.