Imperial history lacks perspective at first glance. It tends to be a story told by the conquerors with little to no regard to the conquered, but when examined carefully, the perspective of the conquered can be seen even if they are not the storyteller themselves. The painting, Corpus Christi Procession, Parish of San Cristóbal, ca. Cuzco 1680 (Figure 1), displayed in the Museo de Arte Religioso depicts the celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi from the perspective of an unknown Spanish artist, but when examined closely, the Andean perspective can be seen paradoxically, through its absence. The Corpus Christi is an important festival in the Catholic Church where members of the Church march through the town towards the cathedral. In the image, Andean members of the parish of San Cristobal, whom converted to Catholicism because of Spanish conquest, are shown walking alongside an elaborate cart--in a somewhat present-day parade like fashion--while others who appear to be Spanish watch from their windows. …show more content…
It is an attempt to assert Spanish power beyond land and in Latin American culture, primarily religion, itself. In this essay, I will discuss how, because most of our history of colonial Latin America is told from the point of view of the Spanish victors, there is an unavoidable bias in our understanding of what results in the change not destruction of Andean culture, but the Andean perspective is not completely
In Matthew Restall’s book The Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest, he argues that many of the widely accepted modern beliefs about the Spanish Conquest are misguided or skewed. These myths more importantly show how dependent history is on the perspective of the one who is writing it, and how the writer perceives the events happening around them. One example, is the myth of white Spaniards going to a foreign land on the decree of a king and finding barbarous natives who are inferior to these so-called great men. Using documentation written from both sides, and taking into account the context of the time period, Restall explores the myths of the Spanish Conquest in order to frame a less romanticized, well-rounded view of what actually happened
That when it comes to economic power, and religious faith, the political make up of late-medieval Germany ensures the continued wealth of the nobility and clergy, and provides both with greater opportunity to interact with the “powerful” or “divine” realm. The most poignant example of this is in Peasant Fires in chapter five during The Feast of Corpus Christi. This celebration and feast was the clergy and nobility’s way of affirming control over the peasantry. Wunderli validates this claim by calling The Feast of Corpus Christi as an “especially appropriate day for the assertion of hierarchical authority.”(Wunderli) The hierarchy carries out this assertion through the parade procession where the peasantry is “physically put in their place” at the back (bottom) of the parade as the procession, which was ordered in reference to one’s level of rank and wealth, which placed the political and religious hierarchies at the forefront.(Wunderli) This action of affirmation on a day of religious importance and celebration bred tensions and inspired disrespect that would put the peasants on the path to
6. Love, Edgar F. “Negro Resistance to Spanish Rule in Colonial Mexico.” The Journal of Negro History 52, no. 2 (1967): 89-103.
The study of religion is often a rigorous process because the central tenets of the subject: image, ritual, and myth are often copious in their complexity. For example, consider the multiple meanings that are inherent in the image of a crucifix. Some Christians might view it as an image of suffering, whilst others would reject that notion and instead perceive it to be one of love. These differences may seem inconsequential at first, but they can overtime shape the beliefs of an individual and by extension a community. To understand this dynamic better one only has to analyze the Christo Aparecido (Christ Appeared), an authentic Mexican crucifix with a fascinating history from the colonial era to the present. This history is made known by the text, Biography of a Mexican Crucifix: Lived Religion and Local Faith from the Conquest to the Present by Jennifer Hughes, from which I contend that over the life of the Christo Aparecido there continues to be an understanding among devotees that this crucifix is sacred because it displays animus while being a vestige for the sacred to occupy. To support my position I will attempt to relate the moments where the Christo Aparecido is said to show signs of life, in particular his stay in Mexico City during the colonial era and his role in more modern times with rival groups clashing over its efficacy in the village of Totolapan.
The traditions my parents instilled in me at a young age are important to me. They are part of my Latin culture and identity. One of the most important traditions that I value the most is our devotion to “La Virgen de Guadalupe” (The Virgin of Guadalupe), and although I don't go to church or share a specific a religion, I believe in La Virgen as a protector and a guardian figure and maintain her presence in my daily life. The story of La Virgen de Guadalupe goes back to 1531, during the time of the Spanish conquest, an indigenous man named Juan Diego encountered the apparition of La Virgen who told Juan Diego that a church should be built in her honor at the top of Tepeyac hill, where she appeared, which is now in the suburbs of Mexico City.
Another way the author supports his thesis are his descriptions of the reactions made by the Europeans who arrived at the immense and powerful society that already existed in the Americas. A distinct example is portrayed when describing the Spaniards arrival in Tenochtitlan: “Tenochtitlan dazzled its invaders-it was bigger than Paris, Europe’s greatest metropolis. The Spaniards gawped like yokels at the wide streets, ornately carved buildings, and markets bright with goods from hundreds
In A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Bartolomé de Las Casas vividly describes the brutality wrought on the natives in the Americas by the Europeans primarily for the purpose of proclaiming and spreading the Christian faith. Las Casas originally intended this account to reach the royal administration of Spain; however, it soon found its way into the hands of many international readers, especially after translation. Bartolomé de Las Casas illustrates an extremely graphic and grim reality to his readers using literary methods such as characterization, imagery, amplification, authorial intrusion and the invocation of providence while trying to appeal to the sympathies of his audience about such atrocities.
The Andes had a legacy of resistance that was unseen in other Spanish occupied place during the colonial period. There were rebellions of various kinds as a continued resistance to conquest. In the “Letters of Insurrection”, an anthology of letters written amongst the indigenous Andean people, between January and March 1781 in what is now known as Bolivia, a statement is made about the power of community-based rebellion. The Letters of Insurrection displays effects of colonization and how the “lesser-known” revolutionaries that lived in reducción towns played a role in weakening colonial powers and creating a place of identification for indigenous people.
The Black Legend and White Legend: Relationship Between the Spanish and Indians in the New World
“The Conquest of New Spain” is the first hand account of Bernal Diaz (translated by J.M. Cohen) who writes about his personal accounts of the conquest of Mexico by himself and other conquistadors beginning in 1517. Unlike other authors who wrote about their first hand accounts, Diaz offers a more positive outlook of the conquest and the conquistadors motives as they moved through mainland Mexico. The beginning chapters go into detail about the expeditions of some Spanish conquistadors such as Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, Juan de Grijalva and Hernando Cotes. This book, though, focuses mainly on Diaz’s travels with Hernando Cortes. Bernal Diaz’s uses the idea of the “Just War Theory” as his argument for why the conquests were justifiable
It is important that historians use Díaz’s account because it was his own eye witnessed manuscript on the Spanish conquest after reading slanted, inaccurate, and fabricated stories. Díaz wrote this document for Spain and its people to clarify the rumored false statements about natives. It is important to consider his audience because they were the ones who stood by the falsity. From the start historians can use the manuscript to rule out that early American society was primitive and uncultivated. Seeing that Díaz participated in all major events of the Conquest, he described what he saw when he and the other Spaniards first ...
The history of the Western hemisphere is full of war and conquest. One of the most significant and defining of those conquests is the downfall of the Mexica/Aztec Empire. While there are many other events to choose from, this one stands out since it was one over one of the largest empires in Central America. It is also important to look at because of the immense cultural impact it had. The story of this takeover reads like a movie script, a small band of Spaniards single handedly takes down the most powerful empire in Central America. It was an epic battle, which unfortunately led to the destruction of a magnificent culture. As in any major historical event there are many underlying themes and storylines that come together to make the event happen. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec is no different. Three major themes are seen in this struggle. One of them is the incredible advantage that the Spaniards technology gave them over the Aztecs. A second major theme is the greed that fueled the conquests in the New World. The last major theme was the effect of the political divisions and rivalries within Montezuma’s Central American Kingdom. As this historical event progressed each one of these themes began to intertwine until they became an almost unstoppable force.
The tendencies of Baroque translated differently in parts of Europe. In Italy, it reflected the return of intense piety through dense church ornamentations, complex architecture, and dynamic painting. Calabrese’s work exhibits the combined artistic stimuli of the 17th century and culminates in the acquired Caravagesque style that alters how paintings were composed from then on. Executed at the height of Calabrese’s most creative phase, St. John the Baptist Preaching is indicates the monumentality of change in urbanization as well as the return of Catholic permanence in the 1600’s. Aside from the Baroque power of the artwork, Calabrese’s St. John is a piece worth gravitating to and stands as reminder of the grandiose excesses of Baroque art.
The image of the Virgin Mary seen by Juan Diego has changed the world. About forty years after Mary’s appearance to Diego, it is believed to be a turning point in western civilization. At this time there were a lot of copies of the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe being circulated around Europe and one ended up in the hands of Admiral Giovanni Andrea Doria. The King of Spain gave this special copy to him. There were three hundred Turkish ships blocking the Gulf of Lepanto and the admiral was given command of a squadron to sail to the blockade. The Christian fleet consisting of about three hundred ships was to meet the Turkish navy head on. However, the Turkish outmaneuvered the Christian forces. It is said that when this crucial hour was at hand, Doria went into his cabin to kneel and pray before the Image of Guadalupe. By nightfall the direction of the battle started to shift. One Turkish squadron was defeated and captured causing the others to panic which lead to the destruction of the whole fleet. Fifteen thousand Christians that were enslaved in the Turkish galleys were freed. This battle marked the end of the Ottoman Empire’s expansion into the western Mediterranean.1
Retrieved March 22, 2014, from Marbella Guide: http://www.marbella-guide.com/semana-santa-spanish-easter/. Holy Week. n.d. - n.d. - n.d. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from Semana Santa: http://web.schc.sc.edu/Samantha_Ward_Senior_Thesis/SemanaSanta.html. Weaver, M. (2009, March 12). Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Seville, Spain.