Posted on 06/21/2017 7:17:13 AM PDT by marktwain
The American edition, published in 1956, 468 pages, Translated by A.P. Maudsley
The Diaz account is the best history book that I have read. It has all the advantage of a first person account and reads like a well written adventure novel.
The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico by Bernal Diaz del Castillo is the only extant first person account of the campaign under the command of Hernando Cortez from 1519 to 1520. The campaign resulted in the discovery and conquest of the Aztec civilization in Mexico.
Cortez himself wrote five long letters to Carlos V in Spain. Parts of them are included in this edition to help explain the narrative. But Cortez' letters were essentially reports of a Conquistador commander seeking favor, and explaining his actions, which were mostly extralegal.
The entire Conquest was a massive verification of the adage that It is easier to obtain forgiveness than permission.
Bernal Diaz' account is a first person narrative of the entire campaign, with the amazing detail of a foot soldier who is vitally interested in food, women, weapons, and gold. He includes accounts of two separate expeditions before Cortez.
Bernal Diaz made extensive remarks on the use of firearms in his narrative. The initial numbers were tiny, but contributed significantly to the success of the conquest. Of the initial 400 to 500 men under the command of Cortez, there were 16 with horses, 13 with individual guns, four small cannon, some brass guns (more cannon), and 32 crossbowmen. The 13 personal guns were almost certainly arquebuses, the first really practical personal gun, with early matchlocks. Diaz mentions much powder and ball.
Diaz rated the crossbowmen and the musketeers about equal in effectiveness.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
The Mexicans were cannibals?
Maybe that’s why cutting off people’s heads is no big deal for them.
Build a wall. Build it high and wide.
I read Bernal Diaz Conquest of New Spain back in the mid 90’s. His description of homosexuality in the priest hood along with human sacrifice was very similar to the practices of the Canaanites described in the Old Testament.
These two peoples had no contact with each other—yet they came up with similar practices. That meant that the bible’s contention that people are bad to the bone. That is —that they have defective gene—is forensically correct.
This turned me into a Christian.
I know people were shorter back then, but a five foot tall giant? Please.
“The Russians hacked the Aztecs”
Just test driving it.
The Mexicans were cannibals?
It wasn’t just the Aztecs (Mexicans). Cannibalism was rampant all through the area.
“Progressives” have written it out of the history books.
I know people were shorter back then, but a five foot tall giant? Please.
A five foot tall *thigh bone*.
“Also worthy of note: the nations which had been defeated previously by the Aztecs eagerly joined the Spanish side.”
They sure did. They knew the only reason why the Aztecs didn’t defeat them outright (before the Spanish arrival) was so the Aztecs could perpetually war against them on a lower level to take war captives and sacrifice them to their gods.
The Spanish did a great service to humanity in the conquest of Mexico.
So, back then, when a Mexican asked another Mexican “What’s eating you?”, it had a whole different meaning.
Build a wall. Build it high and build it wide.
Gutenburg(Project) has his memoirs in a 2 vol. set.
You need to read more carefully, I said five foot tall thigh bone, not five foot tall giant.
I am merely quoting the author of the book. He said he was of average height, and the thigh bone was as tall as he was. I am assuming the average height back then was five foot.
ON line versions.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32474/32474-h/32474-h.htm
http://www.jrbooksonline.com/diaz/diaz.htm
https://archive.org/details/tesisnoqueprese00garcgoog
I did read carefully. You wrote: “a giant which was about five foot tall”. You need to write more carefully.
Well... He *finished* the book as an old man. He started the book *at minimum* 15-20 years before it was finished.
Thanks for those online versions!
Bernal Diaz' book is a gem, but by no means the only first person account of the conquest. Cortez in his long letters (Relations)) to Charles V, and an anonymous history by "The Unknown Conquistador" are both eyewitness accounts. One thing concerning Diaz del Castillo seldom mentioned is that he was apparently a sorcerer. He wrote that he was forewarned of the Noche Triste, among other event, by a "familiar spirit".
I wrote:
“thigh bone of a giant which was about five foot tall.”
Subject of linking verb “was” is “thigh bone”. To answer the question, “what was five feet tall” leads you to “thigh bone”, not “giant”. Giant is object of proposition of. You must have flunked ninth grade English.
Sorry, guy. I read exactly what you wrote, and it wasn’t what you meant. Should have written something like “a five-foot-tall thigh bone of a giant”, or “a giant’s thigh bone which was about five feet tall”.
Bernal Diaz’ book is a gem, but by no means the only first person account of the conquest. Cortez in his long letters (Relations)) to Charles V, and an anonymous history by “The Unknown Conquistador” are both eyewitness accounts.
The history by The Unknown Conquistador is much shorter, and does not really cover Cortez’ campaign, just a small portion.
At least that was how they were described when I read of them.
The sentence is clear. Don’t be so anal retentive and go find a life.
I have a life. A pleasing part of it is to annoy fools like you.
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