La Malinche Of Mexico And Her Polemic Role As The "mother Of The Mestizos"

La Malinche, who lived in the early part of the 16th century

, is often considered to be the "mother of the first Mexican." This controversial figure played a major role in the Spanish conquest of Mexico. She was also a slave, mistress and interpreter of Hernn Corts. Her image to this day is a mythical archetype that is frequently represented not only in folklore, but also in art and literature.

While she was known by a variety of different names including "Doa Marina" and "Malintze," the Aztecs gave her the title La Malinche because it means the "captain's woman," as she was Corts' mistress. Since the Mexicans saw her as part of Corts' entourage, they started to believe she was a traitor who helped to destroy the Aztec empire.

La Malinche is a very polemic figure, as some Mexicans view her to this day as the founder of the nation. However, other people believe that she is a traitor who betrayed her own people by assisting Corts to conquer the region. There are historians who believe that she actually saved her people from the Aztecs. La Malinche was from a wealthy and noble Mayan family. Her mother gave her away to a group of traders, and she ended up being the slave of a military chief. As a result of her background, she knew Mayan languages, but she also understood the language of the Aztecs as well. She was given to Corts along with 19 other slave women by the Cacique (chief) of Tabasco.

Corts found that he had trouble communicating with the Indians. He had previously relied on a Spanish priest, Jeronimo de Aguilar, who spoke Spanish and some of the Mayan languages. Corts found out that Dona Maria spoke the Mexican language and she began to act as an interpreter. She could translate Aztec words into a Mayan language that the Spanish priest Aguilar could understand, and then Aguilar could explain things to Corts in Spanish.

She was loyal to Corts, and he eventually decided to be loyal to her and began refusing other women. She also learned Spanish. After the fall of Tenochtitln in late 1521, she lived in a house that Corts had built for her and there she gave birth to his son.

La Malinche has also been a character in a variety of novels including Feathered Serpent: A Novel of the Mexican Conquest and the Golden Princess. It is interesting to note that in these literary portrayals, sometimes La Malinche is cast as a traitor and other times she is cast as a protector of Mexicans.

The truth is that La Malinche saved the lives of many Indians. As she was the right hand of Corts when he conquered Mexico, she encouraged him to negotiate rather than harm on many occasions. Her support of open communication enabled the Spaniards to introduce Catholicism and she advocated people's conversion to that faith, which appeased the Spanish conquerors. Her presence shaped the development of bilateral relations and she helped keep interaction with the Aztecs somewhat friendly. There is no doubt that La Malinche played a vital historical role, and was far more than just a reliable interpreter for the conquistadors.

by: Ken Ingraham

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