The Fate of Montezumas Faith
11/10/2012
History 283
The Fate of Montezuma’s Faith It’s almost comical how the factors of fortune would so boldly control the life of Montezuma Xocoyotzin. It would begin with his birth in the year 1467, which also coincided with the Aztec year ce acatl, or Quetzalcoatl, the Morning Star.1 The priests claimed on the day of his birth that he would be a future ruler and a high priest of infinite wisdom. 2 By 1502, Montezuma had fulfilled this prophecy as the leader of the Aztec empire, reclaiming the wealth and prosperity of his Toltec ancestors through the strength of the Aztec peoples, culture, and religion. It is strange to imagine that even Cortés recognized himself that with one order to his army Montezuma could “obliterate all memory of [Cortez and his men].”3 Yet, as history happened, Montezuma would fall from power at the hands of Cortez, and at what would seem to be due to a choice influenced by factors of his own fate. Montezuma’s military experience, public image, and zealous religious indoctrination would be the factors founded the single decision to allow Cortez into Tenochtitlan, which would result in his own demise. Montezuma’s military identity was shaped by Aztec tradition and rules of engagement that would later be abused by Cortes. There was a nationalist definition of Aztec men, that all capable men were designed for war. Such as, “to be born a male in Tenochtitlan was to be designated a warrior.” 4And according to Aztec customs, all boys were trained rigorously. The young Montezuma at the calmecac, a temple for training, would have been taught to associate his military strength and religion, such as with the beginning initiation of the ‘night journey’, which was a quest for young boy to face evil and darkness during a magical time in order to collect dangerous items for the use of the priests. 5He would graduate to military school, an honored place for an Aztec boy; the curriculum consisted of nationality centered on their war god, Blue
History 283
The Fate of Montezuma’s Faith It’s almost comical how the factors of fortune would so boldly control the life of Montezuma Xocoyotzin. It would begin with his birth in the year 1467, which also coincided with the Aztec year ce acatl, or Quetzalcoatl, the Morning Star.1 The priests claimed on the day of his birth that he would be a future ruler and a high priest of infinite wisdom. 2 By 1502, Montezuma had fulfilled this prophecy as the leader of the Aztec empire, reclaiming the wealth and prosperity of his Toltec ancestors through the strength of the Aztec peoples, culture, and religion. It is strange to imagine that even Cortés recognized himself that with one order to his army Montezuma could “obliterate all memory of [Cortez and his men].”3 Yet, as history happened, Montezuma would fall from power at the hands of Cortez, and at what would seem to be due to a choice influenced by factors of his own fate. Montezuma’s military experience, public image, and zealous religious indoctrination would be the factors founded the single decision to allow Cortez into Tenochtitlan, which would result in his own demise. Montezuma’s military identity was shaped by Aztec tradition and rules of engagement that would later be abused by Cortes. There was a nationalist definition of Aztec men, that all capable men were designed for war. Such as, “to be born a male in Tenochtitlan was to be designated a warrior.” 4And according to Aztec customs, all boys were trained rigorously. The young Montezuma at the calmecac, a temple for training, would have been taught to associate his military strength and religion, such as with the beginning initiation of the ‘night journey’, which was a quest for young boy to face evil and darkness during a magical time in order to collect dangerous items for the use of the priests. 5He would graduate to military school, an honored place for an Aztec boy; the curriculum consisted of nationality centered on their war god, Blue