I love that you've researched La Malinche (as she was known in the Yucatán), at least w/ people who I knew that knew of her. What a twisted uncertain history this woman had—and depending on whose side one was one, she could be named traitor or not. From following her tale for many years through occasional articles about her, mostly it seems she was a female trying to stay alive in troublesome times. I had no idea she was taken at such a young age--8 or 9? So to brand her as a traitor I think is unfortunate b/c it seems she was just trying to stay alive. The mystery continues. Good post.
Hi Jeanine! Thank you for reading and commenting :) I am ashamed to say that I was in the past I was someone who considered her a traitor. However, since starting to look into our history, I can understand why. Unfortunately, in Mexico, students were/are taught to see her this way making it easy for this to become the go-to narrative. Thank goodness for the internet which makes it easier to research further, no? Because, yes, it seems she was just a young woman trying to stay alive
You’re very welcome. She’s such an interesting person and I considered her a traitor at first too. But she was probably more of a concubine. What recourse did she really have a choice —other than translate (and no doubt more…) or die? Women get slighted in so many ways. Remember the film, Cabeza de Vaca? He was shipwrecked off Yucatan coast, taken by the locals, made a slave. He too was considered a traitor. Interesting you are writing about her! I enjoyed the post. Saludos.
I have not seen that film but I put it on my To Watch list after reading about him! He also comes up in Malintzin's Choices. Thank you for reminding me.
Not familiar with Malintzin's Choices. Will check it out. It was an art film and I saw it, literally, decades ago in San Francisco. Very well done. He was with another shipwrecked sailor, last name Aguilar, who is probably the forebear of most (if not all?) Aguilar surnames in Mexico as the shipwreck happened, if memory serves, late 1500s.
I love that you've researched La Malinche (as she was known in the Yucatán), at least w/ people who I knew that knew of her. What a twisted uncertain history this woman had—and depending on whose side one was one, she could be named traitor or not. From following her tale for many years through occasional articles about her, mostly it seems she was a female trying to stay alive in troublesome times. I had no idea she was taken at such a young age--8 or 9? So to brand her as a traitor I think is unfortunate b/c it seems she was just trying to stay alive. The mystery continues. Good post.
Hi Jeanine! Thank you for reading and commenting :) I am ashamed to say that I was in the past I was someone who considered her a traitor. However, since starting to look into our history, I can understand why. Unfortunately, in Mexico, students were/are taught to see her this way making it easy for this to become the go-to narrative. Thank goodness for the internet which makes it easier to research further, no? Because, yes, it seems she was just a young woman trying to stay alive
You’re very welcome. She’s such an interesting person and I considered her a traitor at first too. But she was probably more of a concubine. What recourse did she really have a choice —other than translate (and no doubt more…) or die? Women get slighted in so many ways. Remember the film, Cabeza de Vaca? He was shipwrecked off Yucatan coast, taken by the locals, made a slave. He too was considered a traitor. Interesting you are writing about her! I enjoyed the post. Saludos.
I have not seen that film but I put it on my To Watch list after reading about him! He also comes up in Malintzin's Choices. Thank you for reminding me.
Not familiar with Malintzin's Choices. Will check it out. It was an art film and I saw it, literally, decades ago in San Francisco. Very well done. He was with another shipwrecked sailor, last name Aguilar, who is probably the forebear of most (if not all?) Aguilar surnames in Mexico as the shipwreck happened, if memory serves, late 1500s.