La Malinche
La Malinche (1500-1550) or Malintzin or Marina was an American Indian woman from the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula. In 1519, Hernán Cortés chose her as a slave with 19 other women. She became the direct helper and translator for Cortés. She knew both Mayan and Nahuatl of the region and learned Spanish. She was important in negotiations. With Malinche, Cortés could interpret the language of the Aztecs. Malinche was eventually baptized as Doña Marina. Cortés used Malinche to find the weaknesses of the Aztecs and to destroy them. This included the fall of Tenochtitlán.[1][2]
Marina | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Malintzin, in an engraving dated 1885. | |
| Born | c. 1500 |
| Died | before February 1529 (aged 28–29) |
| Other names | Malintzin, La Malinche |
| Occupation | Interpreter, advisor, intermediary |
| Known for | Role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire |
| Spouse(s) | Juan Jaramillo |
| Children | Martín Cortés María |
La Malinche Media
Codex Azcatitlan, Hernán Cortés and Malinche (far right), early 16th-century indigenous pictorial manuscript of the conquest of Mexico
Malinche depicted with weapons during the Battle of Tepotzotlán.
The meeting of Cortés and Moctezuma II, with Malinche acting as interpreter.
La Malinche and Hernán Cortés in the city of Xaltelolco, in a drawing from the late 16th-century codex History of Tlaxcala
Modern statue of Cortés, Marina, and their son Martín, which was moved from a prominent place of display to an obscure one, due to protests
La Malinche, as part of the Monumento al Mestizaje in Mexico City
References
- ↑ Purcell, Ryan. "Life Story: Malitzen (La Malinche)". Women & the American Story. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
- ↑ Kennedy, David (2010). The American Pageant: Volume 1 to 1877. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. p. 13.