The Man Who Burnt the Maya Books: Diego de Landa

The Man Who Burnt the Maya Books: Diego de Landa

In 1562, in the town of Maní on the Yucatán Peninsula, Spanish Franciscan friar Diego de Landa ordered the destruction of thousands of Maya codices — bark-paper books containing centuries of knowledge about astronomy, ritual, history, and medicine. Only four authenticated Maya codices survive today. This episode explores who Landa was, why he burned the books, and the paradox of his legacy: the same man who erased the Maya literary tradition also wrote the single most detailed account of Maya culture and religion, the Relación de las Cosas de Yucatán, without which much of what we know about the ancient Maya would be lost. Lucas and Luna examine the context of Landa's auto-da-fé, the content of the lost books, and the ongoing debate over whether Landa was a destroyer or a preserver of Maya heritage. They also discuss the surviving codices — the Dresden, Madrid, Paris, and Grolier — and the challenges of reading Maya hieroglyphs today. This episode touches on Inquisition procedures in the New World, the clash between European and Indigenous worldviews, and the complicated question of what is gained and lost when one culture's books burn in the flames of another's faith. #DiegoDeLanda #MayaCodices #Yucatan #Maya #RelacionDeLasCosasDeYucatan #Mani #Franciscan #AutoDaFe #Inquisition #DresdenCodex #MadridCodex #ParisCodex #GrolierCodex #MayaHieroglyphs #MesoamericanHistory #SpanishConquest #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Dogs of Conquest: How Spanish Mastiffs Terrorized Mesoamerica

This episode examines the role of war dogs—specifically Spanish mastiffs and wolfhounds—in the conquest of Mesoamerica. Often overlooked in favor of guns and horses, these animals were deliberately used as weapons of terror. We explore their training, appearance in indigenous codices like the Florentine Codex and Lienzo de Tlaxcala, and their legal status under Spanish law. Key figures include Pedro de Alvarado, whose dog became legendary, and the indigenous perception of these beasts as supernatural. The episode also touches on the broader use of dogs in colonial expansion, from Columbus to the encomienda system. #Conquistadors #WarDogs #Mastiffs #Mesoamerica #FlorentineCodex #LienzoDeTlaxcala #PedroDeAlvarado #SpanishConquest #IndigenousResistance #MilitaryHistory #CanineHistory #TerrorWeapons #Aztecs #Maya #Colonialism #History #FexingoHistory #DogsOfWar Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Tlaxcalan Alliance: How Cortés Won Mexico

We all know Cortés conquered the Aztecs with just a few hundred Spaniards — or did he? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the single most decisive factor in the fall of Tenochtitlan: the massive Indigenous alliance that fought alongside the conquistadors. Centered on Tlaxcala, the small republic that defied the Aztec Empire for decades, we trace how Cortés turned former enemies into the backbone of his army. Lucas walks us through a key battlefield in the Tlaxcalan border wars — the Otumba plains, July 1520 — where the Spanish nearly died until the Tlaxcalan cavalry turned the tide. We discuss the internal politics of the Tlaxcalan senate, the strategic brilliance of Xicotencatl the Younger, and the uneasy peace that followed. The conversation dives into the Lienzo de Tlaxcala, a painted manuscript produced by the allies themselves to demand land and privileges from the Spanish crown, and we close with the bitter aftermath: how Tlaxcala's loyalty was rewarded with marginalization. This is the story of the people who actually conquered Mexico. #Tlaxcala #Cortés #Xicotencatl #Otumba #LienzodeTlaxcala #Tenochtitlan #AztecEmpire #Mesoamerica #Conquistadors #IndigenousAlliance #Nahuatl #SpanishConquest #Mexica #History #FexingoHistory #Warfare #ColonialMexico #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

La Malinche: Beyond the Myth of the Traitor

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of Malintzin, also known as Malinche or Doña Marina, the Indigenous interpreter and advisor who played a pivotal role in Hernán Cortés's conquest of the Aztec Empire. They move beyond the simplified label of 'traitor' to examine her as a Nahua woman from a noble family, sold into slavery, who leveraged her multilingual skills to survive and wield influence. The conversation delves into her early life in the borderlands between the Aztec and Maya worlds, her linguistic abilities in Nahuatl, Maya, and later Spanish, and her strategic importance at key moments like the Cholula massacre and the siege of Tenochtitlan. They discuss how she is remembered in Mexico today, from the term 'malinchismo' to her depiction in art and literature, and consider the ethical complexities of her choices in a world of colonial violence. The episode also touches on recent scholarly attempts to recover her Indigenous perspective, grounded in sources like the Florentine Codex and the Lienzo de Tlaxcala. #Malintzin #Malinche #HernanCortes #Nahuatl #AztecEmpire #Tenochtitlan #ConquestOfMexico #IndigenousHistory #CholulaMassacre #FlorentineCodex #LienzoDeTlaxcala #BernalDiazDelCastillo #MexicanHistory #ColonialLatinAmerica #Mesoamerica #Conquistadors #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Totonac of Cempoala: Cortés's First Major Indigenous Ally

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal alliance between Hernán Cortés and the Totonac people of Cempoala, the first major indigenous group to side with the Spanish against the Aztec Empire. We trace the Totonac's motives: resentment of Aztec tribute demands, a strategic gamble to free themselves from Moctezuma's grip. Through firsthand accounts from Bernal Díaz del Castillo and the Lienzo de Tlaxcala, we examine the dramatic meeting between Cortés and the Cacique Gordo, the Totonac decision to imprison Aztec tribute collectors, and the battle of Cempoala that cemented the alliance. We also discuss how this partnership provided Cortés with thousands of warriors, supplies, and a beachhead at Veracruz, and how the Totonac's support shaped the course of the conquest. Finally, we consider the aftermath: how the Totonac fared under Spanish rule and their legacy in modern Veracruz. #Cempoala #Totonac #CaciqueGordo #HernánCortés #AztecEmpire #MoctezumaXocoyotzin #BernalDíazDelCastillo #LienzoDeTlaxcala #Veracruz #SpanishConquest #IndigenousAlliance #Mesoamerica #Conquistadors #Tribute #Cacique #History #FexingoHistory #16thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]