The Hummingbird And The Hawk: Conquest And Sovereignty In The Valley Of Mexico, 1503 1541

by R.C. Padden

Book on the Spanish Conquests of Mexico

Genres: History, Nonfiction

319 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1988

Reviews

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to the preface, The Hummingbird and the Hawk evolved from the author's desire to "examine the main currents of life and religion in Mexico in the sixteenth century." The structure of that society, he maintains, was the result of two distinct pressures--the continuing influence of the Aztec belief system well into the post-conquest period, and the adjustment to Spanish sovereignty. Thus, in order to lay the groundwork for a study of the time and place, Professor Padden felt compelled first to reconstruct, as far as possible, the history of the Valley of Mexico before the Spanish, with an emphasis on the role of the gods Huitzilopochtli and Quetzalcoatl, and then to focus on the struggle between Hernán Cortés and Montezuma.

With those parameters in place, the author first briefly touches on Mesoamerican history before the Aztecs, then how they created an empire centered at Tenochtitlan. Next, he traces the structure of Aztec society, as well as how the cult of Huitzilopochtli developed, and to its culmination with the kingship of Montezuma, who proclaimed himself the living embodiment of their god. The middle chapters describe the coming of the Spanish and the eventual destruction of Tenochtitlan, and the remainder of the book relates the evangelical struggles of the Franciscan friars as they fought against the old beliefs.

Despite any qualms I have about some of the conclusions that Padden reaches, overall I found this book thought-provoking and absorbing from start to finish. Although not intended as an exhaustive overview of the period, with The Hummingbird and the Hawk, the author successfully relates enough detail that someone who knew little or nothing about this era, like myself, can come away with a broad understanding. But over and above a mere chronological retelling, the author draws conclusions from the record that, agree or no, are logically presented and deserve consideration.

One of the most significant of these conclusions is that the practice of human sacrifice was a function of statecraft rather than cosmology. Thus, feeding human hearts to Huitzilopochtli (the Hummingbird of the title) was consciously enlarged upon as a way to rule through terror rather than as a naturally evolved belief system. When the Spanish instituted Christianity, the few remaining members of the Aztec nobility sought to furtively hold on to the old religion--not from piety but from a desire to regain the power that it represented.

Other ideas are raised, all with the aim of providing a basis of understanding for the resultant "main currents" of the period. In this, the purported reason behind the book, I can only give mixed marks. Once Cortés and Montezuma leave the scene, the rest of the tale feels anticlimactic. Cortés (The Hawk) is dropped from the narrative once he departs to quell rebellion in Honduras, and the conflict shifts to one of religious differences--those secretly worshipping the old ways, and the evangelical hunt for icons, idols and recalcitrant, back-sliding converts. Also, in regards to the makeup of the new society, there are at least two other events that the Professor discusses, but I wonder if they shouldn't be granted a higher level of importance: the appearance of the mestizo and the catastrophic plagues of smallpox and measles that decimated the continent. They are addressed, but only for a few paragraphs.

Still, for all its faults (which also, I felt, included a bias toward the European--understandable, if not justifiable, after the very real disgust the author imparts when describing the Aztec's thousands of human sacrifices, cannibalism, and debauchery), I think this book would in the very least be an excellent companion volume to someone's library of Mesoamerican history. Published in 1967, there has doubtless been considerable advances in the study of this culture and time since, but Professor Padden's account, as well as his original ideas, makes for fascinating reading.

[Chris Fellows · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting account focussing on the continuities between the Mexica and the Spanish empires in the Valley of Mexico. The thesis of the book, which seems very likely, is that the neo-feudal arrangement of New Spain was very much a re-badging of the Aztec one, with existing arrangements for exploiting the peasants being awkwardly shoehorned into a Christian framework to get the local authorities on side.

Another very strong theme is the age-old story of how evil contains within it the seeds of its own destruction, and that the day you begin to believe your own propaganda is the day you can start counting down on the calendar to your well-deserved demise. Tlacallel, who pulled the strings of the Mexica empire throughout the 15th century, comes across as an evil genius of terror and propaganda on the scale of Stalin; but the internal logic of the system he created could not help but play itself out after his death. Thus Montezuma II, raised in the system Tlacallel created and actually believing in the insane Huitzilpochtli cult and his own godhood, heir to an utterly degraded subject class and an utterly amoral ruling class, had neither the mental nor physical resources to deal when his world was turned upside down.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasnt very interesting to me, it seemed hard to stay focused with reading because the language and over all feel of the book was just bland. Also I learned about the Quetzocoatl myth in class and the fact that it was a myth. This book seems to perpetuate the myth that the indigenous people's embraced conquistadors in fear and worship of them. This is not proven to be true. It has been debated that the indigenous showed the conquistadors tolerance because they hoped it would encourage them to leave. Also the act of giving gifts was a way of showing pride in ones power. I see this as more valid and representational of the indigenous thought process than the Quetzelcoatl myth.

[SuZanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood, blood and more blood to the point that this book made me physically ill if I did not stop every two or so chapters and take a break before continuing to read. Nevertheless, I did complete this quite comprehensive pre and post colonial history of Mexico before it was called Mexico. Padden draws some surprising conclusions for readers like me who know very little about early Mexican history. One of the most significant of these conclusions is that the practice of human sacrifice was a function of statecraft rather than cosmology. And Padden lays out all the gory details.

"The primary conquest of Mexico was really more biological than military," claims Padden later in the book. "However strenuous the fighting was at times, love-making was just as intense, certainly more frequent, and of infinitely greater consequence." He then provides numerous examples of Pipiltin women, including Montezuma's daughters, given as wives and concubines to Cortez and other Spanish officers as well as other "lords." No matter who was in power, Spanish or indigenous, it was an intentionally created and reinforced caste system throughout pre and post colonial Mexico. This created many little "kingdoms" of greedy local lords who ruled without restrictions and pocketed all of the king's taxes.

Wars, rebellions, hidden Gods and underground religious practices, never-ending searches for idols and gold, and grave robbings continued throughout this tumultuous era. Padden has a large bibliography and provides 316-pages of clashing cultures and power struggles. Worth knowing, if one has an interest in Mexican history.

[Spockahontas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first-rate short history in the Tuchman style, well-founded and thoroughly documented, yet it wears its scholarship lightly and makes its points gently as it tells its enthralling story, as gripping as a novel. I've read it several times.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read. Total page turner! I sat up and read it all night and could not put it down.