domingo, 2 de febrero de 2025

El ciclo troyano (Parte 4. El sacrificio de Ifigenia).


El rapto de Helena. Por Giuseppe Porta, mediados del Siglo XVI. 
Museo Metropolitano de Arte. Nueva York, EEUU.

El daño estaba hecho. La ofensa recibida por el rey Menelao, no admitía un posible perdón. Aprovechándose de su hospitalidad, el pérfido visitante le había arrebatado a su mujer, para luego huir al amparo de las sombras, como hacen los cobardes. ¡Dioses del Olimpo, se sentía ahogado por la rabia! En medio de la ofuscación, vino a su mente el juramento que comprometía a los que antes pretendieron la mano de la bella Helena.


lunes, 20 de enero de 2025

The life of Lope de Aguirre. A short biography (part 3)

 

By that time, the news about the rebellion had gone far. The Audiencia of Santo Domingo, commissioned father Francisco de Montesinos with a war ship, to stop Aguirre. The fate of him seemed to change from that moment. Astutely, he had sent a group of his more reliable men, with white flag, only to parley. But the real order was to take the excellent ship on. Nonetheless, as soon as they felt secure, without hesitation, they went over to the king´s side. It deeply affected the morale of the others, unleashing Aguirre´s wrath. And last but not least, made him change his plans. He understood that the people in Panama would organize to combat him. 

If his former plan looked like the fantasy of a sick mind, desesperation would become his new schedule into a true hallucination. In that manner, he thought it would be better to land in Venezuela and go walking to Peru. Going that far, passing through jungles, plains and mountains, was almost like a death sentence. Everyone new that! Aguirre figured out, that they would endure by looting the villages, along the way. At the same time, they could find new men to increase their number. Aguirre and the marañones, touched land at Burburata´s bay, in the month of september of 1561. There, he ordered to burn the ships. With only a hundred and fifty men (less than a half of the begining group), they took the rough road to Nueva Valencia del Rey.

He was sick and tortured with the sole idea of his deserting people. But fear still was enough to mantain them under control. Most of that bunch of outlaws had their hands stained with blood!

When he was at Valencia, he wrote his famous letter to the king Felipe II. In one of the paragraphs he said:

"Look, Spaniard king, don´t be cruel or ingrate to your vassals; while your father and you are at the palace in Castile, without any anxiety, we have given our blood and wealth to give you all these posessions you now own here. And see, King and lord, if you want to be called that way, you should not take anything from this land, that you won without any effort, before the men who gained it were rewarded"... 

More than a threat, the letter shows up a release of all his anger and frustrations. It was the product of a tortured spirit. But inside him, his sarcastic arrogance still was intact, when he laughed at Pablo Collado, the coward governor of Venezuela. Also, with his scornful opinion about the Venezuelan:

"There is no reason to be afraid of these pathetic arepa and casabe eaters"...

After leaving Valencia reduced to ashes, they headed towards Barquisimeto. But there, the people were armed and ready to face the tyrant. The renowned captain Diego García de Paredes was the leader of the troops loyal to the king. On October 22, Lope de Aguirre and his disminished, but still dangerous army entered the empty village. Everywhere they could find papers with pardon offers for their crimes. Although Aguirre warned them telling that it was all a lie, more desertions ocurred. Despaired, he had to watch how in every skirmish more men abandoned him without any shame. 

Soon he was alone, with his old friend, Antón Llamoso, his daughter Elvira and la Torralba, as the only company. Then he understood that he had no chance to survive. Everything was lost. From his obscure life, the blackest moment had come. For the last time, the Furies again took on him, to commit his ugliest crime. According to the tradition, he came close to his daughter and told her to commend to God, because he had to kill her. She cried and beg, but it was useless, she lied dead a moment later. She became his last victim, despite his father´s love. When the soldiers came into the place, were witnesses of that horror.   

Captain García de Paredes ordered him to drop his arms. Aguirre agreed, knowing that he would die soon. He told he wanted to make a statement. But one of the marañones, got nervous and shoot the prisoner at once. He failed and Aguirre laughed at him. But they would not let the man talk... another shot brought him down and this time, he said: "this was good"... So it was the end of the wild career of the cruel villain. However, in some writers opinion, Aguirre was a precursor of the american independence.

Custodio Hernández, another of his men, beheaded him. Holding the grey hair, he showed it to everyone. Later, was sent to El Tocuyo to warn of any other act of rebellion after him. The rest of his body was thrown for the dogs.

As Aguirre had said, some of the marañones were chased and condemned. But another could have a good life, as if the pass of time had erased their sins. La Torralba stayed to live at Barquisimeto. Lope de Aguirre had died, but his crimes would never be forgotten. Many began to believe, that his damned spirit had been sentenced to wander forever by those withered fields he had walked. 

..................................................................................

The old man finished his tale and saw the child comfortably sleeping under his wings. He never knew when his grandson fell asleep, but he thought that was better that way. Instead of feeling scared, the boy sure was playing in his wonderful world of dreams. Then, as a sacred love ritual, the old man took the child to his bed and covered him into his blankets. A kiss in his forehead and a blessing completed the magic moment. 

Outside, in the solitude of the plain, from time to time, the restless fires continued floating as wandering spirits...





martes, 31 de diciembre de 2024

The life of Lope de Aguirre. A short biography (part 2).

 

Many things have been told about Lope de Aguirre. Once, he was sentenced to be flogged at the main square. It was a huge mistake. A man like him, would rather have been killed, than put to a public shame. For three years, he silently went after the responsible of his anger and never rested till the day he stabbed the man to death. However, the grudge seemed to stay in his heart for the rest of his life. Afterwards, he endured the hazardous fugitive way of life, until he showed up at the Cusco city, in 1552. Aguirre participated into a revolt against the Viceroy of Peru. There, he was involved in the murder of the governor, Pedro de Hinojosa. This time, he got a death sentence, but it was commuted, on one condition. He must stand with the Viceroy, against the Hernandez Giron´s rebellion. But in the middle of a combat, one of his legs resulted badly wounded. Crippled and poor, his future looked anything but promising...

Nothing was going well with the expedition to El Dorado. Between the men, a growing impulse of coming back to Peru was evident. But the governor Ursua definitely refused the idea. To make things worse, he spent most of his time with his lover, Ines de Atienza. He did everything to please her. In his love blindness, he was unable to notice what was going on in his camp. Even more, another factor played against him... more than one of those ruffians coveted the beautiful woman´s love. 

Lope de Aguirre knew well how to obtain profits from the situation. So he began to plan Ursua's death. His rage seemed to find a proper scenario in the hostile jungle, plenty of dangerous creatures, with an exasperating vapor all the time. From then on, his road was traced with blood and death. On purpose, he made sure that in the murdering of the governor, some of the most violent men participated. So, sharing the guilty, he thought he could control them all.

After the crime, on the New Year´s eve of 1561, Lope de Aguirre ordered to prepare a document, to be signed by everyone. There, he explained the motivations to kill the governor Ursua. It had to be sent to Felipe II, king of Spain. Aguirre signed first, writing the word "traitor" beside. As expected, it triggered the fear among the group. But, he explained that after the governor’s assassination, there would be no absolution for anyone. So, the best thing to do, was to keep all together. The path they were taking, had no return. ¡They were declaring in rebellion against the King! Aguirre was in absolute control, but he still wanted to keep the appearances a little longer. He named a young noble from Sevilla, as king of Peru and El Dorado. His name was Fernando de Guzman. In the meantime, he kept the maestre de campo assignment for himself.

Very soon, the overblown and new kinglet was unfit for his plans. And Aguirre also got rid of him. The same happened to Ines de Atienza (someone he deeply despised) and her new lover, Lorenzo Zalduendo. By that time, Lope de Aguirre had definitely taken his mask off... He crowned himself as king and strong leader of the marañones, the name he gave to his army. But in fact, it was fear who ruled there. Any kind of meeting or low voice conversation were strictly forbidden. That way, he tried to prevent any possible intrigue against him. To look away when he passed, could be enough motive to die. One of his men, accused to be a “little rioter”and another who was sick most of the time, were also killed. Every day, his mood was turning darker. He hardly could sleep and never took off his arms.

By that time, Aguirre's will, was the only law. Every men had no other choice than obey the old crippled. He also had changed the original plans of the expedition. Instead, they would follow the course of the river, to find the sea. In that manner, they would leave all those fantasies about El Dorado behind. Then, always sailing near the coastal line, would go to Panama. There, he would recruit more people and take on some other ships, to fall over Peru, so declaring themselves free from Spain. There was no time to hesitate, there was no space for turning back.

In June of the year 1561, finally the Atlantic Ocean appeared before their eyes. They had bored the worst deprivations, struggling with the nature and the ferocious tribes of that green hell. Behind, they left a red stained road. By then, all of them looked like starving beggars, also the ship was in an awful condition. They set sail to La Margarita island, in the Province of Venezuela, to recover the energies. On June 20th, they arrived there. 

After a cautious reception, the authorities and the people became confident with the poor strangers. It was a terrible mistake. Aguirre and his men, soon began with their abuses. In a blink, their hosts turned into their victims. Immersed in a wicked orgy, he ordered to kill the main authorities. There was no pity for women, or sick persons, even for priests. It was told, that he hanged doña Ana de Rojas at the square, and his men used her body as target for their arquebuses. The sack and violence was such, that his pass by the island would never be forgotten. The place where he landed, would be known as El Tirano's Bay (today Puerto Fermin). On the other hand, in the two months they stayed there, some of his men began to desert. The unfortunate who were caught, were tortured and massacred. Nonetheless, many of the others were waiting for the first opportunity, to run away. Only fear was holding them.

to be continued...


 

lunes, 23 de diciembre de 2024

Grandes exploraciones. La Terra Australis Incognita y los viajes del capitán Cook (6a parte)




El capitán James Cook. Por Nathaniel Dance-Holland, 1775.
Museo Marítimo Nacional, Londres.


En el segundo de sus viajes, James Cook había podido dejar en claro, que la existencia del misterioso gran continente austral no era más que una fantasía. Por otra parte, durante su largo recorrido, había establecido con precisión las coordenadas de numerosas islas y archipiélagos. Gracias a él, la cartografía del Pacífico sur, comenzó a asentarse sobre bases reales y prácticas. Además, el conocimiento de sus habitantes, la fauna y su flora, vinieron a enriquecer los estudios etnográficos, lingüísticos y de las ciencias naturales.   

lunes, 11 de noviembre de 2024

The life of Lope de Aguirre. A short biography (part 1).

 


Not so long time ago, when our spirits still were not seized by the technology, life, in many senses, was kinder. We only have to get on the subway in any big city, to realize that many people are immersed into their cell phones. It seems like all their world is inside the small device. Of course, we are not criticising the advances and innovations; our point is that going to extremes many times is not a good practice. If we will become a sort of slaves of the progress, we should react and stop that situation. 

lunes, 21 de octubre de 2024

Grandes exploraciones. La Terra Australis Incognita y los viajes del capitán Cook (5a parte)


Capitán James Cook. Por William Hodges, ca. 1775.
Museo Marítimo Nacional, Londres, Reino Unido.
fuente: http://www.nmm.ac.uk


El capitán James Cook nunca lo supo, pero había llegado a estar apenas a un poco más de cien kilómetros de la tierra antártica, en medio de la bruma y las blancas montañas de hielo flotante. Pero de algo sí estaba bien convencido, de existir algún continente en el extremo sur del globo terráqueo, era solo un triste remedo del mítico y apetecible gran continente austral. 

lunes, 23 de septiembre de 2024

El Ciclo Troyano (Parte 3. El Rapto de Helena).

Paris. Por Johann Heinrich Tischbein, 1815.

Grandes expectativas anidaban en el corazón de Paris, ahora convertido en un altivo príncipe. Por ello, apenas se enteró de la partida de un grupo de emisarios hacia la corte de Esparta, no dudó en embarcarse junto a ellos. Allí reinaba Menelao, hijo de Atreo, junto a la bella Helena. Apartando a un lado lo que el más elemental sentido común aconsejaba, supuso que esa era la oportunidad que la diosa Afrodita le estaba ofreciendo, para hacer valer su promesa.