Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (discoverer of the Yucatán)

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Francisco Hernández de Córdoba

Francisco Hernández de Córdoba († 1517 in Sancti Spíritus , Cuba ) was a Spanish conquistador and leader of the expedition that marked the beginning of the Spanish conquest of Mexico .

Expedition of the Hernández de Córdoba

Hernández de Córdoba had already settled in Cuba as a wealthy settler for some time before Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar , the governor of Cuba , granted him permission to go to the island of Guanaja off the coast of what is now Honduras , which Christopher Columbus gave him on July 30th 1502 had discovered catching slaves. It is controversial among historians whether it was actually Hernández's intention to hunt slaves or whether Velázquez commissioned him to carry out new discoveries and conquests for the Spanish crown. Evidence for the latter hypothesis, the fact that the acting helmsman its fleet is Antón de Alaminos was a respected navigator who Columbus already served on its final voyage from 1502 to 1504 as helmsman and Juan Ponce de León in 1513 with the discovery of Florida had accompanied . Here he was also the first European to notice a strong ocean current, which was later referred to as the Gulf Stream .

Discovery of the Yucatán

On February 8, 1517, Hernández de Córdoba left Cuba with 3 ships and 110 men. Among the participants in the expedition was Bernal Díaz del Castillo , who later accompanied Hernán Cortés on his conquest of Mexico and wrote a book about it. Due to a violent storm, the fleet lost its orientation and was finally driven to the coast of the Yucatán peninsula near Cape Catoche . From a distance, Hernández spotted large stone buildings on land and a fortified city, which he named El Gran Kairo (the great Cairo), as he probably associated the structures with the pyramids near Cairo in Egypt , which he certainly never did had seen.

It was March 4, 1517 when some of the residents, with gestures of peace and friendly faces, approached the Hernández's ships in canoes. Communication was naturally difficult, as none of the others spoke the language. This first encounter between the Spaniards and the Mayans is the origin of an unconfirmed explanation for the name of the Yucatán Peninsula. The Spaniards supposedly asked the name of this country, and the Maya replied: Yuk ak katán (or Ma 'k u'uyik a t'àani' ), which means: "I don't understand your language".

Battle of Catoche

However, the Spaniards viewed the first friendly contacts where gifts were exchanged with great skepticism. They therefore had numerous weapons with them for the planned shore leave. The Spaniards' fear was well founded, especially when they spotted a large group of residents on the bank who accompanied them into their city. There they were actually ambushed. The inhabitants attacked with arrows and pikes, but were repulsed by the Spaniards with superior weapons, crossbows , arquebuses and swords . The locals fled and the Spanish seized a few pieces of gold that they found in the temples.

At first much more important "booty" were two Mayas who were captured to train them to be interpreters. When they were baptized in the Roman Catholic faith , they were given the names Julian and Melchior. They accompanied Hernández on his onward journey.

Onward journey

Antón de Alaminos set a course along the coast to the west and was initially sure of sailing around an island when the coast sloped south. The greatest need on the ships was a lack of drinking water.

On March 20, 1517, a settlement was sighted. It was the day on which the Spaniards celebrated the Lazarus Festival, as the settlement of Lázaro was called. Only when a Spanish settlement was later founded at this point did the place receive the name Campeche , which is derived from the old Mayan name Kaan Peech (snake tick).

Experience had taught the Spaniards to be extremely careful when going ashore. In fact, the events of Catoche were repeated when, while the water barrels were being refilled, locals were again met, who guided the Spaniards to their temple with friendly gestures. It was quickly realized that this could be a place of sacrifice, and as more and more people came and it was believed that these ceremonies were being performed , the Spaniards decided to return to their ships.

Despite what had happened, it was decided not to turn back, but to continue the journey along the coast.

Battle of Champotón

A storm that raged for several days prevented the Hernández's fleet from advancing further than just 60 km south of the coast in approximately 10 days. At a small bay into which a river (Río Champotón) flowed, they went ashore again. The landing site corresponds to today's city of Champotón , whose name is derived from the old Mayan name Chakán Putum (region of the grassy plain).

The events of Catoche and Campeche were repeated in Champotón. The Spaniards also met locals here when they landed, but they still spent the night on land because the fresh water emergency was greater than the fear of the population. You were ready to fight. In the light of dawn, the Spaniards took up their weapons, but the population, which was initially intimidated, was vastly outnumbered. They kept a safe distance, shot arrows and threw sticks and stones at the Spaniards.

The primary goal of the Maya fighting under the Kaziken Moch Couoh was initially to kill the leader of the Spaniards, Hernández de Cordoba. In fact, they managed to severely wound Hernández. 10 or more arrows are said to have hit him. The situation seemed hopeless. Eventually the Maya began dragging their wounded opponents away alive. After falling into their hands with two Spaniards, Hernández decided to retreat. The Spaniards reached their ships without their water barrels and partly swimming. 50 dead from their ranks remained on the battlefield, another 5 died on board.

Return to Cuba

The Hernández expedition team was reduced by half due to the losses. Manning all three ships had become impossible, so that one of the ships was set on fire and the return journey started with two ships.

The experienced helmsman Alaminos suggested sailing first to Florida, which he knew, in order to take advantage of the better winds available on this course and to be able to return to Cuba more quickly. The sailors were dying of thirst when they reached the Florida coast after four days. Despite the danger posed by the population after Alamino's experience, a landing to fetch water was inevitable. In fact, the 20 Spaniards who went ashore had to defend themselves after some time from the attacks of the foreigners, but were able to return to the ships with sufficient water supplies.

More than two months after the start of the expedition, Hernández reached Cuba again near Havana . He died 10 days later from his serious injuries.

Effects of the Hernández expedition

Two thirds of the expedition team had lost their lives. No country could be conquered and the hoped for riches were not found. However, the few pieces of jewelry from the temples of Catoche and the stories of the daring adventurers were enough to further fuel the Spanish greed for gold. For the governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, the discoveries of Hernández de Córdoba were of inestimable value. In the following year, 1518, another expedition was sent under Juan de Grijalva , with which the Spanish conquest of Mexico initiated by Hernández was to be continued.

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Commons : Francisco Hernández de Córdoba  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Hernández de Córdoba, Francisco
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Spanish conquistador
DATE OF BIRTH 15th century
DATE OF DEATH 1517
Place of death Sancti Spíritus , Cuba