Tecun Uman
Tecun Uman or Tecún Umán (* around 1500 ; † February 20, 1524 ) was a legendary leader or general of the Quiché tribe of the highland Maya at the time of the Conquista Guatemala by the Spanish under Pedro de Alvarado .
history
Insofar as one can - in view of the extremely meager sources - separate the historical from the legendary tradition, Tecun Uman is one of the four leaders of the Quiché tribe - at least that is how a brief remark in a letter from Alvarado to Hernán Cortés should be understood . After the arrival of the Spaniards in Mexico (1519), the Cakchiquel Indians , who were enemies of the Quiché, asked Cortés for help; after the conquest of Tenochtitlan (1521) he sent ambassadors to the Quiché capital Q'umarkaj , who urged the leaders of the Quiché to submit to the Spanish crown and to cease their hostilities against the Cakchiquel. When this request was refused, Cortés dispatched an army troop of around 300 soldiers, 120 archers and rifle carriers and 135 horsemen, as well as a large contingent of Indian auxiliaries ( Tlaxcalteks and Cholulteks ) under the command of Pedro de Alvarado to the south. In January or February 1524 the army reached the border area of today's Guatemala. The Quiché designated Tecun Uman as the leader of an 8,400-strong army that sought the decisive battle on February 20, 1524 near El Pinar near what is now Olintepeque .
Legend
Allegedly Tecun Uman is said to have tried to kill Pedro de Alvarado , who was sitting on a horse . In the battle - or because the Indians assumed that horse and rider were one - only the horse was killed and Tecun Uman's chest was pierced by Pedro de Alvarados' lance. As a result, a " Quetzal hummingbird" - the nagual Tecun Uman - perched on his chest and soaked his chest feathers with blood, whereupon he died.
Today's meaning
Tecun Uman's legendary history remained alive for centuries among the Quiché people, but also among other highland Indians. In 1960 he was officially recognized as the national hero of Guatemala; the day of his death (February 20) is commemorated across the country. A poem by Miguel Ángel Asturias bears his name. In the Baile de la Conquista , which is well funded by the Catholic Church , a spectacle with masks and colorful uniforms danced on many occasions, the fight between Pedro de Alvarado and Tecun Uman is re-enacted - the dance used to end with the symbolic submission of the Indians to Christianity.
Perhaps that is precisely why there are also opposing voices to the almost saintly devotion to Tecun Uman by the Guatemalans - especially among the rebellious or revolutionary Indians of the highlands.
The Guatemalan city of Ciudad Tecún Umán , located on the border with Mexico , is named after the national hero.
See also
literature
- Robert M. Carmack: Kik'ulmatajem le K'iche'aab ': Evolución del Reino K'iche'. Iximulew, Guatemala 2001, ISBN 99922-56-22-2 . OCLC 253481949.
Web links
- Tecun Uman - history and meaning (Engl.)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Tecun Uman |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Tecun Uman |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Leader or general of the Quiché tribe of the highland Maya |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1500 |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 20, 1524 |