Michoacán and Eden: Vasco de Quiroga and the Evangelization of Western Mexico

215 Pages·2000·1.613 MB·English

by  Bernardino Verástique

MICHOACÁN AND EDEN

MICHOACÁN AND EDEN
Vasco de Quiroga and
the Evangelization of Western Mexico
BY BERNARDINO VERÁSTIQUE
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS
Thefrontispieceandfigures1,2,3,5,6,8,9,and10arebyAlfredoB.Cruz,adaptedfrom
the Codex C-IV-5 in the Real Biblioteca de El Escorial, Madrid, as found in The Chronicles
of Michoacán,translated by Eugene R. Craine and Reginald C. Reindorp, University of
Oklahoma Press, 1970. The map, Figure 4 (Santiago de Compostela), and Figure 7 (Vasco
de Quiroga) are by Alfredo B. Cruz.
Part of Chapter 6 originally appeared as “The Millennial Kingdom in Mexico,” Harvard
Divinity Bulletin22, no. 1 (1992): 6–9.
Frontispiece.A Purhépecha high priest and elders contemplate an ominous comet that
appeared in the heavens prior to the arrival of the Spaniards.
COPYRIGHT © 2000 by the UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First edition, 2000
Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to
Permissions, University of Texas Press, Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819.
(cid:1)(cid:2) The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of ansi/
niso z39.48-1992 (r1997) (Permanence of Paper).
Vera´stique, Bernardino.
Michoaca´n and Eden : Vasco de Quiroga and the evangelization of western
Mexico / Bernardino Vera´stique. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn0-292-78737-5 (cloth: alk. paper). — isbn 0-292-78738-3 (pbk: alk. paper).
1. Tarasco Indians—History—16th century. 2. Tarasco Indians—Religion.
3. Tarasco Indians—Missions—Mexico—Michoaca´n de Ocampo. 4. Indians,
Treatment of—Mexico—Michoaca´n de Ocampo. 5. Quiroga, Vasco de, 1470–
1565. 6. Catholic Church—Missions—Mexico—Michoaca´n de Ocampo.
7. Michoaca´ndeOcampo(Mexico)—Churchhistory. 8. Michoaca´ndeOcampo
(Mexico)—History—16th century. I. Title.
f1221.t3v47 2000
972(cid:1).3702—dc21 99-21505
You said that our gods are not true gods.
Calm and amiable,
consider, oh Lords, whatever is best.
We cannot be tranquil,
and yet we certainly do not believe;
we do not accept your teachings as truth,
even though this may offend you.
—from testimony by the tlamatinime,the Náhuatl wise men,
to the Franciscan friars in México-Tenochtitlán,1524
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CO N T E N TS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi
INTRODUCTION xiii
ONE The Purhépecha-Chichimec of Michoacán 1
TWO The Purhépecha Religious Worldview 20
THREE The Historical Landscape of Spain 36
FOUR Religion in Spain on the Eve of the
Conquest 50
FIVE The Conquest of Michoacán and the
Appointment of Vasco de Quiroga 66
SIX The Christianization of the Purhépecha 92
viii
Michoacán and Eden
SEVEN Información en derecho: Quiroga’s Report to
the Royal Council of the Indies 110
EIGHT The Utopian Experiment: Santa Fe de la
Laguna 124
EPILOGUE 141
NOTES 153
BIBLIOGRAPHY 173
INDEX 185
I L LU S T R AT I O N S
FIGURES
1. Map of Michoacán xx
1. The boy Tariácuri finds his mother and relatives 14
2. The petamiti,or high priest, designates a new leader 18
3. Penitents in a cave 28
4. Santiago de Compostela 46
5. Moctecuhzoma’s ambassadors plead for help 69
6. The cazonciand lords attempt suicide by drowning 82
7. Bishop Vasco de Quiroga, 1477/8–1565 95
8. Tariácuri’s daughter decapitates a cacique 119
9. A dialogue regarding the history of the ancestors 133
10. A couple prepares for their wedding feast 143