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| Essay Archive | January 31, 2004 |
VICTOR, VILLAIN, VICTIM
Francisco Hernández de Córdoba
A thin girl emerged from her front yard, squinting into the morning light and swirling wind. She lugged a blue bucket of water out to the dirt road that passed in front of her house. Her neighbor across the road was practicing the same ritual and they both arched their backs and in unison and spread water from the buckets over the earthen road. They were trying to drown the relentless dust that engulfed their homes, draping furniture, clothes, walls, floors and bodies in light brown dirt. The dry season was coming to a close. Five months of no rain. The sky was a scorched blue and the earth crying out for water.
It was May 13, 2002, a day of celebration for the Nicaraguan government. The occasion was the reburial of Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, founder of Nicaragua's first two Spanish colonial cities León and Granada. Spanish Captain Francisco Hernández de Córdoba arrived to the land of the Chorotegas, Nicaraguas and Maribios in 1524, as the head of a hired army employed by Panama's Spanish governor (and soon to be Nicaragua governor) Pedrarias Dávila. According to historians, the Captain was an able commander who was well liked by his men. He completed his mission faithfully using superior force and lethal violence. Unfortunately, the letter that he was known to have written to Pedrarias Dávila detailing his battles was lost, so little specific is known of the events off 1524. The 16th century Spanish chronicler Oviedo hinted that the large Chorotega Indian settlement in Managua was destroyed during the conquest battles, along with Mateare, and a strong force of Maribios Indians was defeated just west of present day Subtiava. From the division of riches that took place on May 1, 1524, it is clear that the 229 men of Hernandez's force made good money relieving native Nicaraguans of their gold.
Like most colonial invaders, Hernández suffered from a chronic case of greed. According to local historian Dr. Patrick Werner, the Captain accepted an offer to switch is allegiance from his boss Dávila to Hernán Cortés, the conqueror of Mexico, thanks to the promise of more riches. Dr. Werner notes that Bernal Diaz de Castillo, who recorded Cortés' conquest of Mexico, reported that the soldiers of Cortés were starving and eating the leather from their armor and boots when Hernández' men showed up in Mexico with a lot of food, fine clothes, and pretty Indian women as attendants. A friendship of mutual interests ensued. Later, when Hernán Cortés sent ships to Nicaragua to assist Hernández de Córdoba in getting rid of his boss, Nicaragua's new governor Pedrarias Dávila, Cortés' boats sunk in a Pacific Ocean storm. At the same time one of Pedrarias Dávila's faithful men walked all the way from Nicaragua to Panama to notify Pedrarias of Mr. Córdoba's switch in allegiance. Hernández de Córdoba was taken prisoner and when Pedrarias returned to León Viejo from Panama he ordered Hernández de Córdoba beheaded in the central plaza.
Córdoba's remains were buried in León Viejo in 1526, minus his head. Five years later Pedrarias Dávila died of natural causes and was buried next to the headless body of Córdoba. Nicaraguans joke that Francisco Hernández de Córdoba spent the next 469 years tormenting Pedrarias Dávila, asking for his head back. The final years of León Viejo were equally tragic. The dwindling population of the morally and financially bankrupt city was given its coup de grace by a series of eruptions and earthquakes supplied by the massive Momotombo Volcano. León Viejo was abandoned in 1609 and a new city founded well away from the angry Momotombo. Centuries of sediment and volcanic ash buried the remains of original León, which were not rediscovered by archeologists until 1967. Nicaraguans say the original site was destroyed by God, the Momotombo Volcano doing His work, punishing the city for its leaders' cruel treatment of Nicaragua's indigenous peoples.
In the year 2000, Nicaraguan National Museum archaeologist Ramíro García, working on a lead provided by ancient documents, excavated the main alter of León Viejo's La Merced Church. To national acclaim and media hoopla, Ramíro discovered the remains of Francisco Hernández de Córdoba. His bones were found laying peacefully next to his nemesis Pedrarias Dávila, 474 years after losing his head on Central Park. The remains of Captain Córdoba were put inside a small glass box, loaded onto the back of a big flat bed truck and paraded around Nicaragua accompanied by a small honor guard. Masses were held for the little glass box of bones in the Cathedrals of Managua, León and Granada. Was he a hero? Most Nicaraguans have more pressing issues to occupy their daily discussions, but some found the tribute to a ruthless conqueror inappropriate, if not offensive. Archeologist Ramíro García has no doubt that Hernández de Córdoba was responsible for the genocide of numerous native Nicaraguans and despite the fame brought to the archeologist by his discovery, he prefers to be remembered for other excavations.
After the discovery it was decided that Hernández de Córdoba would be put to final rest in a special monument built in his honor. With proper Nicaraguan irony the Institute of Culture also made room in the monument tomb for Mr. Córdoba's nemesis Pedrarias Dávila. This too assure, no doubt, that Captain Córdoba can continue to ask for his head back.
On May 13, 2000, the day of Francisco Hernández de Córdoba's reburial, I was riding in a friend's jeep through the billowing dirt of La Paz Centro. Under a dry sun, it was impossible to avoid coating with more dust the girls who threw buckets of water in vain. Every passing vehicle kicked up clouds of dry earth, blinding all who lived along the path. To arrive at León Viejo we merged with another giant cloud of dust from a separate road. I squinted through the dust bowl to try and make out who was in front of us. Appearing gradually out of the earthen haze was a big flat bed truck, with a little glass box of bones. We had found ourselves immediately behind Mr. Córdoba's coffin, not just joining the caravan, but right smack in the center of a parade. Behind us surfaced a line of dusty new Land Cruisers full of government ministers and important businessmen.
When we arrived to the outskirts of León Viejo children lined both sides of the road in perfectly pressed school uniforms holding waving Nicaraguan flags. Marching bands played in tribute to the box of bones and fire engine sirens wailed. We were immersed in the very middle of the official parade following Captain Córdoba. I waved.
Upon arrival to the entrance of León Viejo, now a UNESCO World Patrimony site, I jumped out of the jeep and followed Francisco Hernández de Córdoba's bones as they were lowered by a military honor guard and carried by hand to his final resting place. They marched him to the base of the newly constructed monument on the grass and tree covered field that once was Parque Central, exactly where he had lost his head 474 years ago. I walked solemnly behind the little glass box of the Captain, now fully adapted to my role as an important member of the ceremony.
Under a burning sun and clear blue sky, the government figures assembled in front of the new monument and were joined by wealthy businessmen, who stood sweating, cursing the infernal sun overhead. They waited shoulder to shoulder with National Museum archeologists, the beautiful uniformed school children and the military honor guard. With everyone in place, speeches to commemorate the great Captain commenced.
Inexplicably, just as the speeches began, the sky darkened. No one knows where the massive storm clouds came from, the dry season had been brutally dry and the sky had reflected nothing but a merciless sun all day long.
A tremendous wind descended off the lofty summit of the Momotombo Volcano. Black clouds blew in quickly over the ruins of Nicaragua's first colonial capitol, turning day into night. A vicious wind ripped across the ancient plaza. The more tributes that were offered to the old Spanish captain, the more violently the wind responded.
Then, in one terrifying thunder clap, the skies opened in a torrential rain. Even by tropical standards this was a violent and sudden downpour. Microphones were rendered useless against nature's deafening, rain and wind filled onslaught. The children ran laughing and soaking wet for cover under the plaza's mango trees which were shedding their fruit into the gale force. Standing at attention, the honor guard grimaced underneath blinding rain. Dignitaries started looking outside the park, trying to make visual contact with the drivers of their Land Cruisers.
The ceremony was cut short. No more words could be spoken. The chauffeurs of the government and business guests rushed to pick up their bosses, who were whisked shivering back to Managua. The children walked home happy and wet, while the military guard quietly climbed into the empty flat bed truck to return to the base.
Alone in the ancient plaza under a clearing sky, the archeologists buried the conqueror's old bones, once and for all.
Tomb of Francisco Hernández de Córdoba in León Viejo
Photo: Richard Leonardi
Copyright © Richard Leonardi