Abigail Heiderscheit

March 12, 2017

Colonial Literature of Latin America
The Reconstruction of Spanish Identity

The Reconquista is Spanish and Portuguese for, Reconquest that

occurred in 711. This was a period that occurred in history that the Spanish
Kings reconquered all of the Iberian Peninsula that they were trying to

reclaim for 700 years. They were able to reclaim the island as well as regain

power. During this time if one owned land they were seen as powerful. This

has a direct correlation to the myth of Spanish Identity and the way in which

Spanish Identity was created. Through the Spanish Kings reclaiming the

island they were also able to reclaim their power and authority that they now

obtain.

This is one of the main themes that plays into the myth of Spanish

Identity. Another is the myth of Pelayo and his direct impact on the Spanish

myth. Pelayo ruled from 718 AD to 738 AD and during this time was able to

save the Catholic of Spain. He also fought and was able to defeat a massive

army of moors. Pelyao was also the fearless leader that started the

reconquista which was an enormous victory. For him, it was not a religious

battle he simply wanted more land. So, little by little they obtained more

land during this time the more land one owned the more powerful they were.

Because Pelayo had such a huge impact on Spain because he, Saved the

Catholic Spain there was a statue dedicated to him to honor him. The statue

depicts Pelayo standing on an already elevated platform portraying his power

that he obtains, however the artist wanted to make it clear to the viewer that

Pelayo was extremely powerful. Also, with him being on an already elevated

platform he is closer to God and therefore, more holy and pure. He is

depicted in full armor which is a direct correlation to him reconquering the

island, which shows that he is powerful as well as masculine. He is also

holding a cross over his head insinuating that the most pure and catholic.

The cross is also above his head because he wants to be perceived as closer

to God as well as more holy. Pelayo is depicted in a dominant stance

portraying his masculinity. He also is holding his sword by his side depicting

the crest that contains a sword, a cross, and a crown. This crest depicts what

Spain embodies, they wish to be masculine, catholic, pure, as well as obtain

large amounts of gold.

This is what it meant to be a true conquistador; just as Columbus,

Cortez, and Cabeza de Vaca all attempted to portray. Christopher Columbus

was an Italian was an explorer as well as a navigator. He was also a citizen of

the Republic of Genoa, he was sent on a quest to find a new trading route

and is best known for finding America. In that sense, he was considered a

conquistador, however I do not see him as a true explorer nor one to portray

Spanish Identity. He was known to be a liar as well as rude, he did not find

any gold, and was also awful at navigating. Spanish Conquistador, Cortez,

led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire. This allowed them

to obtain a large portion of mainland Mexico, which is one of the reasons he

is more of a conquistador than Columbus. Cortez is also known for

colonializing Spain, which shows his power and authority.

Cabeza de Vaca is, in my eyes, the best representation of Spanish

identity. He was not the best navigator, however he still was able to find his

way. He also recreated Spanish Identity as well as challenged the ideas of

what it meant to be Spanish. Columbus was the best representation of what

it used to mean to be Spanish or portray Spanish Identity, however, now that

I have viewed all three of these conquistadors I must say that Cabeza de

Vaca best emulates what it means to portray Spanish Identity. In Castaways,

Cabeza de Vaca challenges Spanish Identity by his displacement of personal

identity as well as Spanish identity. He discovers the new world and

beginnings to exemplify myth and how he used it to create his own Spanish

Identity. This is important because through Spanish myth came the

development of Spanish Identity and the amount of power one held.

As Spaniards have purified the faith, it is very important to mention

how Catholicism and being holy and pure is, especially when defining

Spanish identity. In this time period, it was extremely important to be

Catholic as well as making it known that you were Catholic. Being Catholic

allowed one to be close to God as well as be close to the King. Columbus,

Cortez, and Cabeza de Vaca all produced their faith differently. Columbus, in

his writings was very focused on God. He asked God to help him as well as

thanked God, I ordered him to be given to eat bread and treacle, and also to

drink: and so I shall take him on to Fernandina, where I shall return

everything to him, in order that he may give a good account of us, that, our

Lord pleasing, when your Highnesses shall send here, those who come may

receive honor, and that the natives may give them all they require

(Columbus). However, it can be argued that he focused mostly on God

because he did not find gold as he said he would and did not want to come

across as not masculine or successful in his quest. In the quote he also refers
to, giving everything to God Cabeza de Vaca refers to God in, Castaways,

when he is, suffering for the crown.

Cortez did not write about God that often, but he also found gold. He

occasionally thanked God when he was doing well and prayed to God when

things were going wrong. Cortez refers to his calling, one receives a calling

when they are meant to go on a quest. He afterwards came again to this

country, after the lapse of much time, and found that his people had

intermarried with the native inhabitants, by whom they had many children,

and had built towns in which they resided; and when he desired them to

return with him, they were unwilling to go, nor were they disposed to

acknowledge him as their sovereign ; so he departed from the country, and

we have always heard that his descendants would come to conquer this land,

and reduce us to subjection as his vassals ; and according to the direction

from which you say you have come, namely, the quarter where the sun rises,

and from what you say of the great lord or king who sent you hither, we

believe and are assured that he is our natural sovereign, especially as you

say that it is a long time since you first had knowledge of us (Cortez). He

speaks to being called when he refers to the great lord or king who sent

you hither which touches on his Spanish identity.

Cabeza de Vaca portrays and wishes to emulate being the most

catholic of them all. In my opinion, in the book when he talks about raising

people from the dead he is attempting to be the most holy and pure of them

all. However, I felt it made him look foolish. When he proclaimed himself as
the medicine man however, he put himself in a positon of power as well as a

holy icon to the indigenous peoples. In this sense, I believe him to be the

most holy as well as Catholic.

To display his power that he held Cortez orders Montezumas men to

report to him, they do and they bring him Gold. Gold symbolizes power here

and Cortes degrades Montezuma to his face. One party of them went to a

province called Cuzula, eighty leagues from the great city of Tenochtitlan,

whose inhabitants are vassals of Montezuma, where they were shown three

rivers, from all of which they brought me specimens of gold, of a good

quality, although procured with little trouble, and without any other

instruments than those used by the Indians. Cortes wants it to be known not

only to Montezuma, but as well to everyone else that he is the man that is in

charge. This also shows how important power was to these men. Cabeza de

Vaca is power hungry, however he goes to all costs to obtain this power. He

makes it clear to the King in the book, Castaways, that he spent the most

time with the indigenous peoples and knows exactly how to be in a position

of power and then goes on to tell the King how he should continue ruling. To

me, Cabeza de Vaca was able to portray his new Spanish Identity the best

because he reconstructs the entire myth. At the very beginning of the book

Cabeza de Vaca is held captive by the indigenous peoples and is helpless

and at the end of the book he is after the Kings power and is a self-

proclaimed medicine man.

 To conclude, I believe Cabeza de Vaca best portrays Spanish Identity.

However, it is a new Spanish Identity, he reconstructs it and I believe makes

it better. He does make the sign of the cross when he blows on peoples food

to bless it, he is the medicine man and self-proclaimed at that, he finds gold,

he has adorning followers that travel with him for thousands of miles, and he

is at the pinnacle of portraying masculinity. With this being said, I do believe

Cabeza de Vaca to best portray the new and improved Spanish Identity.

Lastly, I believe this to be the new Spanish Identity rather than the old one, I

believe this to be what happens next for Spanish Conquistadors and Cabeza

de Vaca best portrays what it means to be a conquistador.