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{{Short description|Deified horse from Mexico}}
{{Short description|Deified horse from Mexico}}
{{overly detailed|date=November 2023}}


{{Infobox animal|image=Conquista-de-México-por-Cortés-Tenochtitlan-Painting-Détail.png|image caption=Conquest of Mexico by Cortés, detail of Cortés and Morzillo (second half of the 17th century).|breed=Horse|birth_place=Jamaica|death_date=1525|owner=Hernán Cortés}}
{{Infobox animal|image=Conquista-de-México-por-Cortés-Tenochtitlan-Painting-Détail.png|image caption=Conquest of Mexico by Cortés, detail of Cortés and Morzillo (second half of the 17th century).|breed=Horse|birth_place=Jamaica|death_date=1525|owner=Hernán Cortés}}


'''Morzillo''' is a black [[horse]] that belonged to the [[conquistador]] [[Hernán Cortés]] from 1519 to 1525, and was deified after his death by the [[Itza people|Itza]] of the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] region under the name of Tziminchác.
'''Morzillo''' was a black [[horse]] owned by the Spanish [[conquistador]] [[Hernán Cortés]] from 1519 to 1525. After his death, he was deified by the [[Itza people|Itza]] people of the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] region and referred to as Tziminchác.


Acquired by [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] in 1519, this elegant horse was used by him during his expedition to [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire|Mexico]], notably during the siege of [[Tenochtitlan|Mexico-Tenochtitlan]] (1521). [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] then took Morzillo on the expedition to [[Honduras]]. After suffering a hoof injury, the horse was offered by [[Hernán Crespo|Cortés]] to the [[Itza people|Itza]] of the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] region, but died shortly afterwards for lack of proper care.
Acquired by [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] in 1519, Morzillo played a significant role during his expedition to [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire|Mexico]], particularly during the siege of [[Tenochtitlan|Mexico-Tenochtitlan]] in 1521. Following this, [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] took Morzillo on an expedition to [[Honduras]]. After suffering a hoof injury, the horse was offered by [[Hernán Crespo|Cortés]] to the [[Itza people|Itza]] of the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] region but died shortly thereafter due to inadequate care.


After his death, Morzillo became the object of a cult among the [[Itza people|Itza]] that lasted for a hundred years. They saw him as a [[thunder]] god, probably due to the use of [[Arquebus|arquebuses]] by the [[Spaniards]]. His statue was found in the town of [[Flores, Petén|Flores]] by two [[Order of Friars Minor|Franciscan missionaries]], 95 years after the passage of [[Hernán Crespo|Cortés]]. It was definitively destroyed in 1697, during [[Martín de Ursúa]]'s campaign.
Posthumously, Morzillo became the focus of a cult among the Itza, lasting for approximately one hundred years. The Itza revered him as a [[thunder]] god, likely influenced by the use of [[arquebus]]es by the [[Spaniards]]. His statue was found in the town of [[Flores, Petén|Flores]] by two [[Order of Friars Minor|Franciscan missionaries]], 95 years after the passage of [[Hernán Crespo|Cortés]]. It was definitively destroyed in 1697 during [[Martín de Ursúa]]'s campaign.


The cult of Tziminchác is still remembered locally.
The cult of Tziminchác continues to be remembered in local traditions.


== Sources ==
== Sources ==


=== Documents from the colonial era ===
=== Documents from the colonial era ===
Sources relating to [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' horses come in part from the letters (''relaciones'') he himself wrote and sent to [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]].<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1937|p=525}}</ref> These were translated into French by [[Désiré Charnay]], ''Lettres de Fernand Cortès à Charles-Quint sur la découverte et la conquête du Mexique'', 1896.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cortés |first=Hernán |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k821936 |title=Lettres de Fernand Cortès à Charles-Quint sur la découverte et la conquête du Mexique |publisher=Librairie Hachette |location=Paris |language=fr |trans-title=Letters from Ferdinand Cortes to Charles V on the discovery and conquest of Mexico}}</ref>
Sources concerning [[Hernán Cortés]]' horses include letters (''relaciones'') he wrote to [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]],<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1937|p=525}}</ref> which provide firsthand accounts of his experiences and observations. These letters were translated into French by [[Désiré Charnay]] in his work ''Lettres de Fernand Cortès à Charles-Quint sur la découverte et la conquête du Mexique'' (1896).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cortés |first=Hernán |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k821936 |title=Lettres de Fernand Cortès à Charles-Quint sur la découverte et la conquête du Mexique |publisher=Librairie Hachette |location=Paris |language=fr |trans-title=Letters from Ferdinand Cortes to Charles V on the discovery and conquest of Mexico}}</ref>


The main other source is the chronicle by [[Bernal Díaz del Castillo]] (1496-1584), ''Historia verdadera de la conquista de la nueva España''. He gives numerous comments on the individual qualities of the horses of [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' troops<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1937|p=526}}</ref> and their coat color.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1937|p=527}}</ref>
Another significant source is the chronicle by [[Bernal Díaz del Castillo]] (1496-1584), titled ''Historia verdadera de la conquista de la nueva España''. Díaz del Castillo offers detailed descriptions of the individual qualities and coat colors of the horses used by [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' troops.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1937|p=526}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1937|p=527}}</ref>


Spanish historian Juan de Villagutierre (1650-1700) mentions the veneration of Tziminchác in his ''Historia de la conquista de la provincia de el Itza''<ref name=":0">{{Harvtxt|Chamay|1904|p=297}}</ref>, and [[Diego López de Cogolludo|Diego Lopez de Cogolludo]] in his ''Histoire du Yucatan''.<ref name=":1">{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=419}}</ref>
Spanish historian Juan de Villagutierre (1650-1700) references the veneration of Tziminchác in his ''Historia de la conquista de la provincia de el Itza''. Similarly,<ref name=":0">{{Harvtxt|Chamay|1904|p=297}}</ref> [[Diego López de Cogolludo|Diego Lopez de Cogolludo]] discusses this veneration in his ''Histoire du Yucatan''.<ref name=":1">{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=419}}</ref>


Charnay may have taken some of his information on Cortés' horse from Antonio de Solís y Ribadeneyra (''Historia de la conquista de México, población y progresos de la América septentrional, conocida por el nombre de Nueva España'').<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Simoën |first=Jean-Claude |title=A la recherche des civilisations disparues : Archéologues et aventuriers |publisher=Place des éditeurs |year=2013 |isbn=978-2-262-04360-5 |pages=224 |language=fr |trans-title=In search of lost civilizations: Archaeologists and adventurers}}</ref>
Charnay may have drawn some of his information regarding Cortés' horse from Antonio de Solís y Ribadeneyra's work, ''Historia de la conquista de México, población y progresos de la América septentrional, conocida por el nombre de Nueva España''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Simoën |first=Jean-Claude |title=A la recherche des civilisations disparues : Archéologues et aventuriers |publisher=Place des éditeurs |year=2013 |isbn=978-2-262-04360-5 |pages=224 |language=fr |trans-title=In search of lost civilizations: Archaeologists and adventurers}}</ref>


=== Recent historical studies ===
=== Recent historical studies ===
Among those who have written recently about Morzillo (references in the "Bibliography" section) are:
Several authors have explored the subject of Morzillo in recent years, including:


* [[Cunninghame Graham|Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham]] (1852-1936), politician, writer and adventurer, who devoted an article to him entitled ''Hippomorphous'' in 1914<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914}}</ref>;
* [[Cunninghame Graham|Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham]] (1852-1936): A politician, writer, and adventurer, he published an article titled ''Hippomorphous'' in 1914, focusing on Morzillo;<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914}}</ref>
* Robert Denhardt (1912-1989), historian, professor at [[Texas A&M University]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert M. Denhardt |url=https://www.aqha.com/fr/-/robert-m-denhardt |access-date=13 October 2022 |website=www.aqha.com}}</ref>, in an article published in 1937 about [[Hernán Crespo|Cortés]]' horses<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1937}}</ref>, and who devoted an entire article to Morzillo in 1938<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938}}</ref>;
* Robert Denhardt (1912-1989): A historian and professor at [[Texas A&M University]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert M. Denhardt |url=https://www.aqha.com/fr/-/robert-m-denhardt |access-date=13 October 2022 |website=www.aqha.com}}</ref> Denhardt wrote about Cortés' horses in 1937 and dedicated an entire article to Morzillo in 1938;<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938}}</ref>
* [[Ángel Cabrera (naturalist)|Ángel Cabrera]] (1879-1960), zoologist<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ángel Cabrera (1879-1960) |url=https://data.bnf.fr/14559258/angel_cabrera/ |access-date=25 October 2022 |website=data.bnf.fr}}</ref>, in his 1945 work translated into French in 2004 as ''Chevaux d'Amérique''<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004}}</ref>;
* [[Ángel Cabrera (naturalist)|Ángel Cabrera]] (1879-1960): A zoologist,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ángel Cabrera (1879-1960) |url=https://data.bnf.fr/14559258/angel_cabrera/ |access-date=25 October 2022 |website=data.bnf.fr}}</ref> Cabrera's work from 1945 was translated into French in 2004 under the title ''Chevaux d'Amérique'';<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004}}</ref>
* Pierre Ivanoff (1924-1974), explorer and filmmaker<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pierre Ivanoff |url=https://www.babelio.com/auteur/Pierre-Ivanoff/256847 |access-date=25 October 2022 |website=Babelio}}</ref>, who devoted a chapter to the subject in his 1968 book ''Découvertes chez les Maya''<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968}}</ref>;
* Pierre Ivanoff (1924-1974): An explorer and filmmaker,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pierre Ivanoff |url=https://www.babelio.com/auteur/Pierre-Ivanoff/256847 |access-date=25 October 2022 |website=Babelio}}</ref> Ivanoff included a chapter on Morzillo in his 1968 book ''Découvertes chez les Maya'';<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968}}</ref>
* Paleontologist Deb Bennett<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abour Dr. Deb Bennett |url=https://www.jayhawkartandimage.com/about-dr-deb-bennett |access-date=25 October 2022 |website=Jayhawkartandimage}}</ref> writes about horses in the New World in her book ''Conquerors'' (1998).<ref>{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998}}</ref>
* Deb Bennett:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abour Dr. Deb Bennett |url=https://www.jayhawkartandimage.com/about-dr-deb-bennett |access-date=25 October 2022 |website=Jayhawkartandimage}}</ref> A paleontologist, Bennett discusses horses in the New World in her 1998 book ''Conquerors.''<ref>{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998}}</ref>


== Horse names ==
== Horse names ==
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Robert M. Denhardt claims the horse is called "Morzillo".<ref name=":3">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=184}}</ref> Désiré Charnay uses the name "Morcillo".<ref name=":2" />
Robert M. Denhardt claims the horse is called "Morzillo".<ref name=":3">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=184}}</ref> Désiré Charnay uses the name "Morcillo".<ref name=":2" />


Deb Bennett (1998) translated Morzillo as "the tuft".<ref name=":4">{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998|p=199}}</ref> She explained this by the fact that this horse had a spike of hair on its neck, a [[Hair whorl (horse)|hair whorl]], seen as a sign of good fortune in Arab traditions.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998|p=199-200}}</ref>
Deb Bennett translates Morzillo as "the tuft," citing a distinctive tuft of hair on its neck, which is considered a sign of good fortune in Arab traditions.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998|pp=199–200}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998|p=199}}</ref>


Argentine zoologist [[Ángel Cabrera (naturalist)|Ángel Cabrera]], on the other hand, calls it Morcillo, an adjective used in Spain at the time to designate a black horse with reddish highlights ([[Seal brown (horse)|seal brown]]).<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=83}}</ref> The color adjectives used by Spaniards in [[16th century|16th-century]] sources can be difficult to translate, as they don't always have the same meaning in modern [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1937|p=528}}</ref>
Argentine zoologist [[Ángel Cabrera (naturalist)|Ángel Cabrera]] uses the term "Morcillo," which historically referred to a black horse with reddish highlights ([[Seal brown (horse)|seal brown]]).<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=83}}</ref> The color terminology in 16th-century Spanish sources can be challenging to translate accurately into modern Spanish.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1937|p=528}}</ref>


Désiré Charnay (1908) also referred to this horse as "Marzillo".<ref name=":0" />
Désiré Charnay (1908) also referred to this horse as "Marzillo".<ref name=":0" />
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=== Mayan name ===
=== Mayan name ===
{{See also|Itzaʼ language}}
{{See also|Itzaʼ language}}
The divine name given to this horse in Maya [[Itzaʼ language|Itza]] is ''Tziminchác''<ref name=":5">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=187}}</ref>, also spelled ''Tziminchác'' by French ethnologist [[Jacques Soustelle]]<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Soustelle |first=Jacques |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pb9pAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=tzimin+chac+cheval |title=Les Maya |publisher=Flammarion |year=1982 |isbn=978-2-08-200446-6 |pages=264 |language=fr}}</ref> and [[Anthropology|anthropologist]] James D. Nations<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Nations |first=James |url=https://books.google.fr/books?id=Qz_3DAAAQBAJ&pg=PR7&q=tzimin+chac |title=The Maya Tropical Forest : People, Parks, and Ancient Cities |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-292-71318-5 |pages=363}}</ref>, ''Tizimin Chac'' by historian John Henderson<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Henderson |first=John |url=https://books.google.fr/books?id=kqk56Jc28LcC&pg=PA45&dq=tizimin+chac+horse |title=The World of the Ancient Maya |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-8014-8284-7 |pages=362}}</ref>, or ''Tziunchán'' by Bennett.<ref name=":9">{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998|p=189}}</ref>
The divine name given to this horse in Maya [[Itzaʼ language|Itza]] is ''Tziminchác'',<ref name=":5">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=187}}</ref> also spelled ''Tziminchác'' by French ethnologist [[Jacques Soustelle]]<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Soustelle |first=Jacques |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pb9pAAAAMAAJ&q=tzimin+chac+cheval |title=Les Maya |publisher=Flammarion |year=1982 |isbn=978-2-08-200446-6 |pages=264 |language=fr}}</ref> and [[Anthropology|anthropologist]] James D. Nations,<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Nations |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qz_3DAAAQBAJ&q=tzimin+chac&pg=PR7 |title=The Maya Tropical Forest : People, Parks, and Ancient Cities |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-292-71318-5 |pages=363}}</ref> ''Tizimin Chac'' by historian John Henderson,<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Henderson |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kqk56Jc28LcC&dq=tizimin+chac+horse&pg=PA45 |title=The World of the Ancient Maya |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-8014-8284-7 |pages=362}}</ref> or ''Tziunchán'' by Bennett.<ref name=":9">{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998|p=189}}</ref>


Soustelle proposes the translation "horse of thunder"<ref name=":6" />, while anthropologist Grant D. Jones translates it as "horse of thunder". Jones translates it as "horse of thunder and lightning"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Grant D. |url=https://books.google.fr/books?hl=fr&lr=&id=FyHgy-xw2CgC&oi=fnd&pg=PA197&dq=tizimin+chac+horse&ots=5Q7Y0JC4lJ&sig=5is3F81fxxFd7zCwdTl2mb6Uyy4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=New Theories on the Ancient Maya |publisher=UPenn Museum of Archaeology |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-924171-13-0 |pages=200 |chapter=XVI. Rebellious Prophets}}</ref>, while James D. Nations translates it as "[[Tapirus|tapir]] of thunder", from "Tzimin", the [[Itzaʼ language|Itza name]] for a tapir.<ref name=":7" /> Nations explains this choice of translation by the fact that the tapir is the [[rainforest]] animal that most resembles a horse.<ref name=":7" />
Soustelle proposes the translation "horse of thunder",<ref name=":6" /> while anthropologist Grant D. Jones elaborates, translating it as "horse of thunder and lightning".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Grant D. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FyHgy-xw2CgC&dq=tizimin+chac+horse&pg=PA197 |title=New Theories on the Ancient Maya |publisher=UPenn Museum of Archaeology |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-924171-13-0 |pages=200 |chapter=XVI. Rebellious Prophets}}</ref> Nations translates it as "[[Tapirus|tapir]] of thunder",<ref name=":7" /> explaining that the tapir is the rainforest animal most resembling a horse.<ref name=":7" />


Religious historian Michel Graulich does not endorse either etymology, but points out the kinship of the Mayan word "Tzimin" with the [[Nahuatl]] word "''[[Tzitzimitl]]''".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Graulich |first=Michel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AgahAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=tzimin+chac+cheval |title=Mythes et rituels du Mexique ancien préhispanique |publisher=Académie royale de Belgique |year=2000 |isbn=978-2-8031-0170-2 |language=fr |trans-title=Myths and rituals of ancient pre-Hispanic Mexico, Royal Academy of Belgium}}</ref>
Religious historian Michel Graulich does not support either etymology but notes a linguistic connection between the Mayan word "Tzimin" and the [[Nahuatl]] word "''[[Tzitzimitl]]''".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Graulich |first=Michel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AgahAAAAMAAJ&q=tzimin+chac+cheval |title=Mythes et rituels du Mexique ancien préhispanique |publisher=Académie royale de Belgique |year=2000 |isbn=978-2-8031-0170-2 |language=fr |trans-title=Myths and rituals of ancient pre-Hispanic Mexico, Royal Academy of Belgium}}</ref>


== Descriptions ==
== Descriptions ==
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== History ==
== History ==
Morzillo's destiny is unique in the [[annals]] that mention horses<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":10">{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=89}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Layne |first=J. Gregg |date=1950 |title=Review: THE HORSES OF THE CONQUEST, by R. B. Cunninghame Graham, Robert Moorman Denhardt, and J. Craig Sheppard Norman |journal=The Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=87 |doi=10.2307/41168231 |issn=2162-9366}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=415}}</ref>: <blockquote>"His black horse, too, was about to play the most extraordinary role a horse has ever played in all human history."
Morzillo's story is notable in the context of horses mentioned in historical accounts.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":10">{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=89}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Layne |first=J. Gregg |date=1950 |title=Review: THE HORSES OF THE CONQUEST, by R. B. Cunninghame Graham, Robert Moorman Denhardt, and J. Craig Sheppard Norman |journal=The Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=87 |doi=10.2307/41168231 |jstor=41168231 |issn=2162-9366}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=415}}</ref> His black horse is described as having played a significant role in history, according to [[Cunninghame Graham|Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham]] in ''Hippomorphous''.<ref name=":11" /> Despite Morzillo's fame, Bernal Díaz del Castillo suggests that he may not have been the best horse among [[Hernán Cortés]]' troop.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|pp=90–91}}</ref>

- [[Cunninghame Graham|Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham]], ''Hippomorphous''<ref name=":11" /></blockquote>Although he remains the most famous, if Bernal Díaz's comments are anything to go by, Morzillo was probably not the best horse in [[Hernán Cortés]]' troops.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=90-91}}</ref>


=== Cortés' acquisition of Morzillo ===
=== Cortés' acquisition of Morzillo ===
[[File:Estatua de Hernan Cortes.jpg|thumb|[[Equestrian statue]] of Hernán Cortés (the name of the mount is not specified).]]
[[File:Estatua de Hernan Cortes.jpg|thumb|[[Equestrian statue]] of Hernán Cortés (the name of the mount is not specified).]]
Bernal Díaz describes [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' first mount on leaving [[Cuba]] (February 1519) as follows: "a brown zain horse that died at [[San Juan de Ulúa]] (off the coast of Mexico)"<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=81}}</ref>, where the squadron arrived on 21 April; it is not possible to know whether this horse died of battle wounds or disease.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=85}}</ref> [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] then mounted a horse named "El Arriero", followed by a third called "Romo", which arrived on the same [[ship]] as Morzillo.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=88-89}}</ref>
Bernal Díaz del Castillo provides accounts of Hernán Cortés' horses during the early stages of his expedition. Upon leaving [[Cuba]] in February 1519, Cortés rode a brown zain horse that later died at [[San Juan de Ulúa]],<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=81}}</ref> the location where the squadron arrived on April 21. The cause of death remains uncertain, as it could have been due to battle wounds or disease. Following this horse, Cortés mounted "El Arriero," and subsequently rode a third horse named "Romo", which arrived on the same ship as Morzillo.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|pp=88–89}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=85}}</ref>


Three months after the creation of the colony of [[Veracruz]] (now Mexico), on 9 July 1519, [[Hernán Cortés]] captured a ship sent by the governor of Cuba, [[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar|Diego Velasquez]], with whom he was on bad terms, and appropriated its cargo - a dozen [[Horses in Jamaica|Jamaican horses]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":10" />
On July 9, 1519, shortly after establishing the colony of [[Veracruz]], Cortés captured a ship sent by [[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar|Diego Velasquez]], the governor of Cuba, and appropriated its cargo, which included a dozen horses from [[Horses in Jamaica|Jamaica]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":10" /> Morzillo, at this time, remained in Veracruz and was not ridden during the [[La Noche Triste]] episode on June 30, 1520.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998|p=204}}</ref> However, Díaz notes that Cortés did ride Morzillo during the siege of [[Tenochtitlan|Mexico-Tenochtitlan]] from March to August 1521.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":11" />

Morzillo remained in Veracruz for the time being, and was not ridden during [[La Noche Triste]] episode (30 June 1520)<ref>{{Harvtxt|Bennett|1998|p=204}}</ref>, but according to Diaz, [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] rode Morzillo during the siege of [[Tenochtitlan|Mexico-Tenochtitlan]] (March-August 1521).<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":11" />


=== Stopover in the Tayasal ===
=== Stopover in the Tayasal ===
As the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire|conquest of Mexico]] drew to a close<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=21}}</ref>, on 13 March 1525, [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' conquistadores stopped, on foot and on horseback, in the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] valley.<ref name=":12">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=23}}</ref> There, they [[Hunting|hunted]] [[deer]] for meat.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":13">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=185}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=416}}</ref> The hunt was easy, as the deer could be approached and shot, but the conquistador's horse, Palacio Rubias, died from the heat.<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":14" /> The [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] valley lies in the territory of the [[Itza people]]<ref name=":13" />, who (according to Bernal Díaz) worship various animals, including deer.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":15">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=186}}</ref> After the hunt, the party crossed stony hills, named ''el Paso del Alabastro'' and ''La Sierra de los Pedernales'' by Villagutierre, where [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' black horse received "a splinter in his foot"<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=417}}</ref> from a "sharp stick", and cannot be treated.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":9" /><ref name=":10" /> According to Bernal Díaz del Castillo, while [[Hernán Crespo|Cortés]] and his troops were resting after their hunt, they were approached by Itza [[Canadian (canoe)|canoes]], and invited to their village, located in the center of [[Lake Petén Itzá|Lake Petén Itza]].<ref name=":15" /> Cortés went there with 20 men and his horse Morzillo.<ref name=":15" />
As the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire|conquest of Mexico]] neared completion,<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=21}}</ref> on 13 March 1525, Cortés and his men made a stop in the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] valley.<ref name=":12">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=23}}</ref> They [[Hunting|hunted]] [[deer]] for meat,<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":13">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=185}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=416}}</ref> which was relatively easy due to the animals' approachable nature. Unfortunately, one of Cortés' other horses, Palacio Rubias, succumbed to the heat during this stop.<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":14" /> While crossing the stony hills known as El Paso del Alabastro and La Sierra de los Pedernales,<ref name=":14" /> Morzillo sustained a foot injury from a sharp stick,<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=417}}</ref> which could not be treated.<ref name=":15">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=186}}</ref><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":10" /><ref name=":9" /> Díaz recounts that while resting after the hunt, Cortés and his troops were approached by canoes from the Itza, inviting them to their village on [[Lake Petén Itzá|Lake Petén Itza]].<ref name=":15" /> Cortés accepted the invitation, bringing Morzillo along.<ref name=":15" />


In the fifth letter [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] sent, the cause of Morzillo's gift to the Itza is attributed to his foot injury ("I was obliged to leave my black horse (''mi caballo morzillo'') with a splinter in his foot"<ref name=":16">{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=418}}</ref>) and the episode of the deer hunt came afterwards.<ref name=":10" /> However, Bernal Díaz del Castillo, who wrote his chronicle later, attributed the cause of the gift to this deer hunt on a hot day, claiming that Morzillo had lost all the fat in his body and could no longer stand.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":16" /> Cabrera believes [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' version to be more credible, as it was written very shortly after the events in question.<ref name=":10" /> Villagutierre, writing on the basis of these two sources, considers the real reason for Morzillo's gift to the Itza to be of little importance, the following facts (the veneration of the horse) being irrefutable.<ref name=":16" />
In a letter, Cortés attributed the decision to leave Morzillo with the Itza to the horse's foot injury, stating he was "obliged to leave my black horse (''mi caballo morzillo'') with a splinter in his foot".<ref name=":16">{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=418}}</ref> However, Díaz, writing later,<ref name=":10" /> suggested that Morzillo was given to the Itza due to exhaustion after the deer hunt, claiming the horse had lost all its body fat and could no longer stand.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":16" /> Ángel Cabrera argues that Cortés' version is more credible due to its proximity to the events.<ref name=":10" /> Spanish historian Juan de Villagutierre, while acknowledging the differing accounts, emphasized the significance of the horse's subsequent veneration by the Itza as a key fact.<ref name=":16" />


=== Morzillo's gift to the Itza ===
=== Morzillo's gift to the Itza ===
{{See also|Itza people|Tzitzimitl}}
{{See also|Itza people|Tzitzimitl}}


[[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]], who probably held Morzillo in high esteem, refused to [[Slaughterhouse|slaughter]] or sacrifice him.<ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Denville |first=N. J. |date=2001 |title=Equine allies in the new world |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/c7cab156f63bb48b8d3b08fa482b253e/1.pdf?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=364 |journal=Américas |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=24-29 |access-date=14 October 2022}}</ref> Cortés initially thought of coming back for Morzillo via the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]].<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":12" /> So [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] left Morzillo with the Itza [[cacique]], Canek, who promised to look after him.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":12" /> [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] recounted this episode in the fifth letter sent to [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]], quoting the cacique's promise.<ref name=":10" /> The cacique of the village of [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] thus inherited Morzillo.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":9" />
Hernán Cortés held Morzillo in high regard and refused to have him slaughtered or sacrificed.<ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Denville |first=N. J. |date=2001 |title=Equine allies in the new world |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/c7cab156f63bb48b8d3b08fa482b253e/1.pdf?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=364 |journal=Américas |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=24–29 |access-date=14 October 2022}}</ref> Initially, Cortés contemplated returning for Morzillo via the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] region and entrusted the horse to the care of the Itza cacique, Canek, who assured him that he would look after Morzillo.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":5" /> This episode is detailed in Cortés' fifth letter to [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]], where he quotes Canek's promise.<ref name=":10" /> Consequently, Morzillo became the responsibility of the cacique of Tayasal.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":9" />


The [[Itzaʼ language|Itza]], who had never seen horses before<ref name=":12" />, took [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' mission of care seriously.<ref name=":5" /> They probably equate Morzillo with a thunder god, having seen from afar the [[Arquebus|arquebuses]] firing on the game hunted by [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' mounted troops, but unable to learn their operation at close quarters.<ref name=":5" /> Unable to care for a horse, the Itza renamed him "Tziminchác", decorated him with flower necklaces and tried to feed him [[:simple:Game_(hunting)|game]] and [[poultry]] meat, to curry his favor.<ref name=":5" /> Charnay mentions that he was given the flesh of sacrificial victims.<ref name=":17">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=24}}</ref>
The [[Itzaʼ language|Itza]], having never encountered horses before,<ref name=":12" /> took this responsibility seriously.<ref name=":5" />They likely equated Morzillo with a thunder god, having observed the [[arquebus]]es fired by Cortés' mounted troops from a distance. Despite their good intentions, the Itza lacked the knowledge to properly care for a horse.<ref name=":5" /> They renamed Morzillo "Tziminchác," adorned him with flower necklaces, and attempted to feed him game and poultry to win his favor. According to Désiré Charnay, Morzillo was also given the flesh of sacrificial victims.<ref name=":17">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=24}}</ref><ref name=":5" />


The horse died from lack of proper care.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":15" /><ref name=":17" />
The horse died from lack of proper care.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":15" /><ref name=":17" />
Line 84: Line 81:
=== Temple and statue of Tziminchác ===
=== Temple and statue of Tziminchác ===
[[File:Flores Viewed from San Miguel Waterfront - Peten - Guatemala (15860946061).jpg|thumb|Tourist boat on [[Lake Petén Itzá]] named "Tziminchác". In the background, the town of [[Flores]].]]
[[File:Flores Viewed from San Miguel Waterfront - Peten - Guatemala (15860946061).jpg|thumb|Tourist boat on [[Lake Petén Itzá]] named "Tziminchác". In the background, the town of [[Flores]].]]
Soon enough, the horse died. The Itza turned him into a thunder deity, ''Tziminchác'', erected a temple in his honor and carved a [[statue]] in his likeness, in stone according to most sources<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":17" />, in wood according to the ''Historia municipal del Reino de Yucatan''.<ref name=":18">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=27}}</ref>
After Morzillo's death, the Itza transformed him into a thunder deity known as ''Tziminchác''. They erected a temple in his honor and carved a statue in his likeness, with most sources indicating it was made of stone,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":17" /> while the ''Historia municipal del Reino de Yucatán'' suggests it was wooden.<ref name=":18">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=27}}</ref>


Several theories explain this veneration. Filmmaker Pierre Ivanoff posits that the Itza feared Cortés' return and the vengeance of the spirit of the deceased horse.<ref name=":17" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://data.bnf.fr/12614247/pierre_ivanoff/ |title=Pierre Ivanoff (1924-1974) |publisher=Bibliothèque nationale de France |access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>
Several explanations are offered for this veneration.


⚫
Désiré Charnay, citing Diego López de Cogolludo, notes that the Itza believed the horse was responsible for the firing of arquebuses observed during a hunting party.<ref name=":0" /> Juan de Villagutierre views Tziminchác as an important addition to the Itza pantheon,<ref name=":0" /> whereas John Henderson considers him a minor divinity associated with [[lightning]].<ref name=":8" />
For filmmaker and lecturer Pierre Ivanoff<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://data.bnf.fr/12614247/pierre_ivanoff/ |title=Pierre Ivanoff (1924-1974) |publisher=Bibliothèque nationale de France |access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>, the Indians feared the return of [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] and the vengeance of the [[:simple:Spirit|spirit]] of the horse who has just died.<ref name=":17" />

⚫
For Charnay, quoting Cogolludo, the Itza believed that the horse is responsible for the firing of the [[Arquebus|arquebuses]], following the hunting party they observed.<ref name=":0" /> Juan de Villagutierre believes that this new divinity takes an important place in their pantheon.<ref name=":0" /> Henderson, on the other hand, believes it was a "minor divinity" linked to [[lightning]].<ref name=":8" />


=== Franciscan missionaries visit ===
=== Franciscan missionaries visit ===
⚫
Cortés never returned for Morzillo, and it was not until 95 years later that Europeans revisited the region.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":16" /> While most sources date this visit to 1618,<ref name=":19">{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=147}}</ref><ref name=":20">{{Cite book |last=Taladoire |first=Éric |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kujyDwAAQBAJ&dq=tzimin+chac+cheval&pg=PT37 |title=L'aventure Maya : Découvertes du XVIe au XXIe siècle |publisher=Editions du Cerf |year=2020 |isbn=978-2-204-13523-8 |pages=264 |language=fr |trans-title=The Maya adventure: Discoveries from the 16th to the 21st century}}</ref> some, including Robert Cunninghame Graham, place it in 1697 during General [[Martín de Ursúa]]'s military campaign.<ref name=":16" />
[[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] never came back for Morzillo, so 95 years passed before another European visit.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":16" />

⚫
There are, however, differences in date interpretation. Most sources date these events to 1618, 95 years after [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' departure and around a century after the conquest of [[Pedro de Alvarado|Alvarado]] (this is the date cited by archaeologist Éric Taladoire)<ref name=":19">{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=147}}</ref><ref name=":20">{{Cite book |last=Taladoire |first=Éric |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kujyDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT37&printsec=frontcover&dq=tzimin+chac+cheval |title=L'aventure Maya : Découvertes du XVIe au XXIe siècle |publisher=Editions du Cerf |year=2020 |isbn=978-2-204-13523-8 |pages=264 |language=fr |trans-title=The Maya adventure: Discoveries from the 16th to the 21st century}}</ref>, while Cunninghame Graham places them in 1697, during the military campaign of General [[Martín de Ursúa]].<ref name=":16" />

⚫
In any case, two [[Order of Friars Minor|Franciscan missionaries]] came to convert the inhabitants of the [[Petén Department|Petén]] to [[Christianity]].<ref name=":19" /> <ref name=":21">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=25}}</ref>They both spoke the [[Itzaʼ language|Itza language]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":21" /> The two religious visited the local temples and found a statue of ''Tziminchác'', a stone horse sitting on his hips, in the largest of them.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":22">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=26}}</ref> They were astonished, as there are no horses in this region<ref name=":23">{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=90}}</ref>, and the locals had never seen one other than through the statue of ''Tziminchác''.<ref name=":19" /> They learn the origin of the horse, as well as the nature of the diet offered to Morzillo during his lifetime.<ref name=":23" />


⚫
During this visit, two [[Order of Friars Minor|Franciscan missionaries]], fluent in the Itza language, sought to convert the locals to [[Christianity]].<ref name=":19" /><ref name=":21">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=25}}</ref> They both spoke the [[Itzaʼ language|Itza language]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":21" /> They discovered the statue of ''Tziminchác'', a stone horse depicted sitting on its hips, in the largest temple.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":22">{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=26}}</ref> The missionaries were astonished, as there were no horses in the region,<ref name=":23">{{Harvtxt|Cabrera|2004|p=90}}</ref> and the locals had only seen one through the statue.<ref name=":19" /> They learned about Morzillo's origins and the types of offerings made to him during his life.<ref name=":23" />
Friar Bartolomé Fuensalida tells them that Morzillo is the idol of an "irrational beast", comparable to the deer Itza hunt to eat (''figura de béstia irracional, como son los venados y otros animales que flechais para comer'').<ref name=":24">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=188}}</ref>


According to Juan de Villagutierre, Father Juan de Orbita (or Orbitiera) attempted to destroy the statue.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":22" /> This desecration aroused the wrath of the people, and the missionaries narrowly escaped being [[Stoning|stoned]] to death.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":23" /><ref>{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=420}}</ref>
Friar Bartolomé Fuensalida described Morzillo as an idol of an "irrational beast," akin to the deer the Itza hunted for food.<ref name=":24">{{Harvtxt|Denhart|1938|p=188}}</ref> According to Villagutierre, Father Juan de Orbita attempted to destroy the statue,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":22" /> leading to local outrage and a near-violent response against the missionaries.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":23" /><ref>{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=420}}</ref>


=== Destruction of the Tziminchác temple (1697) ===
=== Destruction of the Tziminchác temple (1697) ===
In 1697, General [[Martín de Ursúa]]'s campaign to subdue the Itza<ref name=":1" /> led to the destruction of all the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] temples, with Juan de Villagutierre present.<ref name=":20" />
In 1697, General [[Martín de Ursúa]] led a campaign to subdue the Itza, resulting in the destruction of all the [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] temples, including the temple of Tziminchác, with Juan de Villagutierre present during the events. This campaign marked the definitive loss of the statue of Tziminchác, as well as the bones that were housed in the temple.<ref name=":20" /><ref name=":1" />


According to Ivanoff, this led to the definitive loss of the [[Bone|bones]] in the temple of Tziminchác.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=29-30}}</ref> The statue of the horse was also definitively lost.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=421}}</ref>
According to Pierre Ivanoff, this destruction contributed to a significant decline in European interest in Maya ruins and their associated cults for an extended period.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cunninghame|1914|p=421}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|pp=29–30}}</ref>


According to Taladoire, European interest in the [[Maya peoples|Maya]] [[ruins]] and cults sank into a long period of oblivion.<ref name=":20" />
According to Taladoire, European interest in the [[Maya peoples|Maya]] [[ruins]] and cults sank into a long period of oblivion.<ref name=":20" />


=== Perpetuation of the legend ===
=== Perpetuation of the legend ===
The Itza seemed to have recognized that their horse statue does not represent a god, but the legend of Tziminchác has continued to be passed down.<ref name=":24" />
Despite the loss of the temple and its contents, the legend of Tziminchác has persisted in local oral traditions.<ref name=":24" />


According to sources of popular oral tradition consulted by Ivanoff, the Itza created a new statue at a place called Nic-Tun, which they transported on a [[pirogue]] to the island of [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]] in order to hide it, but the boat capsized and sank due to its weight.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|p=26-27}}</ref> Ivanoff searched unsuccessfully for such a statue in the waters of Lake Tayasal.<ref name=":18" />
It is believed that the Itza acknowledged that their horse statue did not represent a god. Ivanoff notes that the Itza attempted to create a new statue at a site called Nic-Tun, which they transported on a [[pirogue]] to the island of [[Nojpetén|Tayasal]]. However, the boat capsized and sank under the weight of the statue.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ivanoff|1968|pp=26–27}}</ref><ref name=":18" />


In his architecture thesis defended in 2007, Arturo Alejandro Sazo Lopez cites a "dance of the little horse" (''Baile del caballito''), which is said to be "a remembrance or emulation of the Horse of Cortez that cannot be destroyed" (''una remembranza o emulación al Caballo de Cortés que no puede ser destruido'').<ref name=":25">{{Cite book |last=Sazo |first=Arturo |url=http://biblioteca.usac.edu.gt/tesis/02/02_1795.pdf |title=Suseo de sitio y facilidades turisticas para la comunidas San Miguel Tayasal, Flores, Peten |publisher=Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala Facultad de Arquitectura |year=2007 |pages=59}}</ref> This dance has its own music and lyrics. It seems to have been first performed by a local gentleman from [[Flores, Petén|Flores]], named Vicente.<ref name=":25" />
In a 2007 architecture thesis, Arturo Alejandro Sazo Lopez referenced a traditional performance known as the "dance of the little horse" (''Baile del caballito''), described as a remembrance of the "Horse of Cortés" that cannot be destroyed.<ref name=":25">{{Cite book |last=Sazo |first=Arturo |url=http://biblioteca.usac.edu.gt/tesis/02/02_1795.pdf |title=Suseo de sitio y facilidades turisticas para la comunidas San Miguel Tayasal, Flores, Peten |publisher=Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala Facultad de Arquitectura |year=2007 |pages=59}}</ref> This dance features its music and lyrics and was reportedly first performed by a local gentleman from [[Flores, Petén|Flores]] named Vicente.<ref name=":25" />


In one of his [[literary criticism]], the French poet [[Guillaume Apollinaire]] invented a novel entitled ''Tzimin-Chac'', which he attributed to a certain "Louis Bréon", a fictitious name inspired by that of the philosopher Morvan Bréon.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Apollinaire |first=Guillaume |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-GpcAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=tzimin+chac+cheval |title=Œuvres en prose |last2=Décaudin |first2=Michel |last3=Caizergues |first3=Pierre |publisher=Gallimard |year=1991 |isbn=978-2-07-011216-6 |language=fr |trans-title=Prose works}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Décaudin |first=Michel |url=https://books.google.fr/books?id=R5RLFNICXiYC&pg=PA49&dq=Louis+Bréon+roman+Tzimin+-+Chac |title=Apollinaire en son temps : actes du quatorzième colloque de Stavelot, 31 août-3 septembre 1988 |publisher=Presses Sorbonne Nouvelle |year=1990 |isbn=978-2-87854-004-8 |pages=174 |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Parinaud |first=André |url=https://books.google.fr/books?id=ds2BDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT240&dq=Louis+Bréon+roman+Tzimin+-+Chac |title=Apollinaire : 1880-1918 |publisher=JC Lattès |year=1994 |isbn=978-2-7062-6898-4 |pages=240 |language=fr}}</ref> French-Belgian author [[Diane Ducret]] cites the Tziminchác legend in her ''Corpus Equi'' (2013).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ducret |first=Diane |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BQPuow93M0EC&pg=PP15&printsec=frontcover&dq=tzimin+chac+cheval |title=Corpus Equi |publisher=Place des éditeurs |year=2013 |isbn=978-2-262-04327-8 |pages=102}}</ref>
Additionally, the legend of Tziminchác has inspired various literary works. French poet [[Guillaume Apollinaire]] invented a novel titled ''Tzimin-Chac'', attributed to the fictitious author "Louis Bréon," a name inspired by philosopher Morvan Bréon.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Apollinaire |first1=Guillaume |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-GpcAAAAMAAJ&q=tzimin+chac+cheval |title=Œuvres en prose |last2=Décaudin |first2=Michel |last3=Caizergues |first3=Pierre |publisher=Gallimard |year=1991 |isbn=978-2-07-011216-6 |language=fr |trans-title=Prose works}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Décaudin |first=Michel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R5RLFNICXiYC&dq=Louis+Bréon+roman+Tzimin+-+Chac&pg=PA49 |title=Apollinaire en son temps : actes du quatorzième colloque de Stavelot, 31 août-3 septembre 1988 |publisher=Presses Sorbonne Nouvelle |year=1990 |isbn=978-2-87854-004-8 |pages=174 |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Parinaud |first=André |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ds2BDwAAQBAJ&dq=Louis+Bréon+roman+Tzimin+-+Chac&pg=PT240 |title=Apollinaire : 1880-1918 |publisher=JC Lattès |year=1994 |isbn=978-2-7062-6898-4 |pages=240 |language=fr}}</ref> French-Belgian author [[Diane Ducret]] also referenced the Tziminchác legend in her 2013 work, ''Corpus Equi''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ducret |first=Diane |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BQPuow93M0EC&dq=tzimin+chac+cheval&pg=PP15 |title=Corpus Equi |publisher=Place des éditeurs |year=2013 |isbn=978-2-262-04327-8 |pages=102}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 129: Line 120:
== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==


* {{Cite book |last=Bennett |first=Deb |url=https://books.google.fr/books?id=IaN-YaOMhX4C&pg=PA186&printsec=frontcover&q=Morcillo |title=Conquerors : The Roots of New World Horsemanship |publisher=Amigo Publications, Inc. |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-9658533-0-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bennett |first=Deb |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IaN-YaOMhX4C&q=Morcillo&pg=PA186 |title=Conquerors : The Roots of New World Horsemanship |publisher=Amigo Publications, Inc. |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-9658533-0-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Cabrera |first=Ángel |title=Chevaux d'Amérique |publisher=Éditions du Rocher |year=2004 |isbn=2-268-05129-3 |edition=1st |language=fr |trans-title=American horses}}
* {{Cite book |last=Cabrera |first=Ángel |title=Chevaux d'Amérique |publisher=Éditions du Rocher |year=2004 |isbn=2-268-05129-3 |edition=1st |language=fr |trans-title=American horses}}
* {{Cite book |last=Chamay |first=Désiré |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44387138 |title=Les explorations de Téobert Maler |publisher=Journal de la Société des américanistes |year=1904 |volume=1 |language=fr |trans-title=Téobert Maler's explorations |access-date=3 October 2022 |issue=3}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Chamay |first=Désiré |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44387138 |title=Les explorations de Téobert Maler |journal=Journal de la Société des américanistes |year=1904 |volume=1 |language=fr |trans-title=Téobert Maler's explorations |access-date=3 October 2022 |issue=3|pages=289–308 |jstor=44387138 }}
* {{Cite publication |last=Cunnighame |first=R. B. |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/aa70c97b8f54e26f/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=581 |title=Hippomorphous |publisher=The English review |year=1914 |location=London |language=fr}}
* {{Cite book |last=Cunninghame |first=R. B. |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/aa70c97b8f54e26f/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=581 |title=Hippomorphous |publisher=The English review |year=1914 |location=London |language=en}}
* {{Cite publication |last=Denhart |first=Robert |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2507142 |title=The Truth about Cortes's Horses |publisher=The Hispanic American Historical Review |year=1937 |volume=17 |language=fr |issue=4}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Denhart |first=Robert |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2507142 |title=The Truth about Cortes's Horses |journal=The Hispanic American Historical Review |year=1937 |volume=17 |language=en |issue=4|pages=525–532 |jstor=2507142 }}
* {{Cite publication |last=Denhart |first=Robert |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43466454 |title=El Morzillo |publisher=Southwest Review |year=1938 |volume=23 |issn=0038-4712 |access-date=3 October 2022 |issue=2}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Denhart |first=Robert |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43466454 |title=El Morzillo |journal=Southwest Review |year=1938 |volume=23 |issn=0038-4712 |access-date=3 October 2022 |issue=2|pages=184–188 |jstor=43466454 }}
* {{Cite publication |last=Ivanoff |first=Pierre |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k3331141q |title=Découvertes chez les Maya |publisher=Robert Laffont |year=1968 |series=Les énigmes de l'univers |location=Paris |language=fr |trans-title=Discoveries among the Maya |chapter=Sur les traces du cheval de Cortez |trans-chapter=In the footsteps of the Cortez horse}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ivanoff |first=Pierre |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k3331141q |title=Découvertes chez les Maya |publisher=Robert Laffont |year=1968 |series=Les énigmes de l'univers |location=Paris |language=fr |trans-title=Discoveries among the Maya |chapter=Sur les traces du cheval de Cortez |trans-chapter=In the footsteps of the Cortez horse}}


[[Category:Horse breeds by country of origin]]
[[Category:Individual horses]]
[[Category:Horses]]
[[Category:History of Guatemala]]
[[Category:Guatemala]]
[[Category:Spanish people]]
[[Category:Horses by country]]

Latest revision as of 13:58, 24 October 2024

Morzillo
Conquest of Mexico by Cortés, detail of Cortés and Morzillo (second half of the 17th century).
BreedHorse
BornJamaica
Died1525
OwnerHernán Cortés

Morzillo was a black horse owned by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés from 1519 to 1525. After his death, he was deified by the Itza people of the Tayasal region and referred to as Tziminchác.

Acquired by Cortés in 1519, Morzillo played a significant role during his expedition to Mexico, particularly during the siege of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in 1521. Following this, Cortés took Morzillo on an expedition to Honduras. After suffering a hoof injury, the horse was offered by Cortés to the Itza of the Tayasal region but died shortly thereafter due to inadequate care.

Posthumously, Morzillo became the focus of a cult among the Itza, lasting for approximately one hundred years. The Itza revered him as a thunder god, likely influenced by the use of arquebuses by the Spaniards. His statue was found in the town of Flores by two Franciscan missionaries, 95 years after the passage of Cortés. It was definitively destroyed in 1697 during Martín de Ursúa's campaign.

The cult of Tziminchác continues to be remembered in local traditions.

Sources

[edit]

Documents from the colonial era

[edit]

Sources concerning Hernán Cortés' horses include letters (relaciones) he wrote to Charles V,[1] which provide firsthand accounts of his experiences and observations. These letters were translated into French by Désiré Charnay in his work Lettres de Fernand Cortès à Charles-Quint sur la découverte et la conquête du Mexique (1896).[2]

Another significant source is the chronicle by Bernal Díaz del Castillo (1496-1584), titled Historia verdadera de la conquista de la nueva España. Díaz del Castillo offers detailed descriptions of the individual qualities and coat colors of the horses used by Cortés' troops.[3][4]

Spanish historian Juan de Villagutierre (1650-1700) references the veneration of Tziminchác in his Historia de la conquista de la provincia de el Itza. Similarly,[5] Diego Lopez de Cogolludo discusses this veneration in his Histoire du Yucatan.[6]

Charnay may have drawn some of his information regarding Cortés' horse from Antonio de Solís y Ribadeneyra's work, Historia de la conquista de México, población y progresos de la América septentrional, conocida por el nombre de Nueva España.[7]

Recent historical studies

[edit]

Several authors have explored the subject of Morzillo in recent years, including:

  • Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham (1852-1936): A politician, writer, and adventurer, he published an article titled Hippomorphous in 1914, focusing on Morzillo;[8]
  • Robert Denhardt (1912-1989): A historian and professor at Texas A&M University,[9] Denhardt wrote about Cortés' horses in 1937 and dedicated an entire article to Morzillo in 1938;[10]
  • Ángel Cabrera (1879-1960): A zoologist,[11] Cabrera's work from 1945 was translated into French in 2004 under the title Chevaux d'Amérique;[12]
  • Pierre Ivanoff (1924-1974): An explorer and filmmaker,[13] Ivanoff included a chapter on Morzillo in his 1968 book Découvertes chez les Maya;[14]
  • Deb Bennett:[15] A paleontologist, Bennett discusses horses in the New World in her 1998 book Conquerors.[16]

Horse names

[edit]

Spanish names

[edit]

Robert M. Denhardt claims the horse is called "Morzillo".[17] Désiré Charnay uses the name "Morcillo".[7]

Deb Bennett translates Morzillo as "the tuft," citing a distinctive tuft of hair on its neck, which is considered a sign of good fortune in Arab traditions.[18][19]

Argentine zoologist Ángel Cabrera uses the term "Morcillo," which historically referred to a black horse with reddish highlights (seal brown).[20] The color terminology in 16th-century Spanish sources can be challenging to translate accurately into modern Spanish.[21]

Désiré Charnay (1908) also referred to this horse as "Marzillo".[5]

Mayan name

[edit]
See also: Itzaʼ language

The divine name given to this horse in Maya Itza is Tziminchác,[22] also spelled Tziminchác by French ethnologist Jacques Soustelle[23] and anthropologist James D. Nations,[24] Tizimin Chac by historian John Henderson,[25] or Tziunchán by Bennett.[26]

Soustelle proposes the translation "horse of thunder",[23] while anthropologist Grant D. Jones elaborates, translating it as "horse of thunder and lightning".[27] Nations translates it as "tapir of thunder",[24] explaining that the tapir is the rainforest animal most resembling a horse.[24]

Religious historian Michel Graulich does not support either etymology but notes a linguistic connection between the Mayan word "Tzimin" and the Nahuatl word "Tzitzimitl".[28]

Descriptions

[edit]

Based on Bernal Diaz, Bennett describes the animal as elegant, with a dark bay or black coat.[29]

History

[edit]

Morzillo's story is notable in the context of horses mentioned in historical accounts.[17][30][31][32] His black horse is described as having played a significant role in history, according to Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham in Hippomorphous.[32] Despite Morzillo's fame, Bernal Díaz del Castillo suggests that he may not have been the best horse among Hernán Cortés' troop.[33]

Cortés' acquisition of Morzillo

[edit]
Equestrian statue of Hernán Cortés (the name of the mount is not specified).

Bernal Díaz del Castillo provides accounts of Hernán Cortés' horses during the early stages of his expedition. Upon leaving Cuba in February 1519, Cortés rode a brown zain horse that later died at San Juan de Ulúa,[34] the location where the squadron arrived on April 21. The cause of death remains uncertain, as it could have been due to battle wounds or disease. Following this horse, Cortés mounted "El Arriero," and subsequently rode a third horse named "Romo", which arrived on the same ship as Morzillo.[35][36]

On July 9, 1519, shortly after establishing the colony of Veracruz, Cortés captured a ship sent by Diego Velasquez, the governor of Cuba, and appropriated its cargo, which included a dozen horses from Jamaica.[19][30] Morzillo, at this time, remained in Veracruz and was not ridden during the La Noche Triste episode on June 30, 1520.[37] However, Díaz notes that Cortés did ride Morzillo during the siege of Mexico-Tenochtitlan from March to August 1521.[17][32]

Stopover in the Tayasal

[edit]

As the conquest of Mexico neared completion,[38] on 13 March 1525, Cortés and his men made a stop in the Tayasal valley.[39] They hunted deer for meat,[26][40][41] which was relatively easy due to the animals' approachable nature. Unfortunately, one of Cortés' other horses, Palacio Rubias, succumbed to the heat during this stop.[40][41] While crossing the stony hills known as El Paso del Alabastro and La Sierra de los Pedernales,[41] Morzillo sustained a foot injury from a sharp stick,[42] which could not be treated.[43][40][22][30][26] Díaz recounts that while resting after the hunt, Cortés and his troops were approached by canoes from the Itza, inviting them to their village on Lake Petén Itza.[43] Cortés accepted the invitation, bringing Morzillo along.[43]

In a letter, Cortés attributed the decision to leave Morzillo with the Itza to the horse's foot injury, stating he was "obliged to leave my black horse (mi caballo morzillo) with a splinter in his foot".[44] However, Díaz, writing later,[30] suggested that Morzillo was given to the Itza due to exhaustion after the deer hunt, claiming the horse had lost all its body fat and could no longer stand.[30][44] Ángel Cabrera argues that Cortés' version is more credible due to its proximity to the events.[30] Spanish historian Juan de Villagutierre, while acknowledging the differing accounts, emphasized the significance of the horse's subsequent veneration by the Itza as a key fact.[44]

Morzillo's gift to the Itza

[edit]
See also: Itza people and Tzitzimitl

Hernán Cortés held Morzillo in high regard and refused to have him slaughtered or sacrificed.[26][45] Initially, Cortés contemplated returning for Morzillo via the Tayasal region and entrusted the horse to the care of the Itza cacique, Canek, who assured him that he would look after Morzillo.[30][39][22] This episode is detailed in Cortés' fifth letter to Charles V, where he quotes Canek's promise.[30] Consequently, Morzillo became the responsibility of the cacique of Tayasal.[5][26]

The Itza, having never encountered horses before,[39] took this responsibility seriously.[22]They likely equated Morzillo with a thunder god, having observed the arquebuses fired by Cortés' mounted troops from a distance. Despite their good intentions, the Itza lacked the knowledge to properly care for a horse.[22] They renamed Morzillo "Tziminchác," adorned him with flower necklaces, and attempted to feed him game and poultry to win his favor. According to Désiré Charnay, Morzillo was also given the flesh of sacrificial victims.[46][22]

The horse died from lack of proper care.[5][43][46]

Veneration under the name of Tziminchác

[edit]

Temple and statue of Tziminchác

[edit]
Tourist boat on Lake Petén Itzá named "Tziminchác". In the background, the town of Flores.

After Morzillo's death, the Itza transformed him into a thunder deity known as Tziminchác. They erected a temple in his honor and carved a statue in his likeness, with most sources indicating it was made of stone,[5][46] while the Historia municipal del Reino de Yucatán suggests it was wooden.[47]

Several theories explain this veneration. Filmmaker Pierre Ivanoff posits that the Itza feared Cortés' return and the vengeance of the spirit of the deceased horse.[46][48]

Désiré Charnay, citing Diego López de Cogolludo, notes that the Itza believed the horse was responsible for the firing of arquebuses observed during a hunting party.[5] Juan de Villagutierre views Tziminchác as an important addition to the Itza pantheon,[5] whereas John Henderson considers him a minor divinity associated with lightning.[25]

Franciscan missionaries visit

[edit]

Cortés never returned for Morzillo, and it was not until 95 years later that Europeans revisited the region.[24][44] While most sources date this visit to 1618,[49][50] some, including Robert Cunninghame Graham, place it in 1697 during General Martín de Ursúa's military campaign.[44]

During this visit, two Franciscan missionaries, fluent in the Itza language, sought to convert the locals to Christianity.[49][51] They both spoke the Itza language.[6][51] They discovered the statue of Tziminchác, a stone horse depicted sitting on its hips, in the largest temple.[22][52] The missionaries were astonished, as there were no horses in the region,[53] and the locals had only seen one through the statue.[49] They learned about Morzillo's origins and the types of offerings made to him during his life.[53]

Friar Bartolomé Fuensalida described Morzillo as an idol of an "irrational beast," akin to the deer the Itza hunted for food.[54] According to Villagutierre, Father Juan de Orbita attempted to destroy the statue,[5][52] leading to local outrage and a near-violent response against the missionaries.[5][53][55]

Destruction of the Tziminchác temple (1697)

[edit]

In 1697, General Martín de Ursúa led a campaign to subdue the Itza, resulting in the destruction of all the Tayasal temples, including the temple of Tziminchác, with Juan de Villagutierre present during the events. This campaign marked the definitive loss of the statue of Tziminchác, as well as the bones that were housed in the temple.[50][6]

According to Pierre Ivanoff, this destruction contributed to a significant decline in European interest in Maya ruins and their associated cults for an extended period.[56][57]

According to Taladoire, European interest in the Maya ruins and cults sank into a long period of oblivion.[50]

Perpetuation of the legend

[edit]

Despite the loss of the temple and its contents, the legend of Tziminchác has persisted in local oral traditions.[54]

It is believed that the Itza acknowledged that their horse statue did not represent a god. Ivanoff notes that the Itza attempted to create a new statue at a site called Nic-Tun, which they transported on a pirogue to the island of Tayasal. However, the boat capsized and sank under the weight of the statue.[58][47]

In a 2007 architecture thesis, Arturo Alejandro Sazo Lopez referenced a traditional performance known as the "dance of the little horse" (Baile del caballito), described as a remembrance of the "Horse of Cortés" that cannot be destroyed.[59] This dance features its music and lyrics and was reportedly first performed by a local gentleman from Flores named Vicente.[59]

Additionally, the legend of Tziminchác has inspired various literary works. French poet Guillaume Apollinaire invented a novel titled Tzimin-Chac, attributed to the fictitious author "Louis Bréon," a name inspired by philosopher Morvan Bréon.[60][61][62] French-Belgian author Diane Ducret also referenced the Tziminchác legend in her 2013 work, Corpus Equi.[63]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Denhart (1937, p. 525)
  2. ^ Cortés, Hernán. Lettres de Fernand Cortès à Charles-Quint sur la découverte et la conquête du Mexique [Letters from Ferdinand Cortes to Charles V on the discovery and conquest of Mexico] (in French). Paris: Librairie Hachette.
  3. ^ Denhart (1937, p. 526)
  4. ^ Denhart (1937, p. 527)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Chamay (1904, p. 297)
  6. ^ a b c Cunninghame (1914, p. 419)
  7. ^ a b Simoën, Jean-Claude (2013). A la recherche des civilisations disparues : Archéologues et aventuriers [In search of lost civilizations: Archaeologists and adventurers] (in French). Place des éditeurs. p. 224. ISBN 978-2-262-04360-5.
  8. ^ Cunninghame (1914)
  9. ^ "Robert M. Denhardt". www.aqha.com. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  10. ^ Denhart (1938)
  11. ^ "Ángel Cabrera (1879-1960)". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  12. ^ Cabrera (2004)
  13. ^ "Pierre Ivanoff". Babelio. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  14. ^ Ivanoff (1968)
  15. ^ "Abour Dr. Deb Bennett". Jayhawkartandimage. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  16. ^ Bennett (1998)
  17. ^ a b c Denhart (1938, p. 184)
  18. ^ Bennett (1998, pp. 199–200)
  19. ^ a b Bennett (1998, p. 199)
  20. ^ Cabrera (2004, p. 83)
  21. ^ Denhart (1937, p. 528)
  22. ^ a b c d e f g Denhart (1938, p. 187)
  23. ^ a b Soustelle, Jacques (1982). Les Maya (in French). Flammarion. p. 264. ISBN 978-2-08-200446-6.
  24. ^ a b c d Nations, James (2006). The Maya Tropical Forest : People, Parks, and Ancient Cities. University of Texas Press. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-292-71318-5.
  25. ^ a b Henderson, John (1997). The World of the Ancient Maya. Cornell University Press. p. 362. ISBN 978-0-8014-8284-7.
  26. ^ a b c d e Bennett (1998, p. 189)
  27. ^ Jones, Grant D. (1992). "XVI. Rebellious Prophets". New Theories on the Ancient Maya. UPenn Museum of Archaeology. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-924171-13-0.
  28. ^ Graulich, Michel (2000). Mythes et rituels du Mexique ancien préhispanique [Myths and rituals of ancient pre-Hispanic Mexico, Royal Academy of Belgium] (in French). Académie royale de Belgique. ISBN 978-2-8031-0170-2.
  29. ^ Bennett (1998, p. 188)
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h Cabrera (2004, p. 89)
  31. ^ Layne, J. Gregg (1950). "Review: THE HORSES OF THE CONQUEST, by R. B. Cunninghame Graham, Robert Moorman Denhardt, and J. Craig Sheppard Norman". The Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly. 32 (1): 87. doi:10.2307/41168231. ISSN 2162-9366. JSTOR 41168231.
  32. ^ a b c Cunninghame (1914, p. 415)
  33. ^ Cabrera (2004, pp. 90–91)
  34. ^ Cabrera (2004, p. 81)
  35. ^ Cabrera (2004, pp. 88–89)
  36. ^ Cabrera (2004, p. 85)
  37. ^ Bennett (1998, p. 204)
  38. ^ Ivanoff (1968, p. 21)
  39. ^ a b c Ivanoff (1968, p. 23)
  40. ^ a b c Denhart (1938, p. 185)
  41. ^ a b c Cunninghame (1914, p. 416)
  42. ^ Cunninghame (1914, p. 417)
  43. ^ a b c d Denhart (1938, p. 186)
  44. ^ a b c d e Cunninghame (1914, p. 418)
  45. ^ Denville, N. J. (2001). "Equine allies in the new world" (PDF). Américas. 53 (4): 24–29. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  46. ^ a b c d Ivanoff (1968, p. 24)
  47. ^ a b Ivanoff (1968, p. 27)
  48. ^ Pierre Ivanoff (1924-1974). Bibliothèque nationale de France. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  49. ^ a b c Cabrera (2004, p. 147)
  50. ^ a b c Taladoire, Éric (2020). L'aventure Maya : Découvertes du XVIe au XXIe siècle [The Maya adventure: Discoveries from the 16th to the 21st century] (in French). Editions du Cerf. p. 264. ISBN 978-2-204-13523-8.
  51. ^ a b Ivanoff (1968, p. 25)
  52. ^ a b Ivanoff (1968, p. 26)
  53. ^ a b c Cabrera (2004, p. 90)
  54. ^ a b Denhart (1938, p. 188)
  55. ^ Cunninghame (1914, p. 420)
  56. ^ Cunninghame (1914, p. 421)
  57. ^ Ivanoff (1968, pp. 29–30)
  58. ^ Ivanoff (1968, pp. 26–27)
  59. ^ a b Sazo, Arturo (2007). Suseo de sitio y facilidades turisticas para la comunidas San Miguel Tayasal, Flores, Peten (PDF). Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala Facultad de Arquitectura. p. 59.
  60. ^ Apollinaire, Guillaume; Décaudin, Michel; Caizergues, Pierre (1991). Œuvres en prose [Prose works] (in French). Gallimard. ISBN 978-2-07-011216-6.
  61. ^ Décaudin, Michel (1990). Apollinaire en son temps : actes du quatorzième colloque de Stavelot, 31 août-3 septembre 1988 (in French). Presses Sorbonne Nouvelle. p. 174. ISBN 978-2-87854-004-8.
  62. ^ Parinaud, André (1994). Apollinaire : 1880-1918 (in French). JC Lattès. p. 240. ISBN 978-2-7062-6898-4.
  63. ^ Ducret, Diane (2013). Corpus Equi. Place des éditeurs. p. 102. ISBN 978-2-262-04327-8.

Bibliography

[edit]
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