My Intro

[joninliverton]

Thanks Tampa - the skin policeman lol x

 

[louis33705]

For those who have trouble seeing it because it's written in a color for the white forum background, here's Jon's post.


Cortez The Killer

He came dancing across the water
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
In that palace in the sun.

On the shore lay Montezuma
With his coca leaves and pearls
In his halls he often wondered
With the secrets of the worlds.

And his subjects
gathered 'round him
Like the leaves around a tree
In their clothes of many colors
For the angry gods to see.

And the women all were beautiful
And the men stood
straight and strong
They offered life in sacrifice
So that others could go on.

Hate was just a legend
And war was never known
The people worked together
And they lifted many stones.

They carried them
to the flatlands
And they died along the way
But they built up
with their bare hands
What we still can't do today.

And I know she's living there
And she loves me to this day
I still can't remember when
Or how I lost my way.

He came dancing across the water
Cortez, Cortez
What a killer.

Not bad. I have studied the history of my People extensively. The sacrifices have been disrespectfully depicted. What is not included in the mainstream history books is how Cortez sacrificed and murdered most of the high priests because he suspected them to be gay. He did it for the honor of the King and the church. Enough said.

 

[tampa24]

The abuses were indeed horrible. If the Spaniards met anyone who was a pagan, they were looked down upon as not being worth the air they breathed. So of course they believed they had God's permission to do whatever they wanted to with them. All of the Native American libraries and any written documents of their culture were considered "the work of the devil" so the majority of it was burned to ashes. We lost almost all record of that pre-Columbian history. Very sad.

 

[louis33705]

The abuses were indeed horrible. If the Spaniards met anyone who was a pagan, they were looked down upon as not being worth the air they breathed. So of course they believed they had God's permission to do whatever they wanted to with them. All of the Native American libraries and any written documents of their culture were considered "the work of the devil" so the majority of it was burned to ashes. We lost almost all record of that pre-Columbian history. Very sad.

Have no fear, Tampa. Not all was lost. Berardino de Sahagun, Franciscan friar, spent 50 years in Mexico studying and translating hidden manuscripts that had been hidden by Motecuzoma's historic ethnographer during the Spanish occupation. These were eventually published as the Florentine Codices. They consist of 12 volumes written in Nahuatl (my native language) with the Spanish translations. There are also English translations available in more recent times. My grandmother spoke the language fluently. My Father, however, was raised in the US. While he did not speak it fluently, he understood it completely. I studied the language for about three years but never grasped it because I had no one to converse with. Believe it or not, there is a community of Nahuatl speaking people in Clearwater. There is also a village of Nahuatl people in Austria, but that's a whole other story on how they got there. As for where you live now, we also have history written on what the Spanish found when they landed in Florida in Pinellas. Bet you didn't know Florida was rich in corn and cotton fields at that time.

Yep, not all history was lost and I am proud to be a descendant of it all.

Have a great Easter weekend. Yes, I celebrate this season because the Man who we give tribute to is the same as any other man who has given his life for his country and People.

Louis

 

[joninliverton]

Guys its good to understand the ways you guys think about such things. I appreciate your seniority and sincerity as I could never read in between Neil's lines - a great man as he is. Nevertheless the song is fucking brilliant. Jxx

 

[tampa24]

Have no fear, Tampa. Not all was lost. Berardino de Sahagun, Franciscan friar, spent 50 years in Mexico studying and translating hidden manuscripts that had been hidden by Motecuzoma's historic ethnographer during the Spanish occupation. These were eventually published as the Florentine Codices. They consist of 12 volumes written in Nahuatl (my native language) with the Spanish translations. There are also English translations available in more recent times. My grandmother spoke the language fluently. My Father, however, was raised in the US. While he did not speak it fluently, he understood it completely. I studied the language for about three years but never grasped it because I had no one to converse with. Believe it or not, there is a community of Nahuatl speaking people in Clearwater. There is also a village of Nahuatl people in Austria, but that's a whole other story on how they got there. As for where you live now, we also have history written on what the Spanish found when they landed in Florida in Pinellas. Bet you didn't know Florida was rich in corn and cotton fields at that time.

Yep, not all history was lost and I am proud to be a descendant of it all.

Have a great Easter weekend. Yes, I celebrate this season because the Man who we give tribute to is the same as any other man who has given his life for his country and People.

Louis

Thanks for all that explanation Louis. You should be very proud of your heritage Louis. I do remember seeing a documentary about the Codices, the efforts of Fray Berardino de Sahagun to preserve and study the native culture, and his fascination with the Popol Vuh.

Happy Easter!