Diego de Landa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Most Reverend Diego de Landa |
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|---|---|
| Bishop of Yucatán | |
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| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Diocese of Yucatán |
| Predecessor | Francisco de Toral |
| Successor | Gregorio de Montalvo Olivera |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 1573 by Cristóbal Rojas Sandoval |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 12, 1524 Cifuentes, Alcarria, Spain |
| Died | April 29, 1579 Yucatán |
| Nationality | Spanish |
Diego de Landa Calderón (born November 12, 1524 – died April 29, 1579) was a Spanish Franciscan bishop in Yucatán. He is a very important figure in the history of the Maya civilization.
Many historians criticize him because he ordered the burning of almost all the ancient Maya books, called Maya codices. These books held valuable knowledge about Maya religion, history, and culture. However, Landa also wrote a very important book himself, called Relación de las cosas de Yucatán. This book documented much of what we know today about the Maya people. One expert even said that "ninety-nine percent of what we today know of the Mayas, we know as the result either of what Landa has told us... or have learned in the use and study of what he told."
Contents
Becoming a Franciscan and Arriving in Yucatán
Diego de Landa was born in Cifuentes, Spain. He became a Franciscan friar in 1541. In 1549, he was sent to the Yucatán Peninsula as one of the first Franciscans.
His main job was to teach the Roman Catholic faith to the Maya peoples after the Spanish conquest of Yucatán. He worked hard to spread the Catholic faith and convert the native Maya. His first assignment was at the mission of San Antonio in Izamal, which became his main home in Yucatán.
Landa wrote the book Relación de las cosas de Yucatán around 1566. In it, he described the Maya religion, Maya language, culture, and writing system. The original copies of his book are now lost. The version we have today is a copy made around 1660. It was rediscovered in the 19th century and published in 1862.
The Inquisition and Maya Books
Why Landa Acted Against Maya Practices
Landa heard that some Maya people who had converted to Catholicism were still practicing their old religions. They were worshiping idols. Because of this, Landa ordered an Inquisition in a place called Maní. An Inquisition was a special court used by the Catholic Church to find and punish people who were believed to be going against Christian teachings.
On July 12, 1562, a ceremony called an auto de fé took place. During this event, Landa ordered the burning of many Maya books (codices) and thousands of Maya religious statues. Landa said 27 books were burned. Today, only three ancient Maya books and parts of a fourth are known to have survived. These are known as the Maya codices.
Landa's Inquisition used harsh methods of questioning on some Maya people. Many Maya leaders were put in jail. Large numbers of Maya people were subjected to physical questioning. Landa later said that no one died or was seriously hurt from these methods.
Some people at the time were worried about Landa's actions. The Spanish king had said that native people should not be under the Inquisition's power because their understanding of Christianity was "too childish." Landa also did not follow all the usual rules for Spanish questioning.
Landa's Reasons and Beliefs
Scholars believe Landa was very determined to stop what he saw as "idol worship." He thought there was a secret group of native priests trying to bring back the old ways. Landa believed it was his duty to stop this "evil" before the Maya people returned to their old religions.
Landa claimed he found proof of human sacrifice and other forbidden practices. He believed these practices were widespread in Yucatán. He thought that rituals the Spanish did not understand were "idolatry" or "devil worship." For example, some rituals involved clay idols and a mix of Catholic and native beliefs.
Landa believed deeply in his Inquisition. He, like many Franciscans, thought that converting as many people as possible was important before the end of the century. He believed that stopping "evil" and "pagan" practices would help bring about the Second Coming of Christ sooner.
Many historians agree that old Maya traditions likely continued even after the Spanish arrived. Landa believed that by stopping a few "sinners," he could save the whole community.
Landa's Important Writings
Landa's book, Relación De Las Cosas De Yucatán, is one of the most complete descriptions of Maya religion and culture. Even though his methods were controversial, many experts agree that his records are generally accurate. His writings are the main source of information about Maya history from that time. Without his work, we would know much less about the Maya people. However, if he had not burned the books, we would know even more.
Becoming a Bishop
After the Inquisition, Landa was sent back to Spain to face a trial for his actions. His methods were strongly criticized. However, in 1569, a group of experts cleared him of any wrongdoing. In 1571, King Philip II of Spain appointed Landa as the second bishop of Yucatán.
Landa's Legacy for Maya Studies Today
Landa's book also created a valuable record of the Maya writing system. Even though it had some mistakes, it was very important for later experts to figure out how to read Maya hieroglyphics. Landa asked his Maya helpers to write down the Maya symbols that matched each letter of the Spanish alphabet. He thought there would be a direct match.
Landa included these symbols in his book, but he noticed they seemed inconsistent. Later researchers also thought Landa's "de Landa alphabet" was wrong. It wasn't until the mid-20th century that experts realized it wasn't an alphabet at all, but a syllabary (where each symbol represents a syllable, not a single letter). This was confirmed by the work of Soviet linguist Yuri Knorozov in the 1950s.
See also
In Spanish: Diego de Landa para niños
