La Malinche: The woman who helped destroy the Aztec Empire

La Malinche, originally named Malinalli or Malintzin, was born around 1500, in the region of the Nahua people, now known as the Mexican state of Veracruz.

She was the daughter of a nobleman from Coatzacoalcos, but any more precise details of her early life are unclear, as much of what we know about her comes from Spanish chronicles written years after the events they describe.

Malinalli's life took a dramatic turn when, as a young girl, she was sold or given away into slavery at the coastal town of Xicallanco, to some Maya people.

Selling a child into slavery was a common practice among the Nahua when parents died or could not provide for their children.

Then, she was passed from one set of hands to another, eventually before being brought back west to the town of Potonchan, on the Tabasco River, which was under the control of the Chontal Maya.

Despite these hardships, Malinalli's early years were instrumental in shaping her future.

As a slave in different cultural regions, she learned to speak both the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs and the Mayan language.

This linguistic ability would later prove invaluable, making her a key asset to the Spanish conquistadors.

In 1519, the Spanish expedition led by Hernán Cortés arrived in Tabasco. After a brief conflict, the local Chontal Mayan lords surrendered and offered gifts to the Spaniards, including twenty young slave women.

Among these women was Malinalli, who was baptized by a Catholic priest who was with Cortés and was given the Christian name Marina.

Little did anyone know at the time, but this young woman would soon become one of the most influential figures in the history of the New World.

La Malinche's linguistic skills quickly caught the attention of the Spanish conquistadors.

She spoke both Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, and the Mayan language, while another member of the Spanish party, a Spanish Franciscan friar named Jerónimo de Aguilar, spoke Mayan and Spanish.

de Aguilar had been shipwrecked on the Yucatán Peninsula in 1511 and was captured by the Maya, who he lived with as a slave for eight years.

Over that time, he learned the Maya language. In 1519, Hernán Cortés rescued him, and from that point on, de Aguilar worked for him as a translator.

However, he only knew the Maya language, not the Nahuatl spoken by the Atecs.

So, together, La Malinche and de Aguilar formed a crucial translation chain: La Malinche would translate from Nahuatl to Mayan, and Aguilar would then translate from Mayan to Spanish.

As a result, La Malinche became an invaluable advisor to Cortés, as she provided him with critical insights into the political and cultural nuances of the Aztec Empire.

Her knowledge of the local customs, politics, and alliances was instrumental in helping the Spanish navigate the complex socio-political landscape of Mesoamerica.

During the invaders' march toward the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan, as the Europeans were starving, she was vital in bargaining with the local people for turkeys, tortillas, as well as fruits and vegetables to keep them alive.

She became so important to the Spaniards that they referred to her as doña Marina, an honorific title that was most commonly used when addressing royal and noble ladies in the courts of Europe.

She had a clear gift for learning languages. Jerónimo de Aguilar began teaching her Spanish using a grammar book he had with him, and, within just a few months, she was able to hold full conversations in it without any help.

One of the most significant moments in the conquest was the meeting between Cortés and the Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II.

La Malinche played a crucial role in these negotiations, acting as the voice of both parties.

Her ability to communicate and negotiate on behalf of Cortés was a key factor in the eventual downfall of the Aztec Empire.

As Cortés' interpreter and advisor, La Malinche was in a unique position of influence.

Her linguistic skills and cultural knowledge were indispensable to the Spanish conquest, and she quickly became one of Cortés' most trusted allies.

Beyond their professional relationship, La Malinche and Cortés also shared a personal connection.

She bore him a son, Martín Cortés, in 1522, who was named after Cortés' own father.

Martín is often considered one of the first Mestizos, a name used for those who were a blending of Indigenous and European cultures, many of who would come to define Mexico's national identity.

Despite her significant role in Cortés' life and the conquest, La Malinche's status remained ambiguous.

She was not Cortés' wife—Cortés was already married to a Spanish woman, Catalina Suárez Marcaida, and would later take a second Spanish wife after Catalina's death.

Yet, La Malinche was more than just a concubine or a slave. She was a partner and collaborator, whose contributions were vital to Cortés' success.

After the fall of the Aztec Empire, La Malinche remained an important part of the Spanish conquest of the former Aztec lands.

She stayed on as a translator for Cortes and even trained others to be translators so that she didn't need to bear the load alone.

La Malinche became quite wealthy: enough to afford quite a large household and estate, complete with household staff.

Interestingly, she never fully adopted the new Spanish customs or clothes. In fact, she always wore the traditional embroidered huipilli.

Eventually she married a Spanish hidalgo, Juan Jaramillo, and gave birth a daughter.

Sadly, she did not write any diaries, letters, or other written records, so historians will never know her personal motivations or emotions about her role in the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Finally, in 1529, La Malinche fell ill with one of the European diseases, perhaps smallpox, and died soon after.

She would have been only around 30 years of age.

La Malinche's complex role in the Spanish conquest and her status as a bridge between Indigenous and European cultures have generated diverse interpretations and emotional responses.

Traitor and Betrayer

This interpretation views La Malinche as a traitor to her own people, criticizing her collaboration with the Spanish conquistadors. She is seen as complicit in the downfall of the Aztec Empire, facilitating the invasion and subjugation of her own culture.

Victim of Circumstances

Some interpretations emphasize La Malinche's position as a victim of the circumstances she faced. She was initially enslaved, then forced to navigate a world dominated by Spanish conquerors. This perspective highlights the limited agency she had and portrays her as a tragic figure caught between conflicting loyalties.

Survivor and Strategist

In this view, La Malinche is portrayed as a survivor who used her intelligence and strategic thinking to navigate the challenging circumstances of the conquest. She made calculated decisions to protect her own interests and those of her people, employing her linguistic skills and knowledge of both Indigenous and Spanish cultures.

Symbol of Resilience and Adaptability

La Malinche is sometimes celebrated as a symbol of resilience, adaptability, and cultural fusion. This perspective emphasizes her ability to bridge the gap between Indigenous and European cultures, recognizing her role in shaping Mexico's mestizo identity.

Feminist Icon

Feminist interpretations of La Malinche focus on her agency and challenge traditional narratives that depict her as solely a victim or traitor. These perspectives highlight her intelligence, negotiation skills, and the constraints she faced as a woman in a patriarchal society.

Regardless of what we individually believed, it is essential to recognize that these interpretations are not mutually exclusive, and different perspectives may coexist within discussions of La Malinche.

Her complex legacy continues to spark dialogue and reflection, contributing to ongoing debates about the nature of colonization, power dynamics, and cultural identity.