author giving the etymology--or rather, an etymology--of the word
"Cuauhtemallan"--This is the earliest _printed_ notice about it.)
GONZALO FERNANDEZ DE OVIEDO Y VALDÉS. (Has other information besides
Alvarado's letters.)
BARTOLOMÉ DE LAS CASAS. (Very important, particularly on the interior
provinces pertaining or adjacent to his bishopric of Chiapas.)
GIROLAMO BENZONI. (Visited Guatemala himself, and although brief, he
still is valuable.)
PETRUS MARTYR, AB ANGLERIA. (Brief notice, in connection with the
movements of Alvarado, in the last decade, Cap's V. and X.--earliest
reports on Guatemala in general, received in Europe.)
FRAY TORIBIO DE PAREDES, SURNAMED MOTOLINIA. (Not only the "Historia
de las Indias de Nueva-España," contains incidental reference to
Guatemala,--but there is a trace of a "Viaje á Guatemala."--Yet the
latter is still in doubt.)
FRAY GÊRONIMO DE MENDIETA.
BERNAL DIEZ DEL CASTILLO. (Although a citizen of Spanish Guatemala,
his reports are not very full.)
"REQUETO DE PLUSIEURS CHEFS D'ATITLAN." Addressed, under date of 1
Feb'y, 1571, to Philip II. Published in French, by H. Ternaux-Compans,
in 1^{st} "Recueil de piecés concernant le Méxique," 1838.--It is
valuable.
PASCUAL DE ANDAGOYA. "Relacion de los sucesos de Pedrarias Dávila en
las provincias de Tierra firme ó Castilla del oro, y de lo ocurrido en
el descubrimiento de la mar del Sur y costas del Perú y Nicaragua."
About 1545.--Original at Sevilla, printed for the first time by Don
Martin Fernandez de Navarrete, in 1829. Vol. III. of "Coleccion de los
Viajes y Descubrimientos, &c."--English translation, by C. R. Markham,
published under the title of "The Narrative of Pascual de Andagoya,"
by the Hackluyt Society, Vol. 34, 1865.--Slight mention is made of
Guatemala.
ALONZO DE ZURITA. (Çorita?) "Breve y Sumaria Relacion de los
Señores, y maneras y diferencias que habia de ellos en la
Nueva-España...."--This important official document, written about
1560, has been published but once in Spanish,--in Vol. II. of
"Coleccion de Documentos Inéditos relativos al Descubrimiento,
Conquista y Colonizacion de las Posesiones Españolas en América y
Oceanía," 1865.--The text is, however, imperfect.--A better original
had been used by Ternaux-Compans for his French translation: "Rapport
sur les diffirentes classes de la Nouvelle-Espagne."--Zurita is very
important on the organization of the Quiché tribes of Guatemala, and
he has been almost verbally copied by Herrera.
DIEGO GARCIA DE PALACIO. "Carta dírigida al Rey de España," 1576,
March 8th.--The chief importance of this report, in connection with
this list, consists in its being the earliest notice of the ruins of
Copan. Herrera made extensive use of Palacio's writings, but he
omitted that part which referred to Copan because it was not confirmed
(at his time) by any other testimony. The first publication of Palacio
was by Ternaux-Compans, in 1840, "Recueil de Documents et mémoires
originaux sur l'histoire des possessions espagnoles, &c."--French
translation: fluent, but not always reliable. A Spanish copy appeared
in 1866, in Vol. VII. of "Coleccion de Documentos Inéditos...."--A
Spanish copy, with English translation, by E. G. Squier, in 1860, as
Vol. I. of his "collection of rare and original documents, relations,
&c., &c."--Finally. Dr. Alexander von Frantzius published a German
translation in 1873, under the heading of "San Salvador and Honduras
im Jahre, 1576,"--which is particularly valuable on account of the
notes by the translator, as well as by Dr. C. H. Berendt.--Palacio
must have visited Copan about 1576, and the fact is established
through him that its buildings were in ruins at the time of the
Spanish conquest, that is about 1530, and no distinct traditions of
their origin left.
* * * * *
Passing over all general collections and geographical works, &c., &c.,
of the sixteenth century, I will mention:
"CARTAS DE INDIAS." (See Yucatan.) and the miscellaneous collections
like _"Colección de Documentos inéditos para la Historia de España,"
begun by Navarrete_, Miguel Salvá, and Pedro Saing de Barada, in 1842,
and still continued.
"_Colección de Documentos relativos al Descubrimiento, Conquista y
Colonizacion de las Posesiones Españolas en América y Oceanía._"
Commenced in 1864, and still continued.
(These collections contain chiefly documents from the "Real Archivo de
Indias," and although they are of recent date, the papers are all from
the earlier times of Spanish conquest and settlement.)
* * * * *
The library of the "Museo Nacional" at the City of Guatemala (la
Nueva), contains the following:
RAFAEL ARÉVALO. "Libro de Actas del Ayuntamiento de la Ciudad de
Guatemala." (Town book or record, from 1524 to 1530.)
"Colección de Documentos antiguos del Archivo del Ayuntamiento de la
Ciudad de Guatemala."--(Both bound in one volume and published in 1856
and 1857.)
MANUSCRIPTS. "Libro segundo del Cabildo de la Ciudad de Santiago de la
Provincia del Guatemala." (1530 to 1541.)
"Libro tercero de Cabildo." (1541 to 1543.)
"Historia de la Provincia de San Vicente de Chiapa y Guatemala."
(Fragmentary.)
FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ, CACIQUE OF SOLOLA. (FRANCISCO ERNANDEZ ARANA
XAHILA.) "Memorial," written about 1582.--Original owned by Brasseur
de Bourbourg, who quotes it under the heading of "Memorial de
Tèc-Pan-Atitlan."--It is one of the most important and valuable
documents existing on aboriginal topics,--embodying, as it does, a
statement of the conquest of Guatemala, written by a native in his own
language.
"Documentos antiguos de la casa de Ixcuinte-Nèhàib."
In addition to these, I must lay particular stress on the "territorial
titles" land grants, cessions, leases, or deeds to lands, still held
in Guatemala,--or to whatever (if anything) may be left of their
records.--Such papers contain frequently interesting, if not important
references to antiquities, traditions and historical facts, also to
the customs and manners of the Indians.
Among the other authorities still perhaps existing, or known to have
existed, though of difficult access, I refer to those below, avoiding,
of course, Linguistical works, unless they are of direct bearing on
other subjects also.
JUAN ESTRADA DE RAVAGO (or Juan Strada Salvago.) "Descripcion de las
Provincias de Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua y
Tierra-firme y Cartagena, &c., &c." 6 May, 1572. (MS. copy of it
belonging to E. G. Squier.)
"Memorial de las advertencias i cosas que la C. Cath, R'l M. del Rey i
su Re. Consejo de Indias manda hacer, &c., &c." (MS. of E. G. Squier.)
1579.
FRANCISCO MONTERO DE MIRANDA. "Relacion dírigida al Ill'mo Señor
Palacio, &c., &c., sobre la provincia de la Verapaz ó Tierra de
Guerra." 1575. (MS. of E. G. Squier.)
FRAYLES: FRANCISCO VIANA, LUCAS GALLEGO, and GUILLERMO CADENA.
"Relacion de la provincia y tierra de la Vera Paz," 1574. (MS. of
Squier.)
FRAY TOMÁS CÁRDENAS. "Representaciones al Rey sobre el Estado de los
Pueblos de la Vera-Paz."
FRAY TOMÁS CASTELAR. "Tratado de los Idolos de Guatemala."
"Triunfos de los Mártires del Orden de Predicadores en las Indias."
Printed 1580.
FRAY TOMÁS TORRE. "Historia de los principios de la Provincia de
Chiapas y Guatemala, del Orden de Santo Domingo."--Written prior to
1567.
FRAY DOMINGO VICO. "Historia de los Indios, sus Fábulas,
Supersticiones, Costumbres, &c."
"Teologia para los Indios, en Lengua de Vera Paz." 4 vols. (Still
existing.)
GERÓNIMO ROMAN. "República Indiana." (See Yucatan.)
This list is certainly far from complete, and it may be that among the
vocabularies, grammars, and such works now lost, although we know of
their former existence, there were some,--perhaps even many,--which
contained historical and ethnological matter of great value.--It is
hardly possible to avoid all allusions to such subjects in any work on
linguistics. But the number of books of that class is too great for
the purpose of the present list.
_Writers of the Seventeenth Century._
AUGUSTIN DAVILA-PADILLA. (See Yucatan. First edition appeared in
1595.)
GREGORIO GARCIA. (Plain and well informed, though brief.)
JUAN DE TORQUEMADA. (Important on organization and government, also
myths.)
ANTONIO DE HERRERA. (Very full and important.)
ANTONIO DE REMESAL. (Not as full on antiquities as might be expected.)
AUGUSTIN DE VETANCOURT. (Very slight mention.)
ENRICO MARTINEZ. (Casual mention.)
GIL GONZALEZ DÁVILA.
JUAN DIEZ DE LA CALLE.
FERNANDO DE ALBA IXTLILXOCHITL. "Relaciones históricas."--Of these,
the thirteenth, "De la Venida de los Españoles," is of particular
interest for Guatemala,--since it relates in detail Cortés' trip to
Honduras. The "Relaciones" are printed in full in Vol. IX. of Lord
Kingsborough's Collection,--the 13th however, was published under the
title of "Horribles Crueldades de los Conquistadores de México," as
appendix to Sahagun's "Hist-general," Vol. III., in 1829. From this,
M. Ternaux made a French translation, published by him in 1838, as
"Cruautés horribles des Conquérants du Méxique,"--in the first series
of his "Voyages et Mémoires originaux, &c."
"Historia de los Chichimecos, o' reyes antiguos de Tezcuco."--Casual
mention of Guatemala.--Published in Kingsborough, Vol. IX., and
translated by Ternaux and printed in French as "Histoire des
Chichiméques ou des anciens rois de Tezcuco," in 1840.--(2d
Series.)--Besides these, there are found references to Guatemala in
the "Sumaria Relacion, de los Toltecas." (Kingsb. IX.)--Ixtlilxochitl,
though full of details, is always a very suspicious source.--He is the
representative of _one tribe exclusively_.
FRANCISCO ANTONIO FUENTES Y GUZMAN. "Recordacion florida; Discurso
histórico, natural, material, militar, y político del reyno de
Guatemala." MS. of 1690. Original in the municipal archives of the
city of Guatemala. Copy at the "Museo Nacional."--Fuentes is like
Ixtlilxochitl--both have the same tendency to extol their native
tribes--still both must be carefully studied and critically
examined.--A publication of Fuentes, well and judiciously annotated,
would be highly useful.
FERNANDO ESPINO. "Historia de la reduccion y conversion de la
Provincia de Taguzgalpa, con la Vida de los tres Mártires."--Printed
at Guatemala, 1674.--Whether and where it still exists I do not know.
LIONEL WAFER. "A new Voyage and description of the Isthmus of
America."--London, 1699.
FRAY THOMAS GAGE. "New survey of the West Indies." (A work which is
looked upon with great suspicion, because the author, although he
evidently went to Guatemala from Mexico, misrepresents a great many
facts. Still he cannot be overlooked.)--This book appeared first prior
to 1676.--Robertson quotes an English edition of 1677, and that of
1699 is the fourth edition. There are French editions of 1676, 1694-5,
1699 1720, 1721. Dutch of 1682, 1700. German of 1693. Spanish,
1838.--Yet this list is evidently still incomplete, as further
material is out of my reach.
ANTONIO DE LEON Y PINELO. "Tratado de Confirmaciones Reales de
Encomiendas, Oficios, y casos en que se requieren para las Indias
Occidentales." Madrid, 1630.--This work is one of the best on many
vital points of Spanish administration,--and since the latter is so
intimately connected with the past and present condition of the
aborigines as to make its knowledge absolutely necessary,--it must be
attentively studied.--I shall, for this reason, add below the books of
Solòrzano:
"Epítome de la Biblioteca Oriental i Occidental, Náutica y
Geográfica." Madrid, 1629. 2d Edition, by Barcia, 1737 and 1738.
(Important bibliographically.)
"Relácion que en el Consejo Real de las Indias hizo el Licenciado ...,
sobre la Pacificacion de las Provincias del Manché y Lacandon," 1639.
MS. of E. G. Squier.
JUAN DE SOLÓRZANO-PEREYRA. "Disputationem de Indiarum jure, sive de
mixta Indiarum Occidentalium inquisitione, acquisitione, et retentione
tribus libris compehensam." (This is the title of the first volume
only, the second volume bears the heading "De Indiarum gubernatione,
&c.") Madrid, 1629-1639.--2d edition, 1672.
"Política Indiana." Madrid, 1648.--Subsequent editions, 1703, 1736-39,
1776.
The latter work is but a Spanish transcription or version of the
first. The importance of both is in their clear "exposé" of the
principles of right and law, according to which the Spanish Indies
were governed.--We are thereby enabled to judge of the true relations
existing between the conquering and conquered races, and to detect,
how far the original condition of the latter was understood or
misunderstood by the former--(and misrepresented?)
* * * * *
The "Museo Nacional," at Guatemala, has the following manuscripts
besides those already mentioned:
"Historia de la Provincia de Predicadores de San Vicente de Chiapa y
Guatemala."--A fragment, possibly by _Fray Augustin Cano_.
"Solicitud que el Padre Fray Augustin Cano hizo al Ill'mo S^r Obispo
de Guatemala ... que se hallaba de visita en el pueblo de Cajabon
pidiendo amparo para reducir á los indios Choles."
"Informé dado al Rey por el _Padre Fray Augustin Cano_ sobre la
entrada que por la parte de la Verapaz se hizo al Peten en 1695."
"Suma de los Capítulos generales y principales, ordenaciones, &c., de
la Provincia de Predicadores de Chiapa y Guatemala." by _Fray Lope de
Montoya_.
"Vidas de varios Padres de la Provincia de Chiapa y Guatemala del
Orden de Indicadores," by _Fray Antonio de Molina_.
Whether the "Noticia ó Relacion de los Padres de la Orden de
Predicadores que florecian en la Provincia de los Zoques" (anonymous
MS.), belongs to the 17th century, I am unable to say.
* * * * *
Notice of the following books or writings has been communicated to me
from various sources:
FRAY ANTONIO AROCHENA. "Catálogo y noticia de los Escritores del Orden
de San Francisco de la Provincia de Guatemala." (A very important
bibliographical composition, to judge from its plan.)
FRAY ESTEVAN AVILES. "Historia de Guatemala desde los tiempos de los
Indios, hasta la fundacion de la provincia de los franciscanos;
poblacion de aquellas tierras, propagacion de los Indios, sus ritos,
ceremonias, polícia, y Gobierno." (Said to have been printed at
Guatemala in 1663.)
FRAY SALVADOR CIPRIANA. "Libro de los Idolos de la Provincia de
Zacatula."
"Hechos de los Padres Fray Levis Cancer, Fray Bartolomé de las Casas,
y Fray Pedro de Angulo, en la predicacion del Evangelio."
"Historia de la Entrada de los Españoles en Zacatula."
NICOLAS LIZARRAGA. (See Yucatan.)
FRAY MELCHOR DE JESUS LOPEZ. "Relacion de la Conversion á la Fé de los
Indios de Salamanca." 1690.
"Relacion de la Pacificacion de los Indios de Vera-Paz."
FRAY PEDRO SOTOMAYOR. "Informacion de los Varones Ilustres del Orden
de San Francisco del Reino de Guatemala."
DIEGO DE UNZUETA. "Relacion de Guatemala,"--handed to Juan Diez de la
Calle in 1648.
NICOLAS DE VALENZUELA. (Wrote about the expedition against
Lacandon,--in 1695.)
FRAY ESTEVAN VERDELETE. "Noticias de la Provincia de Teguzigalpa."
(Written between 1593 and 1612.)
JUAN ZAPATA Y SANDOVAL. (See Chiapas.)
FRAY PEDRO DAZA. "Memorias históricas de la fundacion y predicacion de
los Religiosos de la Merced de la Redencion de cautivos en Guatemala."
FRAY JOSÉ MORERA. "Noticias de la Provincia de Guatemala, con un
Tratado de la Mísion y Martirio de los P. P. Misioneros, Verdelete y
Montragudo." (MS. said to be at Guatemala.)
FRAY PABLO REBULLIDA. "Informe á la Audiencia de Guatemala sobre el
estado actual de la Cristiandad de la Provincia de Talamanca." 1697.
"Cartas sobre el caracter de los Indios Terrabas, Talamancas, y
Changenes."
FRAY PEDRO DE URTIAGA. "Diario del Viaje de los cinco Misioneros desde
Querétaro hasta Guatemala."--Printed in 1694, at Guatemala.
ALONZO DUARTE. "Relacion de lo que Yo (A. D.) vecino desta ciudad de
Santiago de Guatemala entendí y vide quando D. Francisco Valverde
vino a sondar el puerto de Cavallos." 1605. MS. pertaining to E. G.
Squier.
These are certainly not all,--perhaps only a minority of the documents
relating to Guatemala,--which originated during the 17th century. In
regard to the ruins of Copán,--Fuentes is perhaps (because a number of
the last enumerated authors I have not seen) the only one who mentions
its ruins, and even gives an enthusiastic description of them,--but
Torquemada as well as Herrera relates the tradition of Comizahual,
which also relates to Copán. The latter place is, besides, commonly
regarded as belonging properly to _Honduras, and only of late has been
added_ to Guatemala. I add the following, although they are of
scarcely any value for the purpose in view:
JOSÉ MONROY. "Estado del Convento de Guatemala, del Orden de nuestra
Señora de la Merced." Printed, 1667.
DIEGO RODRIGUEZ DE RIBAS. "Disertacion canónica sobre los justos
motivos que representa el Reyno de Guatemala, para que el Consejo se
serva de erigir en Metropolí ecclesiástica la S. Iglesia Catedral,
&c." Printed, 1660.
_Writers of the Eighteenth Century._
ANTONIO DE ALCEDO.
F. X. CLAVIGERO. (Very slight mention.)
The following MSS. are yet at Guatemala "Museo Nacional."
PEDRO CORTÉS Y LARRAZ. "Descripcion geográfico moral de la Diócesis de
Guatemala." 1768-69.
FRAY FRANCISCO XIMENEZ. "Historia de la Provincia de San Vicente de
Chiapa y Guatemala de la Orden de los Predicadores." 5 vols.
JOSÉ SANCHEZ. "Apuntaciones para la Historia de Guatemala."
FERNANDO VELASQUEZ DE GUZMAN. "Relacion de los Obispos de Guatemala."
There is, besides, a MS.:
"Efemérides de Guatemala desde su fundacion hasta la ruina de
1773."--Anonymous.
Printed works:
FRAY ISIDRO FÉLIX DE ESPINOSA. "El Peregrino Septentrional Atlante."
(Life of Fray Antonio Margil.) México, 1737.
FRAY CÁRLOS CADENA. "Breve descripcion de la Noble Ciudad de Santiago
de los Caballaros de Guatemala, &c." Mexico, 1774.--2d Edition,
Guatemala, 1858.
JUAN DE VILLAGUTIERRE Y SOTOMAYOR. (On Vera Paz.)
FRANCISCO NUÑEZ DE LA VEGA. (On Chiapas.)
TORIBIO COSIO. (In the University Library of Mexico.)
FRAY JOSÉ DIEZ. "Noticia de las Misiones de Guatemala."
FRAY ILDEFONSO JOSEPH FLORES. "Teología de los Indios."
FRAY FRANCISCO VASQUEZ. (See Chiapas.)
FRAY FRANCISCO XIMENEZ. (See Chiapas.)
It is said that Ximenez wrote two large historical works, one in five
volumes, of which but three were finished.--This is a mistake, the
entire edition of five volumes is still at Guatemala. The other work,
secured by Dr. Scherzer, bears the title "Las Historias del Orígen de
los Indios de esta Provincia de Guatemala....," and published by him
at Vienna in 1857. (Anonymous MS. said to exist at Guatemala.)
"Informe del Provincial de la Orden de Santo Domingo Guatemala,
tocante á los negocios de la Vera-Paz." 1724.
"Relacion de la Sublevacion de los Zendales." 1712.
ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ CAMPAS. "Diario Histórico de Guatemala."
FRAY JUAN CARTAJENA. "La S^{ta} Iglesia de Guatemala, madre
fecundísima de hijos ilustrissimos." México, 1747.
RAMON ORDOÑEZ Y AGUIAR. (See Chiapas.) At Mexico.
(A number of the above works may be lost.)
_Writers of the Nineteenth Century._
All general works, archæological, historical, and geographical, are
left out. I even omit, as abundantly known, Kingsborough, Bancroft,
Baldwin, Short, the "Antiquites Méxicaines," the "Cités et Ruines
Méxicaines" of Waldeck,--Brasseur de Bourbourg, &c., &c.--Reference to
these sources is self-understood.
DOMINGO JUARREZ. "Compendio de la Historia de Guatemala." 1808-1818,
Guatemala. (Relies too much on Fuentes.) English translation by
Bailey. London, 1823. "A statistical and Commercial History of the
Kingdom of Guatemala, in Spanish America."--A second Spanish edition
appeared in 1857.
FRANCISCO DE PAULA GARCIA PELAEZ. (See Chiapas.).
"Memorias para la Historia del Antiguo Reyno de Guatemala." 1852.
CHARLES ETIENNE BRASSEUR DE BOURBOURG. "Popol Vuh. Le livre Sacré et
les Mythes de l'Antiquité Américaine, avec les livres Héroiques et
Historiques des Quichés." Paris, 1861.
Hardly any work of this century has created such a "mixed" sensation
of a serious nature, as this book.--It could be seen at a glance, that
no mystification was possible,--but there was a wide field open for
discussion on the point of origin, as far as the document itself, the
"Popol Vuh," was concerned.--Still the "sensation" has not resulted in
much active critical examination, and I think (If I may be permitted
to commit such a breach of modesty,) myself the only person attempting
a criticism of the "Popol Vuh" on the basis of documentary evidence.
Unfortunately, I was unable to prepare my annotations in time for the
publication of the 27th Volume of Proceedings of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, in 1878.--Thus only the
text of "Sources for aboriginal history of Spanish America," appeared
without any documentary evidence attached.
One thing is evident, that the "Popol Vuh" was _written_. Now it is a
fact very easily proven, that the aborigines of Guatemala had no
phonetic alphabet whatever, consequently _that they did not
write_.--Therefore the "Popol Vuh" must have been composed, as an
instrument in writing, since the conquest; or after 1524.--This is
developed utterly independent of the fact that the document hints at
two data (p. 343,) indicating the time of its composition to have been
after 1550, and prior to 1600.--Therefore it was written in our
letters, or perhaps with the aid of the "five characters" invented by
Fray Francisco de la Parra, previous to 1560, to indicate sounds for
which our alphabet had no signs.--At all events, it was written in the
native Quiché idiom, and was only met with incidentally by Fray
Francisco Ximenez at the town of Chichicastenango, towards the close
of the 17th century.--This Dominican monk translated it into the
Spanish language and incorporated both text and translation in the
first volume of his "Historia de la provincia de predicadores,
&c."--according to Brasseur de Bourbourg's really silly and
irritatingly confused bibliography--(p. XIII., "Notice Bibliographique.")
Dr. Scherzer certainly deserves credit for having published a Spanish
text rendering approximatively the "Popol Vuh," in 1857, and there is no
doubt but that it is as correct a rendering of the original Quiché as the
French translation of Brasseur de Bourbourg.
The filiation of the text being thus established as far back as 1550
to 1600, it remains to investigate the question: how much of it was
originally Indian;--if all of it or not? There is no doubt but that
the greater part of it is Indian songs, preserved for centuries, and
Indian myths and tales--historical traditions--which were recorded by
the compiler in the form now before us. But this compiler, or
rather--recorder--has given to these tales a chronological
sequence,--at least in the first part,--which may hereafter prove
conjectural.--Actions are made to succeed to each other, which may yet
prove to be without any connection at all.--I do not insist upon this
point--since a new translation of the "Popol Vuh" should precede its
investigation--but I particularly insist upon a careful and critical
study of its first so-called "Chapters."