Not Just the Tudors The Maya and the Inquisition
May 8, 2025
In this discussion, Amy Fuller, a historian specializing in early modern Spain and Mexico, reveals the dark consequences of Diego de Landa's fanaticism against the Maya. She details how Landa's destruction of sacred texts led to profound cultural loss, while ironically becoming a source for understanding Maya civilization. The conversation explores the Maya's rich intellectual heritage in mathematics and astronomy, their resilience against colonial oppression, and the complex legacy of their cultural narrative amidst historical erasure.
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Maya Sacrifice Misunderstood
- Maya sacrifice focused more on auto-sacrifice by rulers than large-scale human sacrifice.
- Accounts often confuse Maya practices with Aztec ones, exaggerating human sacrifice among the Maya.
1562 Auto-da-fé Atrocity
- In the 1562 auto-da-fé, thousands of Maya idols and texts were publicly destroyed, and many Maya were tortured and punished for idolatry.
- Torture methods included hoisting by wrists with stones tied to feet and burning wax, with no due process or fair trial.
Landa’s Justification and Manipulation
- Diego de Landa justified extreme cruelty as necessary to prevent idolatry spreading rapidly among Maya people.
- His political manipulation included threatening officials to support his actions, showing calculated ambition.
