E07 Hernán and Aztec Empire ft. Paul Guinan by Gladio Free Europe • A podcast on Anchor
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Hernán is a Mexican series that revolves around the story of Hernán Cortés, the Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century. To discuss this story, and this series, we’re joined by Paul Guinan, the writer working on Aztec Empire, a graphic novel recounting the dramatic fall of the mightiest empire in the Americas, only three years after the arrival of strangers from another world. You can read the comic online for free at bigredhair.com Hosted by Liam, Russian Sam, Halal Sam, and Paul Guinan.

It's Wednesday my dudes! On this week's episode of Gladio Free Europe, we take a look at an area of history deeply plagued by myths: the Spanish invasion of the Aztec Empire. Unfortunately, there is a new vector for said myths. The 2019 Spanish-Mexican joint production Hernán is the most expensive Spanish-language television show to date, and while it does have its strong points, the show not only relies on traditional Spanish accounts of the invasion which oftentimes misrepresented the peoples of Mesoamerica, but it also goes beyond that by including entirely fictionalized elements to add to the drama of the events.

We talked to Paul Guinan, author of Aztec Empire , which is a comic book which seeks to both entertain and educate the general public with a more truthful depiction of the Spaniards and the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. We dig into Hernán to talk about what the show did incorrectly (a phenomenon which we've decided to call "Sadboy Cortes", the unseemly nature of the romance depicted between Cortes and his interpreter Malintzin, the supposed belief of the peoples of Mesoamerica that the Spaniards were Gods, etc.) as well as making an effort to provide a more nuanced understanding of what exactly went on in the years 1519 to 1521.

As always, thank you for your consideration. We welcome any and all feedback which you kind people might offer us. If you feel strongly about the show, we would also greatly appreciate it if you would rate/review our show on Apple Podcasts. Have a good day folks! :)

  • comi [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    :meow-fiesta: nice episode

    I think you have not mentioned these shenanigans for cortes man, from graeber:

    Yet according to Diaz, the result among the men was outrage. The officers connived to sequester most of the gold, and when the final tally was announced, the troops learned that they would be receiving only fifty to eighty pesos each. What's more, the better part of their shares was immediately seized again by the officers in their capacity of creditors-since Cortes had insisted that the men be billed for any replacement equipment and medical care they had received during the siege. Most found they had actually lost money on the deal.