The Sword of the Snake

Central America, March 1519

Ixtili was happy as he climbed the steps of the great pyramid, together with a small group of people. At the same time, other men, standing along the edges of the staircase, watched the group with curiosity. Everyone wondered what they had seen to be honored in such a way. No one truly knew, and the rumors spreading among the crowd were numerous.

Once at the top, the first man of the small group was laid upon an altar by four priests. Another of them, who appeared to be of higher rank, approached with a stern expression. The excitement was at its peak—the ritual was about to be completed. The priest took an obsidian knife and, solemnly yet with a lightning-fast motion, plunged it into the man’s abdomen. The victim screamed and writhed. Held down by the priests, the high priest continued his cutting. After a while, when the man had stopped screaming, he extracted something from the body—something he raised for all to see. The crowd stood in rapture: a heart, still beating.

That man, through his sacrifice, had ascended to the heavens. He had reached the gods he had seen. Ixtili could hardly wait for his turn.

“Revered Speaker, do you think the sacrifices will be enough?”

A man stood on the terrace of his lavish palace not far away, gazing at the pyramid.

“They have always been enough, High Priest.”

“In my humble opinion, this situation is different. With all due respect, Revered Speaker, I believe it is necessary to consult the god.”

“That is not a bad idea at all. But I wish to be present.”

“Your will be done, Revered Speaker. Please follow me.”

Surrounded by a guard of soldiers, the two men left the palace and walked along the main avenue of the city of Tenochtitlan, where stone buildings stretched toward the horizon, alternating with imposing stepped pyramids. Soon they reached one of them and climbed it. At its summit stood a bare chamber, where the two immediately prostrated themselves.

“Divine Quetzalcoatl, we ask for an audience.”

There was a long silence.

“Rise,” said a clear voice at last.

Obeying, the two men saw who stood before them: a child with incredibly pale skin, dressed only in a white tunic. His skin and garments sharply contrasted with theirs—they were dark-skinned and wore feathers and leaves adorned with gold and painted designs across their bodies.

“What brings you to me?”

“Your kind have finally arrived, Divine One,” said the priest.

“And?”

“Mighty Quetzalcoatl, god of the Serpent and the Wind, we know the prophecies,” said the other man. “But I wish to know your true intentions. The scriptures say you wish to reclaim the throne, yet you have always possessed it. We have never ceased worshiping you. Thousands upon thousands of human sacrifices have been offered to you continuously—even at this very moment.”

There was another long silence.

“Supreme God, I beg you, speak to us. Hundreds of years ago you crossed the upper heavens to teach us the sciences and the arts. We wish once more to be one with you, divine beings of the white arms.”

This time, after a brief pause, the god spoke again.

“What you humans do not understand is that your entire life, your entire existence, is nothing but an experiment. A succession of experiments. My kind have come to reclaim my work, my legacy. My inheritance.”

Hours later, the man whom all called the “Revered Speaker” was again in his palace. Golden columns stood in endless succession; countless precious stones lay scattered upon the floor; magnificent women waited for him on luxurious couches. Yet he seemed indifferent to all that splendor and quickly joined the priest waiting for him on a terrace overlooking the city.

“I saw something in your gaze when we stood before the god. Am I right, Priest? Did you understand his mysterious words?”

“Yes, Revered Speaker. I have reason to believe the gods are angered by something in our possession—something that belongs to them.”

“I understand what you mean: the Serpent’s relic. That is the inheritance the god spoke of.”

“Yes. We must return it.”

“Very well. It shall be done. Proclaim supreme celebrations and bring it to them.”

The priest nodded and turned to leave, but suddenly looked back.

“You are not coming, Revered Speaker? If you recall, they asked for you. More than once.”

“No. I cannot abandon Tenochtitlan.”

“Very well. Your will be done, Revered Speaker.”

The next day, a great celebration accompanied a majestic procession as it made its way out of the city. Every member of the delegation was joyful. Word had spread that this was a divine mission and that the participants would behold, with their own eyes, the gods described in all the scriptures. Morale was high as the hours passed, and at last, emerging from the forest, they saw the structures of another city: Cholula.

Then, quite suddenly, they saw them.

Strange beings, often entirely made of metal clearly shaped by some divine entity.

Probably soulless automatons. Some had bodies unlike any human form, with bizarre shapes and two heads from which dreadful noises emerged. They seemed infernal creatures. Anxiety spread quickly through the procession. The men halted, allowing only the High Priest and a few others to approach the strange beings. As soon as they drew near, they prostrated themselves.

One of the beings—the one who appeared most important—gestured for them to rise. Beside him stood another who was not metal like the rest but, perhaps faceless, wore a cloak of unknown material that covered him completely.

They began to speak in a divine language, melodic and harmonious like a sweet song.

The priest offered the foremost god something: a luminous sword. The god took it and examined it. Suddenly, the earth seemed to tremble and small stones appeared to rise into the air. The blade’s two glowing lines wavered—the Serpent was awakening. Satisfied, the god drove it into the ground and looked at the priest. He spoke again in his melodic voice, though it soon made someone in the retinue—who understood it—shudder.

“Thank you. It will make a fine gift for our king. But this is not what I was seeking. I was seeking your emperor. I had a message for him, but it matters little now. I shall give it to you.”

He continued triumphantly:

“In the name of God, of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I, Hernán Cortés, declare these lands under the dominion of their faithful servant King Charles, sovereign of Spain, Emperor of the Romans, King of Italy and Archduke of Austria. May the Sun never set upon his magnificent empire.”

Grasping the sword firmly, he turned to leave.

“Commander, what shall we do with these infidels?” asked the hooded man, from whose cloak a small golden cross could be seen.

“Kill them, Brother Gerónimo. Kill them all.”

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Historical Note:The “Revered Speaker” (“tlatoani,” in the Aztec language) is Montezuma II, emperor of the Aztecs when the Conquistadors arrived. As stated in the story, Cortés repeatedly requested to meet him, but this was only granted in 1521, when he marched with his men into the capital Tenochtitlan, which he later destroyed. From its ashes arose modern Mexico City.

It is worth noting that Cortés’s contingent was small (his cavalry units had only fifteen horses), but the Aztecs were utterly unprepared for European technology—even what might seem trivial to us (the “strange creatures” described in the story were merely men on horseback, whom the Aztecs could not distinguish and believed to be single beings).

Cortés’s expedition had begun under the authority of the governor of Cuba but, in an act of mutiny, the conquistador placed himself directly in the service of King Charles (Charles V of Habsburg—his title “Emperor of the Romans” referring to the Holy Roman Empire, not ancient Rome), writing letters explaining his actions. This earned him appointment as Governor of the conquered lands.

Despite the remarkable gifts offered by the Aztecs—and indeed spurred by their immense wealth—Cortés continued his conquest, attempting to convert many natives to Christianity, yet not hesitating to massacre them, as occurred in the slaughter of Cholula.