The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 105, July 2001 - April, 2002 Page: 551
741 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Winfield Scott's Army of Occupation as Pioneer Alpinists
Yet William H. Prescott and other scholars all agreed that superstitious
legends had invested the mountains with a mysterious horror that made
the natives shrink from attempting the ascents, which, indeed, were
from natural causes feats of incredible difficulty. Many natives were cer-
tain that no mortal could reach the summit of one of these great
Mexican mountains and live to tell of the experience. A long history of
violent eruptions and related earthquakes, often taking lives and
destroying crops, had taught the Aztecs that the volcanoes were the
rightful home of gods, not men.5
The legend of the origin of Popocatepetl and its companion peak,
Iztaccihuatl, was deeply etched in the mind of every Aztec: Iztaccihuatl,
the beautiful daughter of a prosperous chief, and Popocatepetl, a brave
warrior, fell in love. While Popocatepetl was away at war, a rival spread
the rumor of his demise in order to win Iztaccihuatl's heart. Hearing the
terrible news, she fell into a death-like swoon. Upon returning from the
war, the grief-stricken Popocatepetl carried his dead lover high up the
mountain and left her shrouded in a white blanket. Iztaccihuatl's curva-
ceous profile remains for all to see-her head, breasts, and feet all visi-
ble in outline against the gray Mexican sky.6 Citlaltepetl, too, had its
place in Nahuatl mythology. The mountain was said to contain the spirit
of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec feathered serpent, whose body was planted on
the mountain by a divine wind of fire."
At the time of the Spanish Conquest, and in the centuries that fol-
lowed, the mountain that attracted the most attention was Popocatepetl.
This was due to its close proximity to Mexico City. The first attempt by
the Spaniards to climb the mountain may well have been due not only to
the Spaniard's love of adventure but their attempt to intimidate the
natives. It was while Hernin Cortes was at Cholula, prior to their march
chieftain, reached the summit of Popocatepetl min 1296. Aztec and Toltec potshards, as well as bro-
ken pieces of obsidian kmves and a fragment of a jade necklace have been found as high as 16,ooo
feet on the northeast slope of Popocatepetl. Prior to the conquest, obsidian mines were in opera-
tion at 14,000 feet on a northeast spur of Citlaltepetl. Henry R. Wagner, "Ascents of Popocatepetl
by the Conquistadores," Sierra Club Bulletin, 25 (1940), 95-99; Orrin H. Bonney, "The First Moun-
tain Ascent in North America," American AlpineJournal, 4 (1941), 242-247. Also, R.J. Secor toJer-
ry Thompson, Dec. 14, 1981,Jan. 3, 1982, author's files.
5 William H. Prescott, Hstory of the Conquest of Mexico (3 vols.; Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott,
1873), II, 42-43.
6 Fanny Chambers Gooch, Face to Face with the Mexican (New York: Fords, Howard, and Hulbert,
1887), 195.
" The Aztecs may have inherited much of their mythology of the volcanoes from earlier cul-
tures who were probably fire worshipers. Volcanoes, as a source of fire, had been a part of the
mythology of those who inhabited the great Valley of Mexico, long before the Aztecs arrived
around x215. The Aztecs' reverence toward the volcanoes is reflected not only in their codices
but also in their architecture. One of the earliest pyramids, that of Cuicuilco, is similar in shape
to Popocatepetl. In contrast, the Incas of South America had reached heights of over 22,ooo feet
and built roads across 16,5oo-foot Andean passes in feats of engineering that would rival that of
ancient Rome.2002
551
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 105, July 2001 - April, 2002, periodical, 2002; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101222/m1/607/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.