The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

Chapter 13 covers the aftermath of the war as the Aztecs finally surrender their capital of Tenochtitlan to the Spanish. It relies on three versions of events: narration from the Aztec informants of Sahagun, the account of a descendant of Aztec nobles, Alva Ixtlilxochitl, and the records of a Nahua annalist, Chimalpain.

“The Final Omen,” from the Aztec accounts of Sahagun’s informants, describes a supernatural sight: a blazing bonfire in the night sky. Highly sensory language is used to paint a picture of the sign’s red-hot sparks and loud noises. But unlike earlier omens witnessed in Chapter 1, this vision neither surprises nor panics the Aztecs: “the people knew what is meant and they watched it in silence” (116).

“Cuauhtémoc’s Surrender” is a moment of humiliation: When the new Aztec king, Cuauhtémoc, surrenders to Cortés, the Spanish captain stares at him for a moment, and then pats him on the head. As the Spanish triumphantly fire their cannons and kill any Aztec warriors still bearing arms, the common people scatter into the jungle. The Aztec author includes poignant details of the exodus: some children are crying, but others “laughed and smiled, thinking it was great sport to be carried like that along the road” (“The Flight from the City”).