How Did The Spanish Culture Differ From Mexico

With differing cultures that are present all around the world, it is not uncommon for certain groups of people to make assumptions about the culture of another country or community. In the world of 1500-1600, Spaniards like Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortes, and Bernal Diaz del Castillo traveled to Mexico and the Americas in hopes of not only finding gold but continuing their mission of spreading Christianity to others. One of the biggest encounters that these men faced when they reached their proclaimed destination was that their viewpoints on life differed greatly from those in Mexico and the Americas. The Spaniards were more commonly associated with a divided world outlook in comparison to the Mexica. In 1519, Hernan Cortez and conquistador
Another example where the Spaniards incorrectly analyzed the Mexica was when Cortes was talking to the Casciques. While Cortes was holding a conference with the Casiques, a horse abruptly ran to the area where the conference was and “terrified” the Casiques. This whole interaction would most likely have left the Spaniards to conclude that the Mexicans were afraid because there was an “imbalance” between the horse and the cacus. So, another contributor to a divided world outlook is having a dividing factor between God and humanity. A divided world outlook entails that there is a distance between a perfect god and an imperfect human. Taking this ideology into account, the “fear” that the Mexcia showed to the horses when it stampeded in would be interconnected with a divided world outlook that the Spaniards had because they wanted to convert anyone they stumbled across into Christianity as it was their “mission” to do so. For that reason, the behavior of the Mexica with the horse would contribute to the thinking of the Spaniards because the horses were the Gods that were “angry” because the Mexica were not converted
Every being is of equal life, no matter what life form they acquire. With that being said, the Mexica saw the horses as a challenge because the horses were unexpected warriors they needed to defeat. This inference can be made based on the way they fought against the Spaniards, “For whenever our cavalry galloped in upon the enemy’s ranks, our horses were assailed by so many arrows, stones and lances, that they were immediately covered with wounds, while the riders.could make but little impression upon the foe.”. By attacking the horses first before the actual soldiers, the Mexica knew that they would be taking out their bigger and more fierce competition; additionally, the Spaniards would have a harder time in battle without the help and advantage of the horses. Connecting to animism and fighting these large warriors, the Mexica would take pride in knowing that they defeated the horses in battle. Although not directly from the conquest of New Spain, the idea of pride from defeating an animal in battle can be seen in writing by Bernardino de Sahagun, “And those who caught a deer or a coyote, those Moctezuma favored with capes whose wedges were striped with