Petén Itzá (5)


Source: WTL© digital photograph (2008) taken on site in the Petén region of Guatemala.
Comments: Here is the entrance to Flores (originally Tayasal) and the beginning of the causeway to the Isla de Flores. In 1525 Hernán Cortés passed by Tayasal on his way to subdue unruly Spaniards in Honduras. The visit was peaceful, and he left a sick horse behind to be taken care of by the Itzá. The horse died of natural causes, but the Itzá decided to worship it in the form of a white stone statue, which they called Tzimin Chaac (thunder horse). Two Franciscan friars saw the idol in 1618 and were so outraged that they smashed it to smithereens. After this event the Itzaes resisted all foreign visitors vigorously by killing all Spaniards who attempted to conquer them. Nowadays, Flores is a pleasant tourist stop for travellers heading to Tikal and beyond.
Humanities question: Reflect briefly on the idea that this now-peaceful (or, at least, seemingly peaceful, which peacefulness is what this image suggests) site was once the site of a bitterly violent conflict between Spanish conquistadors and local, indigenous Itzá Mayas.