Song of the Hummingbird

With the Spaniards’ arrival, terror gripped Mexica residents as they braced for an encounter with what they believed were gods. Huitzitzilin, an admitted non-believer, observed people clinging to desperate hope, dressing in finery for a divine encounter. She claims she still sees and speaks with many Mexica people who are now deceased. King Moctezuma welcomed the Spanish as deities and pledged servitude, leaving the crowd stunned. Captain Cortés, who led the Spanish conquest, approached Moctezuma, causing a surge of fear. Both parties then retreated, and Huitzitzilin cried as the Mexica returned home in silence.

Huitzitzilin challenges Spanish portrayals of Mexica hostility, explaining that they initially endured continued disrespect from the Spaniards while hoping for peaceful coexistence. She and other Mexica women endured unwanted sexual advances from Spanish soldiers, and she eventually became involved with a Spanish captain named Baltazar Ovando. Tensions grew among residents as the Spanish mistreated the city and desecrated temples. News of a Spanish captain’s murder led to King Moctezuma’s imprisonment. Huitzitzilin watched as the captured perpetrators, including Tetla, were publicly executed by the Spanish.