History UsefulNotes / HernanCortez

* DudeWheresMyRespect: In an ironic twist of fate on his return to Spain he was utterly neglected in his home country and could scarcely obtain an audience. A famous anecdote tells how he forced his way through a crowd that surrounded the emperor's carriage, and mounted on the footstep. The emperor, astounded at such audacity, demanded of him who he was. [[BadassBoast "I am a man," replied Cortés proudly, "who has given you more provinces than your ancestors left you cities."]]

* ApeShallNeverKillApe: Despite the fact that Europeans in Cortéz' day weren't exactly above murdering other peoples in wars, or burning their own citizens on the stake for not sharing the same religion, he and his men were still shocked at the fact that those ''inhuman'' Aztecs sacrificed their own people to the sun. Justified in that the Aztecs forced their subjects of other tribes to give them people for sacrifices every once in a while (and more often that not, said people included children). It's really no wonder several indigenous nations decided to side with the Spaniards, even though every indigenous nation sacrificed people.

* Cortés and his conquest of the Aztecs figure prominently into the {{Backstory}} of ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl''. As explained by Captain Barbossa, "This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortés was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold... a terrible curse." Many years later, this Aztec gold is stolen by Barbossa's crew and they are turned into {{Ghost Pirate}}s by the curse.

* ManipulativeBastard: He's a well-known example of this. Justified, in that historical accounts confirm that the leaders of the native nations were constantly inviting him over, gifting him riches, all the while trying to catch him with his guard off and annihilate him. Guy had to be clever.

* ApeShallNeverKillApe: Despite the fact that Europeans in Cortéz' day weren't exactly above murdering other peoples in wars, or burning their own citizens on the stake for not sharing the same religion, he and his men were still shocked at the fact that those ''inhuman'' Aztecs sacrificed their own people to the sun. Justified in that the Aztecs forced their subjects of other tribes to give them people for sacrifices every once in a while (and more often that not, said people included children). It's really no wonder several indigenous nations decided to side with the spaniards, even though every indigenous nation sacrificed people.

* DudeWhereIsMyRespect: In an ironic twist of fate on his return to Spain he was utterly neglected in his home country and could scarcely obtain an audience. A famous anecdote tells how he forced his way through a crowd that surrounded the emperor's carriage, and mounted on the footstep. The emperor, astounded at such audacity, demanded of him who he was. [[BadassBoast "I am a man," replied Cortés proudly, "who has given you more provinces than your ancestors left you cities."]]

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade and HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Some sources see him a benevolent explorer who wasn't half as cruel as you'd expect from a conquering conquistador. Others see him as basically the same type of immoral genocidical gold hungry conquistador as all the others, who destroyed the Aztec empire. Some compromise by calling him a WellIntentionedExtremist.

* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Depends on what side of the story you adhere to. He has been the subject of Flanderization, focusing on him wanting money. The facts are that he sent most of what he was given to the king of Spain, died in near-poverty and his last will was to be buried in México.

'''Hernán Cortés''' (1485–1547) was the famous Spanish conquistador who conquered [[Myth/AztecMythology the Aztec Empire]], located in what is now central UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}, in 1521 following a few years of battles. Needless to say, you'll get different opinions on the man depending on who and where you ask. For the record, completely reliable information on him is pretty scarce. The strong anti-Spanish, pro-American, liberal-backed current of thought sweeping over México and enforced by the PRI government ensured his being remembered in a very negative light in México. This is despite the fact that, however it is you want to look at it, without Cortés, México would not exist.

* Cortés and his conquest of the Aztecs figure prominently into the {{BackStory}} of ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl''. As explained by Captain Barbossa, "This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortés was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold... a terrible curse." Many years later, this Aztec gold is stolen by Barbossa's crew and they are turned into {{Ghost Pirate}}s by the curse.

* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', the Cross of Coronado is said to have been given to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_V%C3%A1zquez_de_Coronado Coronado]] by Cortés in 1520. [[ArtisticLicenseHistory Which is pretty remarkable considering that in 1520, Coronado was a ten-year-old child still living in Spain and Cortés was conquering the Aztecs on the other side of the Atlantic.]]

* Cortés and his conquest of the Aztecs figures prominently into the {{BackStory}} of ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl''. As explained by Captain Barbossa, "This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortés was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold... a terrible curse."

* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', the Cross of Coronado is said to have been given to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_V%C3%A1squez_de_Coronado Coronado]] by Cortés in 1520. [[ArtisticLicenseHistory Which is pretty remarkable considering that in 1520, Coronado was a ten-year-old child still living in Spain and Cortés was conquering the Aztecs on the other side of the Atlantic.]]

* In one of ''Literature/TheThreeInvestigators'' books, ''The Mystery of the Headless Horse'', he figures in the {{Backstory}} due to him having supposedly given a jeweled ceremonial sword to the ancestor of the boys' clients. There's a wooden statue of him on their lands, and there is a certain [[HistoricalHeroUpgrade valorization]] of him in the text, but it's otherwise unobtrusive as he is involved just to give the boys a lost heirloom to find.

* An Creator/{{HBO}} miniseries is in production. Creator/MartinScorsese and Creator/BenicioDelToro are attached to the project.

* {{Badass}}: However you want to look at it, Cortés arrived unauthorized (meaning no backup) in a strange land with 400 disciplined warriors, burned his ships behind him so that his men wouldn't feel tempted to return, and proceeded on a campaign that would see him and his mere hundreds pitted against entire armies numbering in the tens of thousands, well before he ever struck alliances with some of the native nations that gave him a few thousand native warriors to boost his strength. Also, he conquered the Aztec empire.

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He was the leader of the Spanish conquistadores and was recognized as such by the indigenous people. The fact that he led his ragtag group of 400-ish soldiers to victory against forces numbering in the thousands probably helped (though, no be fair, he had the help of thousand of indigenous warriors whose nations allied with him).

* ApeShallNeverKillApe: Despite the fact that Europeans in Cortéz' day weren't exactly above murdering other peoples in wars, or burning their own citizens on the stake for not sharing the same religion, he and his men were still shocked at the fact that those ''inhuman'' Aztecs sacrificed their own people to the sun. Justified in that the Aztecs forced their subjects of other tribes to give them people for sacrifices every once in a while (and more often that not, said people included children). It's really no wonder several indigenous nations decided to side with the spaniards.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He was the leader of the Spanish conquistadores and was recognized as such by the indigenous people. The fact that he led his ragtag group of 400-ish soldiers to victory against forces numbering in the thousands probably helped.
* {{Badass}}: However you want to look at it, Cortés arrived unauthorized (meaning no backup) in a strange land with 400 disciplined warriors, burned his ships behind him so that his men wouldn't feel tempted to return, and proceeded on a campaign that would see him and his mere hundreds pitted against entire armies numbering in the tens of thousands, well before he ever struck alliances with some of the native nations that gave him a few hundred native warriors to boost his strength. Also, he conquered the Aztec empire.

'''Hernán Cortés''' (1485-1547) was the famous Spanish conquistador who conquered [[Myth/AztecMythology the Aztec Empire]], located in what is now central UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}, in 1521 following a few years of battles. Needless to say, you'll get different opinions on the man depending on who and where you ask. For the record, completely reliable information on him is pretty scarce. The strong anti-Spanish, pro-American, liberal-backed current of thought sweeping over México and enforced by the PRI government ensured his being remembered in a very negative light in México. This is despite the fact that, however it is you want to look at it, without Cortés, México would not exist.

--> '''Narvaez''': Mister Cortes, it is a great victory for you to capture me.\\
'''Cortes''': Capturing you is the least of everything I've done in this land.
* TheConqueror: Managed to conquer a big empire with few european men and weapons by determination, cunning, manipulation, alliances, and luck.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His last name has been spelled with and without and accent and ending with either an ''s'' or a ''z''.

* Badass: However you want to look at it, Cortés arrived unauthorized (meaning no backup) in a strange land with 400 disciplined warriors, burned his ships behind him so that his men wouldn't feel tempted to return, and proceeded on a campaign that would see him and his mere hundreds pitted against entire armies numbering in the tens of thousands, well before he ever struck alliances with some of the native nations that gave him a few hundred native warriors to boost his strength. Also, he conquered the Aztec empire.

'''Hernán Cortés''' (1485-1547) was the famous Spanish conquistador who conquered [[Myth/AztecMythology the Aztec Empire]], located in what is now central Mexico, in 1521 following a few years of battles. Needless to say, you'll get different opinions on the man depending on who and where you ask. For the record, completely reliable information on him is pretty scarce. The strong anti-spanish, pro-american, liberal-backed current of thought sweeping over México and enforced by the PRI government ensured his being remembered in a very negative light in México, despite the fact that, however it is you want to look at it, without Cortés, México would not exist.

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He was the leader of the spanish conquistadores and was recognized as such by the indigenous people. The fact that he led his ragtag group of 400-ish soldiers to victory against forces numbering in the thousands probably helped.

'''Hernán Cortés''' (1485-1547) was the famous Spanish conquistador who conquered [[Myth/AztecMythology the Aztec Empire]], located in what is now central Mexico, in 1521 following a few years of battles. Needless to say, you'll get different opinions on the man depending on who and where you ask. For the record, completely reliable information on him is pretty scarce.

* ApeShallNeverKillApe: Despite the fact that Europeans in Cortéz' day weren't exactly above murdering other peoples in wars, or burning their own citizens on the stake for not sharing the same religion, he and his men were still shocked at the fact that those ''inhuman'' Aztecs sacrificed their own people to the sun. Talk about a {{Hypocrite}}!
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Implanted his will upon the Aztecs by imprisoning and murdering their Emperor and destroying their Empire in the process.

* ChildByRape: The children he fathered with his sex slaves.

* DudeWhereIsMyRespect: Cortés was given everything he ever wanted by the Aztecs, yet his greed took over and in the escalating conflicts he destroyed their entire empire and wiped most of them out. In an ironic twist of fate on his return to Spain he was uttely neglected in his home country and could scarcely obtain an audience. A famous anecdote tells how he forced his way through a crowd that surrounded the emperor's carriage, and mounted on the footstep. The emperor, astounded at such audacity, demanded of him who he was. [[BadassBoast "I am a man," replied Cortés proudly, "who has given you more provinces than your ancestors left you cities."]]
* FullCircleRevolution: For the native tribes who allied with him, hoping that he would save them from Aztec rule. Instead, they just traded their old Aztec overlords for new Spanish ones.
* GodGuise: Cortes and the rest of the conquistadors tried to pass themselves off as gods to the natives.

* ManipulativeBastard: He's a well-known example of this.
* MilitaryMaverick: In 1518 Velázquez put him in command of an expedition to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization. At the last minute, due to the old gripe between Velázquez and Cortés, he changed his mind and revoked his charter. Cortés ignored the orders and went ahead anyway, defeating or assimilating serveral forces sent by Velázquez against him.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Like most conquistadors were.

* RomanticizedAbuse: Some authors who write their own fictional stories based on his relationship with Malinalli are guilty of this.
* SexSlave: He owned a sex slave named Malinalli (a.k.a. La Malinche; who also served as an interpreter). Moctezuma II gave his daughter Techichipotzin to Cortez as this.

'''Hernán Cortés''' (1485-1547) was the famous Spanish conquistador who conquered [[UsefulNotes/AztecMythology the Aztec Empire]], located in what is now central Mexico, in 1521 following a few years of battles. Needless to say, you'll get different opinions on the man depending on who and where you ask. For the record, completely reliable information on him is pretty scarce.

* GodInHumanForm : There was a legend saying that the god Quetzalcoatl who was expelled from the city of Tula and went to the west would come back to retake his kingdom describing him as being white and bearded, and that the Aztecs thought Cortes was the god returned, but this legend only appears after the conquest by spanish influence. It seems that during the conquest, it was the ''Spanish'' who [[LostInTranslation though they were seen as gods]] and decided to start calling themselves teules[[note]]Actual word was Teotl, which is translated as god but in Myth/AztecMythology not necessarily means that[[/note]] and the natives just went along, but didn't seem to really believe it. Cortes himself tells that Emperor Moctezuma didn't:
-->'''Moctezuma''': [Our enemies], I know, have informed you... that I was a god, or made myself one, and many other such things... ''[opening his robes]'' You see that I am composed of flesh and bone '''like yourselves'''.

* SexSlave: He owned a sex slave named Malinalli(a.k.a. la malinche;who also served as an interpreter). Moctezuma II gave his daughter Techichipotzin to Cortez as this.

* GodInHumanForm : There was a legend saying that the god Quetzalcoatl who was expelled from the city of Tula and went to the west would come back to retake his kingdom describing him as being white and bearded, and that the Aztecs thought Cortes was the god returned, but this legend only appears after the conquest by spanish influence. It seems that during the conquest, it was the ''Spanish'' who [[LostInTranslation though they were seen as gods]] and decided to start calling themselves teules[[note]] Actual word was Teotl, which is translated as god but in Myth/AztecMythology not necessarily means that [[/note] and the natives just went along, but didn't seem to really believe it. Cortes himself tells that Emperor Moctezuma didn't:

* GodInHumanForm : There was a legend saying that the god Quetzalcoatl who was expelled from the city of Tula and went to the west would come back to retake his kingdom describing him as being white and bearded, and that the Aztecs thought Cortes was the god returned, but this legend only appears after the conquest by spanish influence. It seems that during the conquest, it was the ''Spanish'' who [[LostInTranslation though they were seen as gods]] and decided to start calling themselves teules[[note]]Actual word was Teotl, which is translated as god but in Myth/AztecMythology not necessarily means that[[/note] and the natives just went along, but didn't seem to really believe it. Cortes himself tells that Emperor Moctezuma didn't:

* GodGuise and GodInHumanForm : There was a legend saying that the god Quetzalcoatl who was expelled from the city of Tula and went to the west would return to take his kingdom back and describes him as being white and bearded, and that the Aztecs thought Cortes was the god returned, but this legend only appears post conquest by spanish influence. It seems that during the conquest, it was the Spanish who [[LostInTranslation though they were seen as gods]] and decided to call themselves gods and the natives just went along but didn’t seem to believe it. Cortes himself says that the Emperor Moctezuma didn’t believe it:
-->'''Moctezuma''': [The enemies of the Aztecs], I know, have informed you... that I was a god, or made myself one, and many other such things… ''[opening his robes]'' You see that I am composed of flesh and bone ''like yourselves''.

* BadassBoast: During his conquest of the Aztec Empire, Cortez had to defeat the army of the Governor of Cuba, which was sent after him. He bested them, even outnumbered and outgunned, AND convinced the survivors to join him. Accounts say that the army's general spoke to him like this:
--> '''General''': Mister Cortez, it is a great victory for you to capture me.\\
'''Cortez''': Capturing you is the least of everything I've done in this land.

* TheConqueror
* ConvenientEclipse: When Cortés reached the Aztec Empire, they took him to be a god, thanks to many circumstances and prophecies. The Aztec believed that the god, Quetzalcoatl, was a pale, bearded god that had left by the Atlantic coast and would return the same year that Cortes arrived. This coincidence proved rather fatal for the Aztec, who didn't try to kill Cortes until he was too powerful. Conversations recorded between Cortés and Moctezuma make it quite clear that Moctezuma recognized Cortés as another mortal human. It seems that him or one of his successors fabricated the story as a way of taking full credit for the conquest of the Aztec Empire; conveniently ignoring the fact that the Spaniards fought with over five times their number of Tlaxcaltec natives, fierce enemies of the Aztec.

* GodGuise and GodInHumanForm : The AztecEmpire of ancient Mexico had a legend that when their god Huitzilopochtli would return, he would be in the form of a pale human, coming from the south in a great ship. When the Spanish (i.e. pale) conquistador Hernan Cortez arrived from the south in a great ship, the Aztecs naturally assumed he was their god. RealityEnsues. And that's one of the reasons we don't have an Aztec Empire today.

* HumansAreCthulhu: The Aztecs had this reaction on Cortez and his men when they first arrived because they had never seen white men before, nor ships, horses and/or guns.

An {{HBO}} miniseries is in production. MartinScorsese and BenicioDelToro are attached to the project.

* AGodAmI: Told this lie to the Aztecs.
* ApeShallNeverKillApe: Despite the fact that Europeans in Cortéz' day weren't exactly above murdering other peoples in wars, or burning their own citizens on the stake for not being Catholic he and his men were still shocked at the fact that those ''inhuman'' Aztecs sacrificed their own people to the sun. Talk about a {{Hypocrite}}!

---> '''General''': Mister Cortez, it is a great victory for you to capture me.
---> '''Cortez''': Capturing you is the least of everything I've done in this land.

* Cortés is a supporting character in ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado''. Miguel and Tulio end up stowaways on his ship, and in escaping the brig, end up in El Dorado, along with Cortés' CoolHorse.

A {{HBO}} miniseries is in production. MartinScorsese and BenicioDelToro are attached to the project.

* MurderersAreRapists

* TheSociopath

* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', the Cross of Coronado is said to have been given to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_V%C3%A1squez_de_Coronado Coronado]] by Cortés in 1520. [[ArtisticLicenseHistory Which is pretty remarkable considering that in 1520, Coronado was a ten-year-old child still living in Spain and Cortés was conquering the Aztecs on the other side of the Atlantic.]]