Research Presentation
“MALINCHE AND THE SPANISH CONQUEST”
HEATHER DEROY
Inspiration and My Topic
 I have always been interested in the Aztec Empire,
but my education before this class exposed me to
very few details about the fall of the Aztecs. I chose
Malinche, an Aztec woman involved in the conflict
which led to the fall of the Aztecs.
 Malinche was sold into slavery to the Mayans. After
she was presented to Hernan Cortes, she became his
translator and assisted him in conquering
Tenochtitlan.
 I am very interested in learning more about
Malinche. In particular, I am interested in
discovering the degree to which she influenced the
fall of the Aztec Empire.
Source #1
 Cortes’s Second Letter to King Charles V
In this source, Hernan Cortes mentions
Malinche as “my interpreter.”¹ This
source gives details about the conflict
between the Spanish and the Aztecs as
well as Malinche’s aid in Spain’s success.
Malinche was able to warn the Spanish
about a planned Aztec attack. Without her
warning, Cortes would not have been able
to trick the leaders of the city into meeting
with him, where he instead locked them in
a room before the battle. Because he did
this, the Aztecs were without leadership
during the battle.
¹Cortes, Hernan. “Hernan Cortes to Emperor Carlos V.” Hernan
Cortes: Letters from Mexico. (1522): 72-74.
Source #2
 Diaz del Castillo’s account of Malinche
Although this source was written years after the
actual events, I find it very useful to examine the
affect Malinche had on the Conquest itself.
Diaz del Castillo was one of Cortes’ soldiers.
Malinche is referred to as Doña Marina, her
baptized name in this source. Diaz del Castillo
describes that the gift of Malinche was worth much
more than the gifts in gold they received, indicating
her importance. This soldier tells the life story of
Malinche because she was vital to their success. He
stated that “without the help of Doña Marina we
could not have understood the language of New
Spain and Mexico.”²
²Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico. (1585):
Chap. 22-23.
Source #3
 “Cortes Greets Xicotencatl”
This painting was taken from Lienzo de Tlaxcala.
The artist is a Native of Mexico, but his/her name
is unknown. The artwork from the Lienzo are just
pieces of a whole. In this piece, the leader of the
Tlaxcala, Xicotencatl, greets Cortes, as the title of
the painting suggests. The significance of this
event is that these two men join together to defeat
the Aztecs.³ Malinche is seen at the bottom of the
painting in the center. This painting is a clue that
Native people, in addition to the Spanish, knew
Malinche’s role was a crucial part of their history.
³Jaffary,
Nora E., and Kirsten McKenzie. “Dona Marina, Cortes’ Translator.”
Women in World History. (accessed July 26, 2009) available from
http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/modules/lesson6/lesson6.php?menu=1&s=3#
Source #4
 Malinche Translating from Palace Roof Top
The artist of this painting was a Native of
Mexico. The painting is found within the
Florentine Codex, a source that I hope to
find in English. The Florentine Codex shows
Malinche and Cortes on a tower with
Malinche translating for him.4 The
depiction of Cortes and Malinche sharing
the tower shows a glimpse of the
relationship of the two and the dependency
Cortes had on Malinche.
4
Jaffary, Nora E., and Kirsten McKenzie. “Dona Marina, Cortes’
Translator.” Women in World History. (accessed July 26, 2009)
available from
http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/modules/lesson6/lesson6.php?menu
=1&s=4
Source #5
 Hernan Cortes and La Malinche meet Moctezuma II
in Tenochtitlan
Once again, Malinche is represented in
artwork depicting the Conquest of the
Aztecs. She is standing behind Hernan
Cortes, and is aiding communication
between the two leaders. This painting is
another from the Lienzo Tlaxcala.5
5Facsimile (c. 1890) “Hernan Cortes and La Malinche
meet Moctezuma II in Tenochtitlan.” Lienzo de
Tlaxcala. 8 November, 1519.
Source #6
 La Malinche and Hernan Cortes in the city of
Xaltelolco
This is another drawing of
Malinche next to Cortes from
the 16th century codex,
History of Tlaxcala.6 Notice
that many of the pictures
show her pointing her finger,
perhaps as a symbol of
translation.
“La Malinche and Hernan Cortes in
the city of Xaltelolco.” History of
Tlaxcala. Late 16th century.
6
Source #7
 An Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico
This site above has an excerpt from
“The Broken Spears,” a translation of
events written by the Aztec people. The
excerpt mentions Malinche. She helps
Cortes to tell Moctezuma that the
Spanish want to be friends and there is
no reason to fear them.7 I was very
excited to find this translated source of
events from the Native perspective.8
Leon-Portilla, Miguel. The Broken Spears. (Boston: Beacon
Press, 1962), 62-65.
8 Fitch, Nancy. “Primary Sources,” Hernando Cortes on the
Web.” (accessed 27 July 2009), available from
http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/cortes/3.html
7
Thesis
 Serving as an interpreter, Malinche drastically
changed the outcome of encounters between the
Native people of Mexico and the Spanish. Without
her presence, the Spanish would have had much
more difficultly in New Spain, not being able to
communicate with its people. Malinche influenced
the conflict between the Native Americans and the
Spanish. Malinche aided the Spanish in finding
riches, being warned of conflict, and communicating.
Malinche was helpful to the Native Americans
because she gave them a voice for the Spanish.
Summary of Events9
 Malinche was born in the village of Painalla, a part of the Aztec
Empire.
 Her father was a chief and died when she was a baby. Her mother
remarried and had a son. She wished her son to inherit her
wealth instead of Malinche, so she claimed Malinche had died
and sold her to slavery.
 Malinche became a slave of the Maya. Because of this, she was
fluent in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, and Mayan.
 Hernan Cortes was sent by Governor Diego de Velasquez to lead
an expedition to the Yucatan Penninsula; he left November 18,
1518.
9Waldman,
Carl. Atlas of the North American Indian. 3rd ed. (New York, NY, 2009), 103-104, 119.
Summary of Events (continued)
 Early in Cortes’ journey, he rescued a priest, Aguilar,
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who was fluent in both Spanish and Mayan.
Cortes defeated Indians at Tabasco, bringing him in
contact with Mayan rulers.
The Mayans gave Malinche and 19 other slave girls to
Cortes as a gift.
With the combination of Malinche and Aguilar,
Cortes could successfully communicate with the
Aztecs.
Malinche was baptized as “Dona Marina.”
Malinche told Hernan Cortes about the Aztec riches
Summary of Events (continued)
 Malinche provided cultural and geographical information to
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the Spanish.
In August of 1519, Cortes made the move to Tenochtitlan.
Malinche informed Cortes of the prophecy that the god
Quetzalcoatl was to return and the Aztecs believed it was him.
On November 8, 1519, Cortes entered Tenochtitlan and
proceeded to take Montezuma hostage and claim the city for
Spain.
Malinche uncovered a secret plot to attack the Spanish while
they were in Tenochtitlan.
In May of 1520, the Aztecs rose in resistance as a result of
Spanish suppression of human sacrifice. This event is known
as “sorrowful night;” half of the Spanish army was lost.
In the Spring of 1521, Cortes retaliated and won after a three
month siege.
Bibliography
Primary Sources:
“Cortés Greets Xicotencatl.” Mid-16th century. Detail from Lienzo de Tlaxcala. Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery, University of Texas,
Austin.
Cortés, Hernán. Hernán Cortés: Letters from Mexico, 1522. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986.
Díaz del Castillo, Bernal. Chap. 22-23 in The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico, 1517-1521. 1585. Translated by A. P. Maudsley. New
York: The Noonday Press, 1965.
“La Malinche and Hernan Cortes in the city of Xaltelolco.” History of Tlaxcala. Late 16th century.
Leon-Portilla, Miguel. The Broken Spears. Boston: Beacon Press, 1962.
“Hernan Cortes and La Malinche meet Moctezuma II in Tenochtitlan.” Lienzo de Tlaxcala. 8 November, 1519. of Florentine Codex,
Bernardino de Sahagún et al., Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Italy.
Malinche Translating from Palace Roof Top. Pigment/ink on paper ca. 1570-1585. In Book 12, Chap. 18 of Florentine Codex,
Bernardino de Sahagún et al., Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Italy.
Miguel Leon-Portilla, ed., The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico (Boston: Beacon
Press, 1962), 62–65.
Secondary Sources:
Fitch, Nancy. “Primary Sources,” Hernando Cortes on the Web.” Accessed 27 July 2009. Available from http://www.isidore-ofseville.com/cortes/3.html
Jaffary, Nora E., and Kirsten McKenzie. “Dona Marina, Cortes’ Translator.” Women in World History. (accessed July 26, 2009)
available from http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/modules/lesson6/lesson6.php?menu=1&s=0
Waldman, Carl. Atlas of the North American Indian. 3rd Edition. New York, NY, 2009.