Author Description

Among the many 'bad guys' in [history], the Friar Diego de Landa has to occupy a special circle in hell. In 1562, de Landa conducted an 'Auto de fe' in Mani where in addition to 5000 'idols,' he burned 27 books in Maya writing. This one act deprived future generations of a huge body of Mayan literature. He culturally impoverished the descendents of the Mayas, and left only four codices for scholars to puzzle over. The document translated here is de Landa's apology, and one of the few remaining contemporary texts which describe pre-conquest Mayan society, science, and art in detail. As such it must be read in context. The translator and editor, the distinguished Americanist William Gates, provides plenty of background on de Landa, the decline of the Maya, and what is today known about their ancient culture. (Quote from sacred-texts.com) About the Author Diego de Landa Calderon (1524 - 1579) Diego de Landa Calderon (17 March 1524 - 1579) was Bishop of Yucatan. He left future generations with a mixed legacy in his writings, which contain much valuable information on pre-Columbian Maya civilization, and his actions which destroyed much of that civilization's history, literature, and traditions. He is a major figure in the so-called "Black Legend." Born in Cifuentes, Guadalajara, Spain, he became a Franciscan monk in 1541, and was soon sent as one of the first Franciscans to the Yucatan. Landa was in charge of bringing the Roman Catholic faith to the Maya peoples after the Spanish conquest of Yucatan. He presided over a spiritual monopoly granted to the Catholic order of Franciscans by the Spanish crown, and worked diligently to buttress the order's power while converting the indigenous Maya. His initial appointment was to the mission of San Antonio in