Sobre el autor y la obra
-
Garcilaso
de la Vega
o
Vida
(1539-1616)
o
De Perú
o
El primer
mestizo que escribe (y el más famoso)
o
Se muda
a España en 1560
-
Esta obra
es la primera parte; en 1617 publica la segunda parte (Historia general del Perú)
-
Ésta y
también la segunda obra recibieron gran reconocimiento en España; las traducían
mucho
Comps
-
Reading
assignment: Vega, [Inca] Garcilaso de la. Comentarios
reales (selección). Ed. Enrique Pupo-Walker (Cátedra). Introducción y pp.
139-95.
-
Example Question: Similarities and differences
between indigenous self-representations Popol
Wuj, Warochirí, Ollantay, Guamán Poma de Ayala and El Inca Garcilaso de la
Vega.
o
** Both Guamán Poma de Ayala and Garcilaso de la
Vega express the idea of a belief in a flood, like Noah’s ark
Blogger's Notes:
Also, there's a 100-page introduction, which I'm going to take a stab at. Here we go! *post note: I've moved notes to "A Brief Comparison" post. The intro in this edition was GREAT!
Perú:
-primer literato mestizo Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
-trata sobre el Perú prehispánico
-very influential until 19th century, when they began to question its historical value
-based on oral histories, documents, crónicas that he felt needed to be preserved.
-like Castillo, trying to offer a TRUE story. Nevertheless, shows some favoritism to Inca ancestors at the expense of other pueblos. (Like the Spanirds, he thinks of them as barbarians...but there were many developed cultures)
-OVER 500 chapters!!!
"Su lectura preservó en la memoria colectiva del hombre andino el recuerdo idealizado de los incas, siendo esto uno de los alientos más vigorosos de las sangrienta rebeliones indígenas contra el dominio español."
+ Exalta por igual a andinos y a españoles que han dado origen a una nueva sociedad mestiza" (This smells like early "Raza Cósmica", don't you think?)
-written at a time when Spaniards in Toledo were trying to desprestigiar los indígenas and prove they were not reyes de derecho natural so that the corona could disponer de sus bienes impunemente...so this can be viewed as a response to that policy.
-Asignará a los incas un papel trascendental para la preparación de la cristianización y la conquista.
-he views himself as a superior interpreter to Spaniards who'd tried to write Incan history before- "La incomprensión es la causa de la destrucción de todo un pueblo."
-Can be criticized for his desinterés and desprestigio for pre-incan cultures.
-Ofrece una visión idílica de los reyes incas que impusieron una lengua, el quechua, como vínculo de unión, una religión monoteísta y un estado monárquico.
-Como La Araucana: concepción heróica de la historia
-establece una simetria entre la labor de los españoles con los incas.
-***La idea de prefiguración del cristianismo le sirve para explicar la historia de los incas, para dar razón a su existencia, y insertarlos en el mundo cristiano, y por lo tanto, incluirlos en la historia del occidente
-Concibe la idea de lo maravilloso dentro de los límites que permite la verosimilitud
-autoridad + referencias clásicas, busca calidad literaria.
-Later, became prohibited reading.
First book- mainly physical description of the world. Perú comes from the name for river. "Primitives" on the island practiced idolatry/cannibalism/incest/sodomy/hechizos. Sons of Sun come down to rectify the situation, bury gold under the mountains. These people help make them civilized, teach them agriculture, worship the sun and not other "prácticas aberrantes" and they should help other pueblos "por la fuerza del convencimiento" to live like men and not brutes. Only if they were bellicose and reacias could the Incas use weapons against them.
Temas/ideas importantes
-
Estilo
de escritura
o
Writes in sections divided by theme
o
Third person narration with first person
commentary
o
Recounts old legends of the Incas, using some of
their same terminology (example: “nuestro padre el Sol”)
o
Uses lots of different sources: old legends that
the elders told him, what Spaniards have written, what other smart people tell
him of the old legends, what he himself saw/heard as an eye witness
-
Uso de
retórica
o
Don’t want to offend/correct anyone, just want
to add to the knowledge pool to be of service to the Christians! (proemio al
lector)
o
Just writing about what I know! So you can
believe it; it’s accurate. (Proemio al lector)
o
Establishes himself as a reliable narrator –
declares himself to be a witness, or emphasizes orality (says how he heard the
story, etc.)
o
Lots of focus on orality / oral tradition
-
Elemento humano (cómo describe a los indígenas)
o
Refers to ancient indigenous people as barbaric
§
Talks about their crude/simple ways of survival
§
Says some of them were cannibals and details
their horrible ways
o
More modern indigenous are described as more
civilized, decent people
o
Creates a kind of us vs. them dynamic, in which he
separates himself from the indigenous and the previous Incans. One major way in
which he does this is to write from a distinctly Christian perspective.
-
Religion
o
Inca writes from a Christian point of view;
example is that he says that the discovery of the New World occurred due to
divine will
o
Criticizes lack of religion or barbaric religion
(related to sacrifice) of the ancient indigenous people
o
More civilized/modern Indians worshipped the Sun
as their creator; first king and queen were the sun’s children
o
Refers to a flood that could have been the same
flood from Noah’s ark
-
Género
o
Division of labor based on gender (when the sun’s
children came and taught the indigenous how to live in a civilized manner)
Comentarios Reales (Notes from text):
Proemio al lector:
-begins with his purpose "tengo más larga y clara noticia" than the others.
-"I don't even understand what they're talking about" (sets himself up as expert on culture)
-no con pretensión de otro interés más que servir la república cristiana
Advertencias acerca de la lengua general
-basically, Spaniards haven't understood the language well. Explains the grammar/pronunciation
-would be a shame to lose or corrupt the language
Libro I, Capítulo III: “Cómo se descubrió el Nuevo
Mundo” (pg. 20-23)
-
Around the year 1484, the captain Alonso Sánchez
de Huelva was on a market voyage from Spain to the Canary Islands and back. On his
return trip, there was a storm, and he was swept all the way to “Santo Domingo”
(today Dominican Republic) over course of a month
-
It wasn’t
by chance, it was divine will – “Mas
el Señor Todopoderoso, cuando quiere hacer misericordias, saca las más
misteriosas y necesarias de causas contrarias”
-
When captain Alonso and his depleted crew
returned to Spain, they went to see Cristóbal Colón and shared everything they
had discovered, then they all died from exhaustion
-
Then Inca refers to other writers who have
written about the discovery of the New World and about Cristóbal Colón. He just
wanted to add this bit about captain Alonso; Colón never would have had such
success without Alonso’s information.
Libro I, Ch. 8
La descripción del Perú
-physical description of the land/territory
-mentions cast away, Pedro Serrano, on a desert island-can't find anything to eat or drink. Then, eats crabs/turtles. Drank their blood. Made turtle jerky. Uses shells to collect water. Now, he's fine. Makes fire and shelter. 3 years pass. Though ships pass, they don't see him. He's desperate. Then, sees another man. Thinks he's the devil, pero es cristiano. 4 years together. Finally, ship picks them up and takes them to Europe. Friend dies. King of Germany is amazed by this castaway, his pelaje, and he makes his living off that. "I heard this story" orality!
Ch. 9 La idolatría y los dioses:
Let's not get the ages of the Incas mixed up. In the first age, at best the men were bestias mansas, at worst fieras bravas. All had different Gods. "Adoraban lo que veían" (e.g. emeralds, not diamonds)
**early sociological observation**
-worshipped animals for their traits
-estos fueron simplicísimos en toda cosa (We always think this of the past). Yet, acknowledges that even the greeks and romans, who were literate, had 30.000 gotds.
Ch. 11. Maneras de sacrificios que hacían
-human sacrifice of war captives. cut out lungs! use blood to cover idols!
-mentions Fray Blas Valera, another who had recorded Inca stories. He said "No tienen ni dios ni ley" (sounds familiar)
Las mujeres "más crueles que los hombres". In sum, Valera "cuenta diabluras" and helps us to know about the First Age.
Libro I, Capítulo XII: “La vivienda y gobierno de
los antiguos, y las cosas que comían” (pg. 43-46)
-
“En
la manera de sus habitaciones y pueblos tenían aquellos gentiles la misma
barbariedad que en sus dioses y sacrificios” – refers to the indigenous as barbaric, and separates them as “gentiles”
(idea of the emphasis on Christianity as the right way to go)
-
There was no political order, and lots of war. Some
of them lived in caves or in trees. Many of them were irrational and had no
sense of religion and could barely even communicate outside of their
tribe/group.
-
There was no good leader in these groups, it was
basically just whoever had the balls to give orders and enforce them. There was
lots of violence to gain leadership. There were a few good people who managed
to become leaders and treated the others well and maintained peace and justice.
In other areas, there were people with no leader whatsoever, they lived in
ignorance (like sheep!).
-
Some of them were cannibals – to the extent that
they sucked human blood from dying people and had public carnicerías with human
meat. They even trapped prisoners and made them have children to raise for
meat.
-
“no
tuvieron dioses, ni supieron qué cosa era adorar” – criticism of lack of religion
Libro I, Capítulo XIII: “Cómo se vestían en
aquella antigüedad” (pg. 46-48)
-
They were super indecent (no morals), barely
even covered themselves or went naked with no concerns
-
Not going to go into too much detail here since
it’s really not a decent topic, don’t want to offend anyone! (rhetoric)
Ch 15 El origen de los Incas reyes en Perú.
God allowed "un lucero de alba" to infiltrate "aquellas oscurísimas nieblas"
-men become rational (con razón)
-Dios, sol de justicia. -some other more rural nations still haven't 'advanced'
-Garcilaso asks tío about history (orality!) in First Age. Regarding women: "no supieron tenerlas propias y conocidas"
-Nuestro padre, el Sol, sent son and daughter to earth. Sun says, "If you get yourselves under control, I will sustain you. (Sounds like Bible: "Quiero que vosotros imitéis este ejemplo como hijos míos)
-Mentions Cuzco "que entonces todo él estaba hecho montaña brava"
Ch. 16 La fundación de Cuzco, ciudad imperial
King/Queen dressed by god "mostraban ser hijos del sol". They ordered ppl to work. Even though there was a Cuzco "alto" and "bajo", "todos fuesen iguales como hermanos" (only difference is like primogénitos vs. second born)
Queen taught women "oficios mujeriles"-tejer, servicios de la casa
Chapter 17) Lo que redujo el primer inca
The newly 'civilized" Incas essentially evangelized to other about how much they've loved their new way of life. People joined in, made army, etc. "This was our grande, rico, y famoso imperio that you all took away from us. Tío says he's telling the story with "lágrimas de sangre". Rhetoric: Story could've been longer and more majestic than what I've told.
Ch. 18. Fábulas historiales del origen de los incas
Un hombre divided world in 4. Each had king. One of the kings was ancestor of the Incan king. Also, it's no wonder these stories are confusing, as they were oral traditions, not written. Cuzco means ombligo. "Algunos españoles curiosos" think Incas knew of Noah.
***Note*** Garcilaso se distancia de algunas fábulas por considerarlas inverosímiles, pero no ignora que son necesarias par comprender el mundo que está relatando.
Ch. 19. Protestación del autor sobre la historia
His tío had told him more about Inca laws, sus abusos y supersticiones.
-born 8 yrs after Spaniards came
-mentions recruiting people to help him tell story
-"no finjo ficciones a favor de mis parientes"--I say the same as the Spaniards, I just correct and amplify some of what they said. "Al discreto lector suplico reciba mi ánimo"-just trying to write a nice history here.
Libro I, Capítulo XIX: “Protestación del autor
sobre la historia” (Pg. 60-64)
-
Garcilaso heard all the old legends of the Incas
all during his childhood (tradition of
orality)
-
When he was older, the elders told him about the
old Incan government, and all the old Incan religious traditions, including
idolatry and sacrifice
-
Even during Garcilaso’s youth, some of these old
idolatrous traditions continued
-
Testigo de ojo, narrador confiable: “Yo nací ocho años después que los españoles
ganaron mi tierra, y como lo he dicho, me crié en ella hasta los veinte años, y
así vi muchas cosas de las que hacían los indios en aquella su gentilidad, las
cuales contaré, diciendo que las vi.”
-
Garcilaso said he asked other people with
certain knowledge to help him learn more to be able to tell the story better (so what I’m telling you is true, yo)
-
Talking
about what he’s writing versus what the Spaniards have written: “alegaré las
mismas palabras de ellos, donde conviniere, para que se vea que no finjo
ficciones en favor de mis parientes, sino que digo lo mismo que los españoles
dijeron; sólo serviré de comento, para declarar y ampliar muchas cosas que
ellos asomaron a decir y las dejaron imperfectas por haberles faltado relación entera”
(so trust me, I’m a good narrator!)
Libro segundo:
La idolatría de la segunda edad y su origen
-Began with Inca Manco Cápac, corrects Fray Valera's dates. Manco made Inca's his vassals, taught them to make houses, etc.
-Reina taught women to sembrar y criar y hacer sus casas y pueblos. They were taught LEY NATURAL (wow.)
-Corrected their idolatry-"What have you received from those animals? vs. What do you receive every day from the sun?" Plants worship the sun, see?
Ch. 2.
Rastrearon los incas al verdadero Dios Nuestro Señor
Also worshipped God, Pachacámac: él que da ánima al mundo universo.
-Mentions how Spaniards consider everything they do to be diabolical without really understanding it.
Libro II, Capítulo XXI-XXV: “Todas las ciencias
que los Incas alcanzaron” (Pg. 64-78)
-
So the Incas made some pretty good advances in
the fields of science and medicine, despite being illiterate
-
They observed and tracked/recorded the patterns
of the moon and sun
-
They managed to be able to measure the passage
of the years (realized that the movement of the sun took one year to complete) –
the common people counted the years according to the harvests
-
They took notice and recorded the solstices and
eclipses (both lunar and solar) that occurred and when
-
They could tell what type of illness someone had
by their symptoms (such as looking at their urine, etc.)
-
They made medicine from herbs
-
“La
gente común se curaban unos a otros por lo que habían oído de medicamentos”
Ch. 27
The poetry of the Incas amautas, who are philosophers- composed tragedies and comedies, great poems. The versos were pocos so they could be memorized. Offers short translation of a poem. "Esto puse aquí para enriquecer mi pobre historia" (also shows he knows Latin...) Padre Valera tried to translate, but made them far too ornate for his tierra. Sometimes, Spaniards make fun of their poetry because they don't understand the allegory.
Book 3
Ch. 25.
Del famoso templo Titicaca (sierra de plomo). Lake where King and Queen first showed up. There is magnetic rock...thus, no boats! Talks about indios throwing riches in this lake when they found out Spaniards were coming. Mentions first king bringing corn to tierra fría.
Book 4
La casa de las vírgenes dedicadas al Sol
-en su gentilidad y vana religión, tuvieron cosas grandes y dignas de mucha consideración. one of these things were women, perpetually virgins. Describes location of their house. They were "sacerdotisas"-all de procedencia noble.
Book 6
Ch. 8
Contaban por hilos y nudos, había gran fidelidad en los contadores
-certain colors mean certain things. -put things in order of their value (oldest to youngest, richest grain to poorest) (Their weaving seems to be like town story telling/record keeping)
Libro VII, Capítulo VIII: “La descripción de la
imperial ciudad del Cozco” (Pg. 80-87)
-
The Inca Manco Cápac was the founder of the city
of Cozco
-
Garcilaso mentions the Spaniards’
interest/fascination/admiration in/with/of the city of Cozco, which they called
a new Toledo when they first saw it
-
Cozco is a super important city – the first
kings founded it and lived there, the city was the base of the conquest of the
indigenous people, and all the laws that created order for the indigenous
people came from this city – comparison with Rome
-
The Inca Manco Cápac chose this place to found a
city because the valley was fertile and beautiful, and there was a good source
of water; he was supported by “la voluntad de su padre el Sol”
Book 9
Ch. 10
Lo que Huaina Cápac dijo acerca del Sol
One king looks at Sun. priest says- What are you doing? Don't you know it's illicit to do that?-
King says: I'm the king! Are you going to tell me to leave? Priest calls him foolish (desatinado). King says that Sun shouldn't be the chief of everything. There should be something more powerful. Because this was such a shocking turn of events, Incas received catholicism more easily (I think).
Ch. 15 Testamento y muerte de Huaina Capa y el pronóstico de la ida de los españoles
H.C. gets in a lake, gets out and he's cold. Pronósticos are being fulfilled. Comet flying in the air. Predicted the loss of his kingdom. "When I die," says HC, "take out my heart, lungs and bury them in Quito. Tell Atahualpa, my son, to take over. Predicts the arrival of Spaniards "vendrá gente nueva, ganará y sujeterá a su imperio" That's why the imperio fell so easily.
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