La Malinche

La Malinche, Malintzin, Doña Marina. She was called many names by various peoples. La Malinche was a Nahua woman who served as Cortés’ main translator and mistress during his time in Mexico. It is undeniable that without her help, Cortés could not have been as successful as he was. This section will explain her life and importance to the conquest.

Who was she?

La Malinche was born between 1500 and 1505 in an altepetl (city state) to the east of the Aztec Empire. It is believed that she was either sold or kidnapped into slavery between the ages of 8 and 12. Eventually, she ended up in the town of Potonchán where she learnt how to speak Yucatec Maya, which she would later use to communicate with Gerónimo de Aguilar, a shipwrecked Spanish sailor who joined Cortés and was his first translator with the indigenous peoples. When Cortés and his expedition arrived in Potonchán, he beat the local Maya in battle and was given food and gold, as well as 20 slaves including La Malinche. Once her language skills were discovered, she would become one of Cortés’ translators along with Gerónimo de Aguilar.

What was her role?

While Cortés led his expedition towards Tenochitlan, he used Gerónimo de Aguilar and La Malinche as translators in the cities that he came across as well as in the capital. Aguilar spoke Spanish and Maya, while La Malinche spoke Nahuatal, the language of the Aztecs, and Maya. Through this chain of translation Cortés was able to communicate efficiently with the leaders of the city states that he travelled through in order to rally them towards his cause. Eventually, La Malinche learned the Spanish language and was able to talk directly to Cortés. She was able to advise him on local customs and political rivalries so that he could better use these to his advantage. In addition to this, she later gave birth to their son, Martín, one of the first Mestizos. Through La Malinche, Cortés learnt about the opposition to Moctezuma II when they met the Totonac people, which would spur Cortés forward into his conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Why was she important?

The importance of La Malinche in the conquest of the Aztec Empire was incredible. Without her knowledge of Maya and Nahuatl and later of Spanish, it is clear that Cortés could not have been as successful as he was. Through La Malinche, Cortés was able to effectively gather allies among city states that were opposed to the Aztecs. This was essential as the expedition contained no more than 500 Spanish and the need for native allies was crucial in battle. La Malinche was held in high regard by the Spanish with one of the conquistadors of the expedition, Bernal Díaz de Castillo stating, "Without the help of Doña Marina, we would not have understood the language of New Spain and Mexico." La Malinche was one of the most influential figures in the conquest and without her, it is certain that Cortés could not have been as successful as he was.