Re: Columbus Reconsidered: Herstory
pstanfield@igc.org
Sat, 12 Oct 1991 12:20:00 PDT
Espcailly interesting is the silly folk etymology of indios < en Dios.
It doesn't get much air play among latinos it's so off the wall.
Especially when one knows that <<indio>> was the common word for anyone
from India for 1000 yrs. before Crist'obal Col'on, who may have been to
Italia but was most likely a native subject of King Fernando el
cat'olico of Arag'on. Colom (meaning dove) being a common word in the
catal'an language of Cataolnia, Valencia and the Balearics, from whence
most likely his ancestry -- a tru sea-faring people (with por casualidad
connexions to the Order Templar). With a name like Crist'obal, it's
doubtful the Almirante del Mar Oc'eano was ever a practicing Jew or
Muslim, altho many were in 1492 Spain before the final fall of the
Islamic Kingdom of Granada and the introduction of the Santo Oficio de
la Doctrina de la Fe (the same still extant Vatican entity that silenced
the liberation theologists for a while a few years back and order
Matthew Fox a year of silence for his creation-centered spirituality...
plu c,a change, plus c'est...) It's a common-knowledge historical
"fact" in Valencia, that Isabel did NOT *sell* her jewels; she pawned
them to Jewish (not Muslim) money lenders of Valencia for the going rate
of the day. Jews had an important banking a professional role because
they did not have the Koranic or Christian prohibition against usuary
(which the so-called "Christian" countries could well use in this day of
ridiculous interest rates). The ceiling of the Palacio de la
Generalidad in central Valencia is embossed with gold leaf said to be
taken from the royal interest payments and given to the City/State out
of gratitude by the same Jewish merchants from the nearby Lonja -- the
orginal European stock/commodities exchange (and source of the word
lounge). (Oops, just made an un-PC statement, it's once again in
catal'an, the Palaci de la Generalitat.) Little did they realize that
the place that had been their home since before the fall of Valencia to
el Cid Campeador, don Ruy, almost 500 yrs. before was soon to support
the religious ban --and confiscate their wealth. I always assumed that
was how the gold got on the Generalitat's ceiling, as it was "filthy
luchre" having been taken in usuary, the city dads could only paste it
up to look at. Oh religious sensibilities are the nicest ones to have.
At any rate, yes Col'on was definitely a man of his times who not only
admired the indios' kindness, pacific nature and freedom in the unspoled
caribbean, but immediately pointed out their utility as slaves should he
find the goldmines of the indies. What he did was no small feat for the
times. Surely he had knowledge of the viking sagas and other prehistoric
attempts to cross the Atlantic, which probably the Templars could have
provided him. He was some- thing a mystery to all who followed as he
became quickly legendized, the only way to cope with someone who was
also bound in chains as a potential traitor and at the same time a
national hero. A sort of Lt. Col. Ollie North of his time? Great?
Historic? Both yes. But how to evaluate at 500 yrs distance? Good,
ethical? Maybe not. Seeking a way to flee the ghastly late medieval
Europe? Also a likelihood. Worse than other Spaniards of his time?
Probably even better. Disastrous for native peoples of this contntent?
Oy gevalt!
But please carefuylly separate the leyenda negra and the leyenda de oro
about the Sapnish conquest very carefully. BOth are legends, not
history.
Paz, dpablo stanfield h., seattle ps: See Michener's _Iberia_ for an
interesting argument pro catal'an Colom.