Malintzin biography
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SPANISH CONQUEST OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE
Malinche's story can be interpreted in different ways. She has been known as the mother of Mexico, and even Mexico’s Eve (the son she had with Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés was likely the first mestizo person, of European and indigenous Amerindian heritage), yet her name is also associated with betrayal.
Her life, shrouded in myth, is also a tale of legendary events confirmed by artifacts and eye-witness accounts. The way we understand Malinche has changed as contemporary notions of national identity have shifted. Today, some see her as a historic traitor, whose relationship with Cortés helped the Spanish brutally conquer Mexico. Others see her as a brilliant communicator who effectively negotiated ways to prevent the Spanish from making their conquest of the Americas even more violent than it was. Malinche was born to a noble family around the year 1500, when she was given the name Malinali, which conver
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Biography of Malinche, Enslaved Woman and Interpreter to Hernán Cortés
Malinali (c. 1500–1550), also known as Malintzín, "Doña Marina," and, most commonly, "Malinche," was an Indigenous Mexican woman who was given to conquistador Hernan Cortes as an enslaved person in 1519. Malinche soon proved herself very useful to Cortes, as she was able to help him interpret Nahuatl, the language of the mighty Aztec Empire.
Malinche was an invaluable asset for Cortes, as she not only translated but also helped him understand local cultures and politics. Many modern Mexicans see Malinche as a great traitor who betrayed her Native cultures to the bloodthirsty Spanish invaders.
Fast Facts: Malinche
- Known For: Mexican enslaved woman and interpreter to Hernan Cortez and mother of one of his children
- Also Known As: Marina, Malintzin, Malinche, Doña Marina, Mallinali
- Born: c. 1500 in Painala, in present-day Mexico
- Parents: Cacique of Paynala, mother unknown
- Died: c. 1550 in Spa
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La Malinche
Nahua aide to Hernán Cortés
For the volcano in Tlaxcala, see Malinche (volcano).
Marina[maˈɾina] or Malintzin[maˈlintsin] (c. 1500 – c. 1529), more popularly known as La Malinche[lamaˈlintʃe], a Nahua woman from the Mexican Gulf Coast, became known for contributing to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire (1519–1521), by acting as an interpreter, advisor, and intermediary for the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.[1] She was one of 20 enslaved women given to the Spaniards in 1519 bygd the natives of Tabasco. Cortés chose her as a consort, and she later gave birth to their first son, Martín – one of the first Mestizos (people of mixed europeisk and Indigenous American ancestry) in New Spain.
La Malinche's reputation has shifted over the centuries, as various peoples evaluate her role against their own societies' changing social and political perspectives. Especially after the Mexican War of Independence, which led to Mexico