The ceremony of El Gritode Independencia

(The Call to Independence), celebrated every 15 of September in Mexico.

By J. Tapia

In 1519, one of the main cultures in the Americas evolved in the streets and channels of a place called Tenochtitlán -Ten-notch-teet-lahn- (now Mexico City). A paradisiacal, magical, colorful, pyramid city on an island surrounded by floating gardens, volcanoes and a mirror like lake, inhabited by the whimsical and somewhat ruthless Aztec people, who ruled over everything that existedon land and water.

Near their kingdom, to the east across the Caribbean channel, Cuba and the surrounding islands were already under the European boot. The Spanish empire was wringing its greedy hands when hearing of the riches to the west where the conquistadors looking for gold, would eventually arrive to disrupt the evolution and progress of this people going about their busy lives, preparing those who would become nobles, artists, artisans, priests, tax collectors, warriors and their captured victims, conceived for and honored to be sacrificed to the Gods of war, fertility and renewal.

Thanks to a strange and mystical legend about the God Quetzalcoatl –keht-zahl-coe-at-ahl- (Plumed Serpent or Bird-Serpent) who lore claims to have been a Christ like person who taught the earlier Toltec culture many of their skills, art and religion and who had disappeared on a voyage to the “Southern Sea”to the east, from where -eventually- the Spaniards would come in sailing ships and would be welcomed out of fear by the current fanatical Aztec ruler Moctezuma,as messengers of the deity and bearers of nothing but bad news.

After the brutal attack of a few hundred Spaniards leading thousands of Indian troops, the war ended on the 13 of August, 1521 when Cuauhtémoc (Coo-out-teh-moc), the last Aztec King, fell prisoner to Hernán Cortés and his allies-the enemy tribes surrounding the Mexica (pronounced Meshica) by which name the Aztecs preferred to be known-, and the conquest of México was consummated, with the great city of Tenochtitlan totally destroyed andpillaged.

Three hundred years later, the inhabitants of the New Spain (México), were fed up with the Imperial Crown of Spain and began conspiring to fight if necessary for independence. They were discovered and had to hasten the war ahead of their plans. In the town of Dolores, Padre Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, led the insurrection, haranguing the town's people and fellow conspirators, and on the 16 of September of 1810, to the voice of VIVA MEXICO! They grabbed whatever object they could use as a weapon and marched againstthe Royal Spanish Army.

This started the War of Independence that eventually claimed the life of fathers Hidalgo and Morelos-a brilliant general who headed the Insurgent Army of the South (of whom -legend claims- Napoleon said: “If I had ten generals like padre Morelos, I would conquer the world”). Hidalgo, Aldama, Allende, Jimenez, among the patriots who headed the initial revolt and were labeled as traitors to the crown, were summarily tried, hastily executed, decapitated and their heads displayed in cages high atop a grain depository named the Alhondiga de Granaditas in the town of Guanajuato, one of the last strongholds of the Spanish Empire, soon before losing the warto a ragged army of Mexican peasants.

From that,  every where in Mexico, the ceremony of Independence Day “El Grito de Independencia”, is repeated by the heads of government on the balconies of city and town halls, above the crowds of elated screaming people, reveling in the festivities that include music, a massive display of fireworks and drink, food, dance and gamesfor everybody to enjoy.

VIVA MEXICO!!

9/14/05

http://www.sanfelipe.com.mx