Todo Concostrina (SER Podcast)

Episode: Acontece que no es poco | 2 de diciembre de 1547: La muerte y los nueve entierros de Hernán Cortés
Date: December 2, 2024
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Guest/Colleague: Carlos

Overview

This episode, guided by Nieves Concostrina's distinctively ironic and insightful style, explores the fascinating and convoluted story of Hernán Cortés's death and his remarkable sequence of at least nine burials. Far from being a simple historical anecdote, Concostrina reveals how Cortés’s posthumous journey became a long-standing political issue, reflecting Mexico’s conflicted relationship with its colonial past and Spain’s enduring legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Cortés, the "Champion" of Burials

• Cortés died on December 2, 1547, in Sevilla, but most of him is now buried in Mexico City.
• His remains underwent a ludicrous number of transfers, becoming a symbol of political embarrassment and controversy, especially as Mexican attitudes toward their colonial conqueror shifted.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “Si se puede medir la dimensión de alguien por el número de veces que le entierran, yo creo que Hernán Cortés es campeón olímpico.” – Carlos [00:29]
• Nieves introduces the multiple facets of Cortés: “conquistador, colonizador, invasor, adiós rogando y con el mazo dando. Que cada uno lo llame como quiera porque todo, todo le va a encajar.” [00:58]

2. Why So Many Burials? A Long and Political Journey

• Initial Death and Immediate Issues:
  • Cortés died in Sevilla, but his will specified burial in Mexico—a problematic request, as the chosen site hadn’t yet been built.
• “Hay que seguir el rastro y el loco periplo de Cortés de Sevilla a México…” [03:59]
• Political Sensitivities:
  • After early pragmatic transfers, the handling of Cortés’s remains became deeply political. For over a century, his remains were hidden from public knowledge to avoid stoking Mexican resentment.

3. Cortés's Horse, 'Cordobés': A Curious Side Note

• Cortés’s beloved horse, Cordobés, was saved from the battlefield and brought to Spain, where he was buried with more tranquility than Cortés himself.
• Anecdote: The horse’s grave still exists in the garden of what is now a private religious school in Castilleja de la Cuesta.
  • “El cuadrúpedo ha gozado de mucho más reposo que sus jinetes.” – Nieves [05:41]

4. The Unbuilt Monastery and the Problematic Testament

• Cortés, a proud metelinense (from Medellín, Badajoz), wanted to lie eternally in a monastery of his own founding in Coyoacán — a building that was never constructed due to financial mismanagement or outright theft.
  • "Esto se llama desvío de capitales, porque nunca lo hicieron." – Nieves [10:01]
• With his resting place in Mexico unbuilt, Cortés’s body was temporarily placed in local crypts in Spain, leading to a series of “provisional” burials.

5. Transatlantic Transfers and Mexican Entanglements

• Eventually shipped to Mexico, Cortés was initially buried in Texcoco with his mother and some children.
• Over 60 years, he would be moved repeatedly: from Texcoco to a convent in the capital, to another spot in that convent, and later to a prime spot in the Hospital de Jesús in downtown Mexico City—each move reflecting changing attitudes.
• Quote:
  • “No he mirado si eran dos de los once hijos oficiales o de los tropecientos de estrangis con las tropecientas amantes de este devoto cristiano que bautizaba a cachiporrazos…” – Nieves [10:49]

6. The “Grandeur” of the Sixth Entierro & Nationalism

• Sexto entierro (Sixth Burial): In 1794, the Spanish colonial authorities gave Cortés an opulent burial, complete with a bronze bust and major city-wide celebration.
• Quote:
  • “Fue un entierro a lo grande porque lo organizaron los suyos… Si lo hubieras puesto a los mexicas a organizar el entierro de Cortés, pues no hubiera sido tan a lo grande.” – Nieves [12:26]
• This would be the last "public" resting place until Mexican independence changed everything.

7. Mexican Independence: Embarrassment, Disguise, and Exile

• By the 1820s, Mexican sentiment viewed Cortés as a villain, not a hero.
• As the movement for independence and nationhood grew, his remains became a liability; authorities decided to secretly exhume and hide them, preventing public desecration.
  • "Era tan normal que tuvieron que esconder los huesos de Cortés porque el gobierno mexicano iba a exhumarlos y enviarlos al quemadero… Así que se desmontó el sepulcro a toda prisa, se quitó el busto, se quitó la lápida, como si allí no hubiera pasado nada, como si Cortés hubiera volatilizado y escondido permaneció Cortés durante los siguientes 123 años." – Nieves [13:45]
• This secret lasted more than a century.

8. Modern Ironies and Extremadura’s Involvement

• In recent years (notably 2023), some in Extremadura (Cortés’s home region) have sought to reclaim bits of his remains, fueling minor contemporary debates—this provides even more material for political and cultural reflection.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On historical “normalcy”:
  • “No hagamos presentismo. Pero no vamos a aplaudirlo ahora porque fuera legal y normal hace 200 años.” – Nieves [02:13]
• On grand funerals:
  • “Fue un entierro a lo grande porque lo organizaron los suyos.” – Nieves [12:02]
• Ironic comparison:
  • “Esto es como cuando el Real Madrid monta un show en el Santiago Bernabéu para celebrarse a sí mismo.” – Nieves [12:19]
• On the fate of remains:
  • “Así que se desmontó el sepulcro a toda prisa, se quitó el busto, se quitó la lápida, como si allí no hubiera pasado nada…” – Nieves [13:45]

Key Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------|------------------| | Introduction & setting the scene | 00:20 – 01:32 | | Reason for multiple burials | 01:34 – 03:59 | | Anecdote: The horse Cordobés | 03:59 – 05:41 | | Testament and unbuilt monastery | 05:42 – 10:01 | | First transfers and initial burials | 10:01 – 12:24 | | The grand sixth burial | 12:24 – 13:45 | | Mexican independence and hiding | 13:45 – 14:37 | | Modern controversy in Extremadura | 03:59, 09:00 | | End of part one / break | 14:45 |

Tone & Style

Concostrina’s signature blend of historical rigor, irony, and casual banter shines throughout. She navigates the line between irreverence and respect, using humor and sharp analogies to illustrate the absurdity and seriousness of the topic.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode provides a vivid, engaging history lesson through the zigzagging posthumous tale of Hernán Cortés. More than a story of one man’s body, it becomes an exploration of shifting historical memory, colonial legacy, and the political uses (and abuses) of the past. With sharp wit, memorable anecdotes (the restful horse!), and a clear-eyed look at uncomfortable histories, Concostrina makes the past feel immediate and vital—leaving listeners eager for the promised second part.