The Reality Of A Heroes’ Quest
Should Christopher Columbus really be so celebrated? From what we have learned in school, his journey went pretty smoothly for the most part. Not to mention he began the idea of slavery. There is one man, who, despite being a Spaniard, won the hearts of many Indians. In a way, he was a hero to them. Someone who they could look up to and think, ‘there is good in this world’. He had a quest, like your average hero. First it was colonization. Then it became survival. And survive he did. Through torment and terror, the 37-year-old explorer fought for nine years to get back home, making friend and foe alike. He left behind a legacy we still learn about today, like a real hero. When he left Seville, Spain on a ship as a treasurer, he never expected the extreme journey ahead of him which he overcame with questionable routes, immense skill and instinct, and a whole lot of trust-building exercises. The name of this legendary man was Cabeza de Vaca. Looking at the facts of this particular quest it seems unlikely; so how did Cabeza de Vaca survive?
By my standards, Cabeza took an awfully strange route of about 2,800 miles when he could have made do with a more direct course of 1,000 miles. He traveled from modern-day Tampa Bay, Florida to Mexico City, Mexico. The longer path assisted him on honing his skills so he could endure rougher conditions. Think of it this way: If Cabeza had traversed for one year and not two and only knew half of what he did, what would have happened had he come into contact with extremely violent yet reasonable Indians? He might not have learned the language yet, or he might not have had enough experience to cope with the situation. He might have been killed and never seen again. Instead, his two-year trek through rivers, deserts, swamps and mountains brought him closer to the land and the Indians than any man before him and earned him protection.
During the nine years it took for Cabeza to finish his ordeal he had to cope with a great number of tests. The first of these was thirst. When Cabeza’s ship wrecked and he had to build rafts with the other soldiers to find land, you may be thinking, ‘thirst? He was in the middle of a huge body of water for crying out loud’. Seawater and ocean water has salt though, and if he or the other men had drunken that water they would have shriveled up from the inside. Cabeza and the men split the left over freshwater into hollowed-out horse legs to make it portable. Another challenge Cabeza faced was periodic hunger while he was enslaved by Indians. Throughout this time he ate anything and everything to stay alive and keep his strength up, ranging from berries to spiders. After escaping one band of Indians Cabeza ran into another, named The Charuccos. Not wanting to repeat his dreadful experience as a slave, he ingeniously integrated himself with these Indians and befriended them, earning him the privilege of trading Indian goods with other bands that lived within 150 miles of the Gulf Coast. This allowed him to build strength from walking so much, as well as being able to acquaint himself with Indian commodities and learning to use them. Also, sane people don’t usually let their errand-runners starve, meaning Cabeza must have been well looked after. All through his trek Cabeza managed to learn four different Indian languages and sign language, providing him various ways to communicate. Perhaps the most controversial way he survived began in 1534 after he left the Charuccos and he was lost and completely naked. He came upon a tree that had been struck by lightning and lit a branch to use as a torch. At night when he slept in holes he himself had to dig he would build four fires and place them in the shape of a cross. This gave him heat and light and kept away wild animals; I also believe it gave him hope.
Cabeza and the Indians were close. So close in trust that the Indians brought an injured man with an arrow lodged in him from shoulder to heart to Cabeza in order for him to be saved. This single act required a great deal of trust. The Indians realized Cabeza was a benevolent soul who knew the language and many ways to heal a human, but that alone is not a reason to entrust someone with a man’s life. The injured man they brought to Cabeza had been suffering for a long time, implying that perhaps the Indians watched Cabeza; watched how he did things, how he handled situations, before giving him one of their own. For certain, they wouldn’t have handed over a tribe member if they had not completely believed the integrity of the man to which he was being given.
Another grand demonstration of faith came when Cabeza, the three other survivors of his expedition and a huge group of Indians following him found Spaniards rounding up Indians. The Spaniards were intent on making the Indians their slaves. They said that Cabeza had been “lost for a long time”, that he was “ill fortune” and of “no worth”. They said they themselves were the “lords of the land” which the Indians must “serve and obey”. The Indians stood firm in their viewing of Cabeza. Cabeza was the man who “came from where the sun rose” and “cured the sick” and “came naked and barefoot” and “did not covet anything”. The Spaniards “came from where the sun set” and “killed those who were well” and came “dressed and on horses” and “had no other objective but to steal”. To them, Cabeza was the one they would trust and follow, because the only thing stronger than fear…is hope.
Cabeza survived. He used wit and went to incredible lengths to live on. He undertook a 2,800 mile long trek and used it to learn. He fought through dangerous situations using various skills and won the trust of the Indians. So it’s time to start celebrating someone else. Cabeza de Vaca, the man who survived.
-PsychoIdiotLady
Sources
*Cabeza’s Trek Across Texas And Mexico map
*The Relacion of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, 1542
