Caribbean Encounters Essay
At the beginning of the 1600s the natives of the new world started having encounters with the Europeans. Europeans had never seen a culture like that of the natives. They hardly wore any clothes, and they worshipped nature. It was very astonishing to the Europeans. Upon hearing of this, Spanish friars were sent to convert the natives. Two of these friars, Ramon Pané and Bartolomé de las Casas, documented their experiences in the new world and with the natives. A Dutch engraver by the name of Theodore de Bry, who never visited the new world, made four engravings depicting the Spaniard's experiences. Through the eyes of Pané, Las Casas, and De Bry, we are able see how the Spaniards viewed the natives, and the relationship …show more content…
He opens up the document going straight into the native’s culture. From the first sentence, he goes into detail about the natives, stating “Guarionex, ruled in the happiest part or the Vega Real” (Las Casas). He goes on to give us background on all the kings and their provinces. In Pane’s document because he never tells us who Guarionex is. Las Casas also has an interest in learning of the surrounding islands. He tells us of the islands of Castille and Higuey, whereas Pané only writes of one island. Las Casas in the next paragraph talks about how he knew most of the kings, and even how many warriors would. He even goes into detail about how the hammocks they sleep in are made. It seems as if the relationship with the Spaniards was great according to Las Casas. They let him into their community and even introduced him to royalty. Maybe Las Casas had a better experience with the natives because he seemed to actually be interested in them and their …show more content…
De Bry takes the Spanish reports and projects his views of the natives In all of his pictures the natives are depicted with a weird body shape, and skin tone. In De Bry’s paintings he almost always depicts the natives as bald (De Bry document 2 and 3), which is strange because an article on most Taino men states “Their complexion were bronze-colored, average stature, dark, flowing, coarse hair, and large and slightly oblique dark eyes” (“Taino Indian Culture”). Interestingly enough, he based his engravings off of Spanish writings. This goes to show us that the Spanish had a low view on the Taino, and would degrade their appearances in writings. In De Bry’s “Balboa Punishing Indians Guilty of Sodomy” painting, we see native people being eaten by dogs. What is disturbing about this picture is that we see the Spanish behind them in colorful outfits, and they seem to just be talking to each other without any signs of remorse (De Bry Document 1). The next two pictures we see the natives striking back violently. In De Bry’s painting “Indians Killing Spaniards, Among Them Several Clerics” we see the natives attacking Spanish soldiers and defenseless clerics (De Bry document 2). De Bry’s painting “Indians Pouring Molten Gold in a Spaniard’s Mouth” shows the natives pouring gold down a Spaniards throat (De Bry document 3). However, this isn’t even the most disturbing
At the beginning of the 1600s the natives of the new world started having encounters with the Europeans. Europeans had never seen a culture like that of the natives. They hardly wore any clothes, and they worshipped nature. It was very astonishing to the Europeans. Upon hearing of this, Spanish friars were sent to convert the natives. Two of these friars, Ramon Pané and Bartolomé de las Casas, documented their experiences in the new world and with the natives. A Dutch engraver by the name of Theodore de Bry, who never visited the new world, made four engravings depicting the Spaniard's experiences. Through the eyes of Pané, Las Casas, and De Bry, we are able see how the Spaniards viewed the natives, and the relationship …show more content…
He opens up the document going straight into the native’s culture. From the first sentence, he goes into detail about the natives, stating “Guarionex, ruled in the happiest part or the Vega Real” (Las Casas). He goes on to give us background on all the kings and their provinces. In Pane’s document because he never tells us who Guarionex is. Las Casas also has an interest in learning of the surrounding islands. He tells us of the islands of Castille and Higuey, whereas Pané only writes of one island. Las Casas in the next paragraph talks about how he knew most of the kings, and even how many warriors would. He even goes into detail about how the hammocks they sleep in are made. It seems as if the relationship with the Spaniards was great according to Las Casas. They let him into their community and even introduced him to royalty. Maybe Las Casas had a better experience with the natives because he seemed to actually be interested in them and their …show more content…
De Bry takes the Spanish reports and projects his views of the natives In all of his pictures the natives are depicted with a weird body shape, and skin tone. In De Bry’s paintings he almost always depicts the natives as bald (De Bry document 2 and 3), which is strange because an article on most Taino men states “Their complexion were bronze-colored, average stature, dark, flowing, coarse hair, and large and slightly oblique dark eyes” (“Taino Indian Culture”). Interestingly enough, he based his engravings off of Spanish writings. This goes to show us that the Spanish had a low view on the Taino, and would degrade their appearances in writings. In De Bry’s “Balboa Punishing Indians Guilty of Sodomy” painting, we see native people being eaten by dogs. What is disturbing about this picture is that we see the Spanish behind them in colorful outfits, and they seem to just be talking to each other without any signs of remorse (De Bry Document 1). The next two pictures we see the natives striking back violently. In De Bry’s painting “Indians Killing Spaniards, Among Them Several Clerics” we see the natives attacking Spanish soldiers and defenseless clerics (De Bry document 2). De Bry’s painting “Indians Pouring Molten Gold in a Spaniard’s Mouth” shows the natives pouring gold down a Spaniards throat (De Bry document 3). However, this isn’t even the most disturbing