Lempira (Lenca chief)

Traditionally called Lempira (1499? - 1537?) although its name was "Eranique" (according to the 'Probanza de Méritos' written by Rodrigo Ruíz), he was a war captain and leader of the Lencas who fought against the Spanish during the 1530s. In documents written during the Spanish conquest, he is mentioned under the name El Lempira.

History

It is said that he was born in the department that bears his name, the department of Lempira, which was populated mainly by people of the Lenca ethnic group. His appearance was short by the European average of the time and compared to the average height of the Lencas today he must have measured between 1.5-6 meters, with a wide back and thick arms. He was brave, stubborn, with a remarkable sense of leadership and cunning. From a very young age he showed great courage, he felt an endearing love for his people, his land, his laws and his customs.

The name Lempira, according to Jorge Lardé and Larín, comes from the word Lempaera, which in turn comes from two words of the Lenca language: from lempa, which means "sir" —title of high dignity or hierarchy—, and era, which means “hill or mountain range.” Thus, Lempira would mean “Lord of the mountains” or “Lord of the hill.”

Lempira was commissioned by Entepica to organize resistance to the penetration of Spanish troops in 1537, based on the Cerquín hill. When the Spanish arrived in Cerquín, Lempira was fighting against neighboring chiefs, but due to this threat, Lempira allied himself with the Lenca group of the Cares and managed to gather an army of almost 30,000 according to some sources., and of approximately 2,000 according to the proof of merits of Rodrigo Ruiz and other sources, coming from 200 towns, the fortifications on the top of the mountains could hardly accommodate 30,000 men, and gathering an army of that magnitude would have been a demanding task. With a lot of organization and collective thinking for the Lenca peoples, the Spanish army composed of approximately 80 Spaniards and between 1,000 and 3,000 Native Americans brought from Guatemala would have been easily defeated by the forces of Lempira.

Due to the uprising, other groups also took up arms in the Comayagua valley, in Olancho. Spanish attempts to defeat them proved unsuccessful before 1537.

Death of Lempira

With the death of Lempira, Spanish territorial control over the central and western region of Honduras was consolidated and new towns were founded, among them, Gracias, in 1539, however there are two versions of the events.

Traditional History of the Death of Lempira

In the traditional version, which is based on the work of the chronicler Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, (General history of the events of the Castilians on the islands and on the mainland of the Ocean Sea), Herrera affirms that Lempira died of betrayal. In the middle of a peace negotiation, Herrera describes two men on horseback in front of Lempira, who was wearing cotton armor similar to an Ichcahuipilli. Lempira rejects the proposals and one of the Spaniards armed with a hidden musket shoots him, Lempira dies and the Spanish army in the field tries to defeat the fortification again, the Lencas are surprised by the death of their leader, some warriors descend the rock and They hide in surrounding mountains to launch a counterattack. While others, exhausted, give up, the rest continue fighting until the fortress falls in a few days.

He saw his very daring, and that there was no way to take advantage of him, Capitan Caceres ordered, that a Soldier could go to Caballo, so close, that an Arcabuz could reach him of puntery, and that it is to speak to him, mastering him, admitting to him the friendship offered; and that another soldier, loosening the anxes, with the Arkbuz cast him: and ordering in this way, the Soldier travated his talk, and said his counsels, and persuasions, and the Cacique answered him: That the war should not trust the soldiers, nor scare them away, and that the one who could most, would overcome; i saying other arrogant words, but of Indio, the Soldier of the ancas pointed to him, quando viò la ocasion, i diò on the front, no que le valiese vn Morrion, que à su vsança tuvo, mui galano, i empenachado: caiò Lempira rolling through the Sierra abaxo, armed of those Castellanos, Algo Cosedon With this death of Lempira, that the Day before was sad, there was a great uproar, and confusion among the Indians, because many fled were despicted by those Sierras, and others later surrendered.

Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas

History in the General Archive of the Indies

There is another version of Lempira's death, found in the Probanza de Méritos, a document written in Mexico in 1558 by Rodrigo Ruíz, and discovered by Mario Felipe Martínez Castillo in the General Archive of the Indies from Seville.

This document deals with the service of Rodrigo Ruíz in the conquest of Honduras with Francisco de Montejo, and states that Captain "Lempira" He died in combat with Ruíz in the middle of a "guazábara" (unexpected commotion or battle) and then Ruiz cut off his head as reliable proof of Lempira's death. The text includes Alonso de Maldonado and Catalina de Montejo as witnesses.

Tributes

• El lempira (Code ISO 4217: HNL), la moneda nacional de Honduras recibió el nombre del caudillo indígena.

• Lempira Day, the Honduran people commemorate the Lenca hero on 20 July every year.

• Lempira, department of Honduras appointed in his honor, with departmental header in the city of Thanks.

• Puerto Lempira, municipality and departmental head of the department Thank God.

• Escuela Urbana Mixta Lempira, named in honor of the Lempira cacique, located in the municipality of Azacualpa of the department of Santa Barbara