LANDA, Diego de - A Stan Klos Biography
LANDA, Diego de
(lan'dah), Mexican R. C. bishop, born in Cifuentes, Guadalajara, Spain, 17
March, 1524; died in Merida, Mexico, 30 April, 1579. In 1541 he became a
Franciscan monk, and soon was sent as one of the first of his order to Yucatan.
He founded the convent of Izamal, of which he was elected superior in 1553, and
later became provincial of his order in Yucatan.
His severity in repressing the licentious customs of the
Spaniards made him many enemies, and he was accused of usurping the powers of
the bishop, and ordered to Spain; but he was absolved by the council of the
Indies, and in 1573 returned to Yucatan as second bishop of Merida. He had again
to suffer persecutions, and an unsuccessful attempt was made against his life.
He wrote an interesting "Relacion de las cosas de Yucatan."
which gives a key for deciphering the Mexican hieroglyphics, and an
"introduction sobre las fuentes de la historia primitiva de Mexico y de la
America Central en los monumentos egipcios y de la historia de Egipto en los
monumentos Americanos." These were preserved in manuscript and published by
Brasseur de Bourbourg (Spanish and French, Paris, 1864).
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001 VirtualologyTM
LANDA, Diego de (lan'dah), Mexican R. C. bishop, born in Cifuentes, Guadalajara, Spain, 17 March, 1524; died in Merida, Mexico, 30 April, 1579. In 1541 he became a Franciscan monk, and soon was sent as one of the first of his order to Yucatan. He founded the convent of Izamal, of which he was elected superior in 1553, and later became provincial of his order in Yucatan. His severity in repressing the licentious customs of the Spaniards made him many enemies, and he was accused of usurping the powers of the bishop, and ordered to Spain; but he was absolved by the council of the Indies, and in 1573 returned to Yucatan as second bishop of Merida. He had again to suffer persecutions, and an unsuccessful attempt was made against his life. He wrote an interesting " Relacionde las cosas de Yucatan." which gives a key for deciphering the Mexican hieroglyphics, and an "introduction sobre las fuentes de la historia primitiva de Mexico y de la America Central en los monumentos egipcios y de la historia de Egipto en los monumentos Americanos." These were preserved in manuscript and published by Brasseur de Bourbourg (Spanish and French, Paris, 1864).
