Alejo
Encyclopedia
Alejo was a Chilean mestizo
, who fought in the Arauco War
. He was the son of the Mapuche
cacique
Curivilú and the Spanish Isabel de Vivar y Castro who was captured during a Mapuche raid
. Isabel and Alejo were rescued five years later and rejoined the Spanish society. Alejo enlisted the Spanish army, but the system of casta
s prevented his promotion. As a result, he deserted from the Spanish army and joined the Mapuches, being appointed toqui
. Instructed in Spanish military strategy, he posed a serious threat to his former masters, but he died in a crime of passion
: after he had sex with a captured Spanish woman his two wives murdered him.
against the Mapuche
s. He led an incursion into Mapuche territory and was ambushed by them. Isabel was captured and engaged to the cacique Curivilú. She had a son with him, known as "Alejandro de Vivar" by the Spanish and "Ñancú" by the Mapuche; but he used the diminutive form of the name "Alejo" instead.
Isabel and Alejo were rescued by the Spanish five years after Isabel's capture and returned to Concepción
. However, the caste system of the local population meant they were looked down on: Alejo was rejected as a mestizo
, and Isabel for having a son with a Mapuche. To avoid the social criticism, Isabel became a nun
and lived inside a convent. Alejo was raised by Franciscans and eventually joined the military. Alejo trained as arquebus
ier, but he was denied any promotion as he was a mestizo. As a result, he deserted from the Spanish army in 1657 and joined the Mapuche.
Alejo returned to the tribe of his father. The Mapuche had a more welcoming attitude towards mestizos than the Spanish, and accepted him. Alejo was valuable to the Mapuches as he had close knowledge of the Spanish military strategy. He informed his father about his life among the Spanish (known as "huincas" by the Mapuches), and expressed his willingness to serve with the Mapuche against them.
As the new toqui
, Alejo increased espionage
activity and intensified the raids of malones
to steal cattle, weapons and capture hostages. He introduced the use of incendiary device
s to Mapuche warfare, which proved deadly against the city of Concepción. To prevent the complete destruction of the city, the Spanish sent Isabel to parley with him. Alejo agreed to stop the attack because of his love for his mother, but said "Mother, it will be very difficult for those arrogant huincas to look you in the eyes. They are haughty enough to humiliate mestizos, but they are cowards incapable of defending themselves and have to resort to using a woman to parley with the enemy in their name, while they are surely trembling behind those walls. The other Mapuche were unwilling to stop the attack, but Alejo quickly silenced the objections by splitting open the head of one of the enraged Mapuche with an axe.
Alejo continued his march and destroyed the forts of Conuco and Chepe completely. He then massacred the populations of Talcamavida and Santa Juana. He celebrated one of his victories by getting drunk and having sex with a captured Spanish woman. This angered his Mapuche wives who attacked and killed him while he was sleeping, and then escaped to a Spanish fort. The Spanish welcomed them and gave them asylum.
The life of Alejo was portrayed in a Chilean historical comic
written in 1973, as part of a number of historical comic books about the history of Chile from the colonization to the Patria vieja
. The episode "El mestizo Alejo" was published in issues 178 to 184, with art and scripts by Luis Ruiz Tagle.
The actor Diego Ruiz
took part in the documentary film Algo habrán hecho por la historia de Chile
, playing Alejo. The documentary was produced during the Bicentennial of Chile
.
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
, who fought in the Arauco War
Arauco War
The Arauco War was a conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people in what is now the Araucanía and Biobío regions of modern Chile...
. He was the son of the Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
cacique
Cacique
Cacique is a title derived from the Taíno word for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles...
Curivilú and the Spanish Isabel de Vivar y Castro who was captured during a Mapuche raid
Malón
Malón or maloca was a military raiding tactic of the Mapuche peoples from the 17th to the 19th centuries.The "maloca" among the Mapuche is described as a means of obtaining justice, by Juan Ignacio Molina:...
. Isabel and Alejo were rescued five years later and rejoined the Spanish society. Alejo enlisted the Spanish army, but the system of casta
Casta
Casta is a Portuguese and Spanish term used in seventeenth and eighteenth centuries mainly in Spanish America to describe as a whole the mixed-race people which appeared in the post-Conquest period...
s prevented his promotion. As a result, he deserted from the Spanish army and joined the Mapuches, being appointed toqui
Toqui
Toqui is a title conferred by the Mapuche to those who are chosen as their leaders during times of war. The toqui is chosen in an assembly or parliament of the chieftains of the various clans or confederation of clans , allied during the war in question...
. Instructed in Spanish military strategy, he posed a serious threat to his former masters, but he died in a crime of passion
Crime of passion
A crime of passion, or crime passionnel, in popular usage, refers to a crime in which the perpetrator commits a crime, especially assault or murder, against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as sudden rage or heartbreak rather than as a premeditated crime...
: after he had sex with a captured Spanish woman his two wives murdered him.
Biography
Alejandro Vivar, Isabel's father, was a Spanish soldier in the Captaincy General of Chile during the Arauco WarArauco War
The Arauco War was a conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people in what is now the Araucanía and Biobío regions of modern Chile...
against the Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
s. He led an incursion into Mapuche territory and was ambushed by them. Isabel was captured and engaged to the cacique Curivilú. She had a son with him, known as "Alejandro de Vivar" by the Spanish and "Ñancú" by the Mapuche; but he used the diminutive form of the name "Alejo" instead.
Isabel and Alejo were rescued by the Spanish five years after Isabel's capture and returned to Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
. However, the caste system of the local population meant they were looked down on: Alejo was rejected as a mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
, and Isabel for having a son with a Mapuche. To avoid the social criticism, Isabel became a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
and lived inside a convent. Alejo was raised by Franciscans and eventually joined the military. Alejo trained as arquebus
Arquebus
The arquebus , or "hook tube", is an early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. The word was originally modeled on the German hakenbüchse; this produced haquebute...
ier, but he was denied any promotion as he was a mestizo. As a result, he deserted from the Spanish army in 1657 and joined the Mapuche.
Alejo returned to the tribe of his father. The Mapuche had a more welcoming attitude towards mestizos than the Spanish, and accepted him. Alejo was valuable to the Mapuches as he had close knowledge of the Spanish military strategy. He informed his father about his life among the Spanish (known as "huincas" by the Mapuches), and expressed his willingness to serve with the Mapuche against them.
As the new toqui
Toqui
Toqui is a title conferred by the Mapuche to those who are chosen as their leaders during times of war. The toqui is chosen in an assembly or parliament of the chieftains of the various clans or confederation of clans , allied during the war in question...
, Alejo increased espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
activity and intensified the raids of malones
Malón
Malón or maloca was a military raiding tactic of the Mapuche peoples from the 17th to the 19th centuries.The "maloca" among the Mapuche is described as a means of obtaining justice, by Juan Ignacio Molina:...
to steal cattle, weapons and capture hostages. He introduced the use of incendiary device
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
s to Mapuche warfare, which proved deadly against the city of Concepción. To prevent the complete destruction of the city, the Spanish sent Isabel to parley with him. Alejo agreed to stop the attack because of his love for his mother, but said "Mother, it will be very difficult for those arrogant huincas to look you in the eyes. They are haughty enough to humiliate mestizos, but they are cowards incapable of defending themselves and have to resort to using a woman to parley with the enemy in their name, while they are surely trembling behind those walls. The other Mapuche were unwilling to stop the attack, but Alejo quickly silenced the objections by splitting open the head of one of the enraged Mapuche with an axe.
Alejo continued his march and destroyed the forts of Conuco and Chepe completely. He then massacred the populations of Talcamavida and Santa Juana. He celebrated one of his victories by getting drunk and having sex with a captured Spanish woman. This angered his Mapuche wives who attacked and killed him while he was sleeping, and then escaped to a Spanish fort. The Spanish welcomed them and gave them asylum.
In popular media
Víctor Hugo Silva wrote a historical novel about Alejo, "El mestizo Alejo y la Criollita".The life of Alejo was portrayed in a Chilean historical comic
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
written in 1973, as part of a number of historical comic books about the history of Chile from the colonization to the Patria vieja
Patria Vieja
Patria Vieja refers to a time period in the History of Chile occurring between the First Junta of the Government and the Disaster of Rancagua . This period was characterized by the transformation from a movement of temporary autonomy to one of total independence...
. The episode "El mestizo Alejo" was published in issues 178 to 184, with art and scripts by Luis Ruiz Tagle.
The actor Diego Ruiz
Diego Ruiz
Diego Ruiz is an Argentine footballer. He currently plays for Târgu Mureş in Liga 1.- Career :He was transferred to the Romanian club from Huachipato in the Liga Chilena de Fútbol....
took part in the documentary film Algo habrán hecho por la historia de Chile
Algo habrán hecho por la historia de Chile
Algo habrán hecho por la historia de Chile is a documentary film for television that narrates the history of Chile. It has the format of the Argentine documentary film Algo habrán hecho por la historia argentina, and it was aired by Televisión Nacional de Chile as part of the Bicentennial of Chile...
, playing Alejo. The documentary was produced during the Bicentennial of Chile
Bicentennial of Chile
The Bicentennial of Chile took place on September 18, 2010. Its celebration commemorates the beginning of the Independence process in Chile, with the first Government Junta of Chile on September 18, 1810, and that after eight years, Chile became a free and independent country...
.