365
Days in Horse Country – El Morzillo
Although
mystery surrounds the details of the horses brought to the New World by the Spanish conquistadors, one horse
stands out as an individual. His name
was El Morzillo, and he was the favourite of General Hernan Cortes.
A black stallion reported to be a great war horse, El Morzillo was Cortes’ mount then the Spaniards rode into present-day Honduras. A long splinter became lodged in his horse’s hoof, and he became lame, forcing Cortes to leave him behind and in the care of the Indians.
Never having seen a horse before, the native peoples considered El Morzillo a odand built him a temple.
They brought him chickens and fruits as offerings, apparently denying him what he really needed to eat out of sheer ignorance. El Morzillo eventually died, but his legacy remainded with the Indians who cared for him. When Spanish priests arrived in the area in 1625, they found the Indians worshipping El Morzillo’s image.
Michael