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| − | {{Quote|What I'd like to lay my hands on would be the Treasure of Cortés."<br>"You and every other buccaneer for the last hundred and fifty years. Nobody knows what happened to it.|Christophe-Julien de Rapièr and [[Jack Sparrow]]}}{{Object_infobox |
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|name=Treasure of Cortés |
|name=Treasure of Cortés |
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| + | |image= POTCRideAztecChest.jpg |
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| − | |creator= |
+ | |creator=Aztec Empire |
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| − | |made=Prior to 1519<ref name=>The [[Aztec]]s gave the stone chest and the [[Aztec gold]] to [[Hernán Cortés]] during his conquests. And so the chest and its contents had to be made before Cortés' conquest.</ref> |
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| − | |items=Stone chest<br>882 pieces of [[Aztec gold]]<br>[[Curse of the Aztec Gold]] |
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| + | |fate=As with [[Isla de Muerta]], it was claimed by the sea |
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| − | |owner=[[Hernán Cortés]]<br>[[Cursed crew]] |
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| + | {{Quote|Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize...the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed, we were, but now...we are consumed by it.|[[Hector Barbossa]] to [[Elizabeth Swann]]|Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl}} |
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| + | The '''Treasure of Cortés''' is a storied treasure featured in the 2003 film ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl]]''. It consists of 882 pieces of cursed Aztec gold in a stone chest. When the [[Pirates of the Caribbean|original attraction]] was revamped in 2006, the stone chest was added to the [[Disneyland]] ride. |
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| − | |cause=As with [[Isla de Muerta]], it was claimed by the [[sea]].}}The '''Treasure of Cortés''', also referred to as the treasure of the [[Isla de Muerta]],<ref name="CotBP">''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl]]''</ref> was a cursed treasure, consisting of 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold in a stone chest. It was known to be buried at the Isla de Muerta, an island of the dead located in the Caribbean. |
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| + | According to legends, the Aztecs delivered the stone chest as blood money to stem the slaughter that conquistador Hernán Cortés wreaked upon with his armies. But because the gold fueled Cortés' greed, a curse was placed upon it: any mortal that removes a piece from the stone chest shall be cursed to walk the earth as an undead horror. The Aztec curse could be broken only if all the gold coins were restored and the blood repaid. The treasure ultimately ended up on [[Isla de Muerta]], hidden from the world. Subsequent to becoming cursed, the crew of the ''[[Black Pearl]]'' partakes in [[Hector Barbossa]]'s quest to return all the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold, including a medallion owned by either [[Will Turner]] or [[Elizabeth Swann]]. After the curse was lifted, Isla de Muerta was claimed by the sea, along with the treasure. |
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| + | ==Background== |
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| − | According to legends, the Aztecs delivered the chest to conquistador Hernán Cortés as blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon with his armies. But because the gold fueled Cortés' greed, the Heathen Gods placed a [[Curse of the Aztec Gold|curse]] over the gold: any mortal that removes a piece from the chest shall be damned. The curse could be broken only if the plundered treasure was restored in total and a blood debt repaid. Only [[Hector Barbossa]]'s crew of the Black Pearl were able to successfully find the treasure, though they would later regret it. |
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| + | While the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés was conquering the Aztec Empire, he was given 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold in a stone chest as "blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies." But instead of satisfying Cortés, it merely fueled his greed. So the heathen gods place a terrible curse upon the gold. Ultimately, the treasure of Cortés would end up in the caves of [[Isla de Muerta]], an island of the dead that could only be found by those who knew where it was. |
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| + | Isla de Muerta is specified as "an island of death" in the film's first screenplay draft, in which its history is expanded: a ship carrying Cortés' treasure ran aground on the island, all but one of its crew dead. The lone survivor hid the treasure ashore before dying. Over time, the dark magic of the treasure cursed the island itself over time.<ref name="CotBP script">[http://www.wordplayer.com/archives/PIRATES.script.html Wordplay: ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' first draft screenplay]</ref> |
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| + | The curse of the Aztec gold was as follows: any mortal who removed a piece of the gold from the chest would be punished for eternity. Those cursed were doomed to live forever as the undead, the moonlight eerily transforming them into living skeletons. The only way to lift the curse was to return all the Aztec gold pieces to the chest and a blood debt repaid to the heathen gods. |
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| + | A reference to the original [[Pirates of the Caribbean]] ride was the dialogue, which would be the base of the Aztec curse: |
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| − | ==History== |
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| + | :''No fear have ye of evil curses, says you? Arrrgh... Properly warned ye be, says I. Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure?'' |
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| − | {{Quote|This...it's some kind of sacred symbol?"<br>"It's an ancient design. The legends say it was imprinted on the blood money demanded by Cortés."<br>"Are you talking about the lost treasure? The one they say is on an island of the dead somewhere?|[[Jack Sparrow]] and Esmeralda}} |
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| + | The curse only affected those who specifically stole a gold piece from the chest. When a cursed individual steals from the chest, no new curse has been given. This is particularly noted after Barbossa used Elizabeth to lift the curse when, after returning the coin, he grabbed it straight from the chest and gave it to Elizabeth. |
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| − | In the early 16th century, during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in [[Mexico]], the Aztecs placed 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold in a stone chest which they gave to the conquistador Hernán Cortés as "blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies." But instead of satisfying Cortés, it merely fueled his greed. In response, the heathen gods placed a curse upon the gold: any mortal who removed a piece of the gold from the chest would be punished for eternity. The only way to lift the curse was to return all the Aztec gold pieces to the chest and a blood debt repaid to the heathen gods. Ultimately, the treasure of Cortés would end up in the caves of [[Isla de Muerta]], an island of the dead that could only be found by those who knew where it was.<ref name="CotBP"/> According to legend, after a ship carrying the treasure ran aground on the island, killing all but one of its crew, the lone survivor hid the treasure ashore before dying himself. Ever since then, the dark magic of the treasure cursed the island itself over time.<ref name=>[http://www.wordplayer.com/archives/PIRATES.cover.html Wordplay: ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' first draft screenplay]</ref> |
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| − | There the treasure remained, and became one of many legends in the Caribbean. The voodoo mystic [[Tia Dalma]] appeared to have been aware of its existence, particularly when she gave a veiled warning to a young [[Jack Sparrow]], shortly after Jack's adventure involving the spirit of Cortés.<ref name="JS4">''Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow: The Sword of Cortés''</ref> It would also be a matter of discussion several times in Jack's young adult life.<ref name="PoF">''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom''</ref> |
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| + | Throughout the first part of the film, the cursed treasure of Cortés was only mentioned in several scenes. After rescuing a shipwrecked survivor named [[Will Turner]], young [[Elizabeth Swann]] took a gold medallion from Will's neck, believing it to be a pirate medallion, and hid it from Norrington's men. |
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| + | Eight years later, while cursed pirates invaded Fort Charles, an imprisoned [[Jack Sparrow]] learned of the pirates' curse when he was grabbed in the moonlight. Aboard the ''[[Black Pearl]]'', [[Hector Barbossa|Captain Barbossa]] told Elizabeth, now his captive, a "ghost story" behind the medallion. One of 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself, it was blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But because Cortés' greed was insatiable, the heathen gods placed a terrible curse upon the gold. Barbossa also told of how he and his crew found and spent the treasure but learned too late that it was cursed, leaving them unable to satisfy their desires, and turning them into immortal skeletal beings whose true forms are revealed under moonlight. The curse can be lifted if the gold is returned, with a sacrifice of each pirate's blood. William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, [[Jack Sparrow]]'s only supporter during the mutiny aboard the ''Black Pearl'' led by Barbossa, sent a coin to his son, Will, believing the crew should remain cursed. Barbossa had Bootstrap tied to a cannon and thrown overboard, before realizing that his blood was needed to break the curse. |
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| − | ===Quest for the Aztec Gold=== |
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| + | [[File:TreasureofCortes1.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Hector Barbossa|Captain Barbossa]] touching the cursed treasure.]] |
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| − | {{Quote|See, three days into the venture, [[Hector Barbossa|the First Mate]] comes up to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the [[Isla de Muerta|location]] of the treasure too. So, Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny.|[[Joshamee Gibbs]] to [[Will Turner]] concerning [[Jack Sparrow]]|Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl}} |
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| + | At Isla de Muerta, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner watched as Barbossa, believing Elizabeth is Bootstraps' child, anoints the last coin with her blood. But Barbossa and his crew then realize that Elizabeth was not the one they needed. As the cursed pirates argued among themselves, Will rescues Elizabeth and they escape to the ''Interceptor'', leaving Jack behind. Ultimately, the ''Black Pearl'' was able to defeated the ''Interceptor'' and imprison its crew, and Will Turner handed himself over to Barbossa's crew. Barbossa agrees, but before returning to Isla de Muerta, he maroons Elizabeth and Jack on the same island Jack had been left on ten years earlier. However the two escaped the island by signaling the HMS ''Dauntless'', and were able to convince Commodore Norrington to help rescue Will. |
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| − | [[Captain]] [[Jack Sparrow]], not swayed by the tales of the curse, intended on finding the treasure of Cortés aboard the ''[[Black Pearl]]''. Jack had heard rumors that the treasure was cursed, but luckily for him, [[Hector Barbossa]] and his crew marooned him before he could take his share of the gold. Upon first hearing about the curse from Jack, the crew ended up not believing in the curse, with Barbossa himself having said, "Ridiculous superstition!"<ref name="CVG">''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide''</ref> |
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| + | Returning to Isla de Muerta, Barbossa's crew prepared to perform the blood ritual once again. But before they could spill Will's blood, Barbossa's crew were in shock upon seeing Captain Jack Sparrow himself entering the cavern and persuades Barbossa to form an alliance, telling him to delay breaking the curse until they have taken the ''Dauntless'', now moored off the coast of the island. Jack's plan goes amiss when Barbossa orders his undead crew to infiltrate the ''Dauntless'' from underwater. However, while Norrington discovered the ''Dauntless'' under attack, Jack frees Will before dueling with Barbossa, while Will fights Barbossa's remaining crewmen. Barbossa stabs Jack in the chest, but discovers that Jack is also immortal; he had stolen one of the cursed gold pieces while talking to Barbossa. |
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| − | ====Becoming Cursed==== |
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| − | {{Quote|I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa."<br>"Aye. That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an island of dead what cannot be found, except for those who know where it is. Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took them all.|[[Elizabeth Swann]] and [[Hector Barbossa]]|Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl}} |
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| + | Meanwhile, Elizabeth escapes and heads to the island alone to save Will. Near the end of the battle, when Barbossa attempts to kill Elizabeth, Jack shoots Barbossa in the heart as Will drops the last two coins, stained with his and Jack's blood, into the chest. Now mortal, Barbossa says, "I feel... cold" before he dies. |
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| − | Using the bearings acquired from [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Captain]] [[Hector Barbossa]] and his crew were able to find [[Isla de Muerta]]. There, they found the stone chest and, along with Barbossa's pet monkey [[Jack (monkey)|Jack]], summarily stole all 882 pieces of the Aztec gold, an act which the crew would later regret. Captain Barbossa and his crew would then spent all 882 pieces of the Aztec gold on drink, food, and pleasurable company. Soon afterwards, the crew realized that they fell under the curse, suffering a living death in which they cannot feel or taste anything, and when they step into the moonlight, they become walking skeletons. Finally aware that it was the Aztec gold pieces that placed the curse upon them, Barbossa's crew returned to Isla de Muerta to find a way to lift the curse and end their punishment. There, they found out that the curse could be reversed only when every last piece of the Aztec gold was returned to the stone chest from which it came.<ref name="CotBP"/> |
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| + | Back aboard the ''Dauntless'', realizing the curse had been lifted, the remaining members of Barbossa's crew surrendered to Norrington's men. Meanwhile, Jack goes through the non-cursed treasure in the cave as Will and Elizabeth decided to return aboard the ''Dauntless''. |
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| − | It wasn't until Bootstrap Bill Turner was sent to the depths did the crew learned of an additional requirement: that all who stole from the chest had to pay the heathen gods in blood, which now seemed impossible with Bootstrap lost to them. But a chance of hope lied on Turner's child, who had both his gold medallion and Turner blood in his veins. Thus, Barbossa's crew set about, attempting to reclaim all 882 pieces of the treasure.<ref name="CotBP"/> |
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| + | The post credits scene takes place at Isla de Muerta, where Barbossa's dead body can be seen. Barbossa's pet monkey, [[Jack the Monkey|Jack]], swims into the treasure cave and steals a gold coin from the chest, thus cursing itself once again. |
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| − | ====Lifting the Curse==== |
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| − | {{Quote|Here it is! The cursed treasure of Cortés himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned. Save for [[Elizabeth Swann's gold medallion|this]].|[[Hector Barbossa]] to his crew|Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl}} |
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| − | Ten years had already passed since the cursed crew started their quest, having collected all but one of the gold pieces and had already given their blood to the gold. However, the crew still needed the last coin as well as blood of Bootstrap Bill Turner from his only child. Days after Barbossa's crew led an attack on Port Royal, the ''[[Black Pearl]]'' arrived to Isla de Muerta. At this point, Barbossa's men had obtained the [[Elizabeth Swann's gold medallion|final Aztec gold medallion]] from [[Elizabeth Swann]], whom they believed to be a descendant of Bootstrap Bill. Standing with the treasure in the caves of Isla de Muerta, Barbossa used Elizabeth to perform the blood ritual to lift the curse. However, after the ritual was performed, the entire crew didn't feel any different and realized that Elizabeth was not the child of Bootstrap Bill. The crew then began to argue amongst themselves on their unsuccessful attempt to lift the curse until Barbossa realized that Elizabeth had taken the medallion and escaped to the [[HMS Interceptor|''Interceptor'']]. With the help of their old, left for dead captain [[Jack Sparrow]], the crew was able to catch up with the ''Interceptor'' and retrieved the medallion.<ref name="CotBP"/> |
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| + | By the events of ''Dead Man's Chest'', it's learned that Isla de Muerta was reclaimed by the sea, taking with it both the cursed treasure and the hidden swag collected by Barbossa's crew. Only Barbossa's pet monkey Jack (now undead) survived this ordeal and found itself aboard the ''Black Pearl''. The corpse of Hector Barbossa himself was only retrieved due to the intervention of the mystic [[Tia Dalma]], who also restored him to life by the end of the film. |
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| + | ===Video games=== |
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| − | By the time the ''Black Pearl'' returned to Isla de Muerta, Barbossa's crew had Will Turner, the true descendant of Bootstrap Bill Turner, as their prisoner. Entering the caves of Isla de Muerta, Barbossa once again aimed to lift their curse, this time with the intention of killing Will Turner and using his blood in the ritual. But before they could perform the ritual, Jack Sparrow interrupted, warning Barbossa's crew that the [[HMS Dauntless|HMS ''Dauntless'']] was offshore waiting for them. Upon this revelation, Barbossa sent all of his crewmen for attack, save for three men.<ref name="CotBP"/> |
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| ⚫ | The cursed treasure appears in the game. The nature of the cursed coins were actually further explained in ''Kingdom Hearts II''. [[Luxord]] explains that darkness of men's hearts is drawn to the medallions, which he is able to use to create a "Grim Reaper" Heartless from. The Heartless created from the curse had the ability to curse those who had no contact with the medallions. |
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| − | Barbossa, Will, and Jack waited in the caves for the slaughter to end, until Jack tossed Will a sword to fight Barbossa's men, while Jack dueled with Barbossa. During their fierce battle around the treasure cave, Jack revealed to Barbossa that he was cursed; having secretly palmed a piece of the Aztec gold. Though they were both immortal, Jack and Barbossa continued their fight through the caves. After Will defeats the pirates, with the help of Elizabeth Swann, Jack cuts his hand, putting his blood on his piece of the gold, and threw his coin to Will. Jack then shoots Barbossa in the heart just as Will dropped the last two gold pieces, with his blood on his coin, onto the chest, thereby lifting the Aztec curse. Human once more, Barbossa dies.<ref name="CotBP"/> |
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| + | The cursed treasure appears in the game. |
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| − | === |
+ | ====''[[LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game]]''==== |
| + | The cursed treasure appears in the game. |
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| − | Back on the ''Dauntless'', Barbossa's crew reverted to normal and surrendered to the ''Dauntless'' crew, who survived the battle in victory. Although the surviving members of Barbossa's crew were captured by the British Royal Navy, some would later escape and returned to Isla de Muerta, where they became cursed once more, vowing revenge against [[Jack Sparrow]].<ref name="RotP">''Revenge of the Pirates!''</ref> At some point in time, Barbossa's pet monkey [[Jack (monkey)|Jack]] would appear in the cave, where he would take a piece of the Aztec gold and became cursed once again.<ref name="CotBP"/> |
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| − | === |
+ | ===Disney Parks=== |
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| − | {{Quote|What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear-shaped, to be reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it.|[[Joshamee Gibbs]] to [[Jack Sparrow]]|Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest}} |
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| ⚫ | The Cortés' treasure was based on the talk of a "cursed treasure" from the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride, particularly from the line, ''"Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure."'' In the [[2006]] revamp of the Disney ride, the stone chest from ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl|The Curse of the Black Pearl]]'' would appear in the treasure-filled caves of Dead Man's Cove as one of the movie-related media that was added into the ride. |
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| + | ==Gallery== |
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| − | Some time later, the entire island of the dead was swallowed into the sea, taking all the treasure along with it, effectively vanishing from the face of the earth.<ref name="LoJS">''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow]]''</ref> At some point after becoming captain of the ''[[Black Pearl]]'' once again, Jack Sparrow's crew visited the island to see if they could get the treasure. But as the island was taken by the sea, there was no such luck. Only Barbossa's monkey Jack survived this ordeal and found itself aboard the ''Pearl''.<ref name="DMC">''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest]]''</ref> |
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| + | <gallery position="center" widths="150" spacing="small" captionalign="center"> |
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| + | File:CotBPElizabethglancesatWillAztecGold.jpg|[[Elizabeth Swann]] taking Will Turner's medallion. |
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| + | File:CotBPAztecGoldMedallionmakesthecall.jpg|Elizabeth wearing the medallion. |
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| + | File:TreasureofCortes1.jpg|[[Hector Barbossa|Captain Barbossa]] touching the cursed treasure. |
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| + | File:TreasureofCortes5.jpg |
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| + | File:Fight_on_Isla_de_Muerta_17.png|[[Jack Sparrow]] holding a stolen piece of Aztec gold. |
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| + | File:TreasureofCortes8.jpg |
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| + | File:ElizabethSwannGoldMedallion.jpg |
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| + | DLR - Pirates of the Caribbean - Golden Mickey Icon Frame Set - Completer Pin.jpeg |
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| + | DLRP - Pirate Coin.jpeg |
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| + | TreasureofCortes3.jpg |
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| + | POTC_CotBP_0739.jpg |
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| + | PotC_0053.jpg |
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| + | </gallery> |
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| − | == |
+ | ==External links== |
| + | *[[w:c:pirates:Treasure of Cortés|Treasure of Cortés]] on [[w:c:pirates:Main Page|Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki]] |
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| − | The Treasure of Hernán Cortés was said to be found within [[Isla de Muerta]], an island of death that could only be found by those who knew where it was. Originally given to Cortés as blood money by the Aztecs, it consisted as a large stone chest with Aztec writing filled with 882 identical pieces of Aztec Gold. |
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| − | Legends tell that the Aztec curse bestowed by the Heathen Gods punished any who stole from the stone chest. Those who fell under the curse would have achieved immortality, thereby becoming invulnerable. Nevertheless, the curse made the greedy beholders feel nothing, whether it was food or anything relating to their lust. When the cursed individuals step into the moonlight, they turn into walking undead skeletons.<ref name="CotBP"/> |
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| − | The curse only affected the individuals who specifically took the coins from the chest. When a cursed person takes a coin from the chest, no new curse has been given. This is particularly noted after [[Hector Barbossa]] used Elizabeth to lift the curse when, after returning the coin, he grabbed it straight from the chest and gave it to Elizabeth.<ref name="CotBPAudio">''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl|The Curse of the Black Pearl]]'' Audio Commentary with Screenwriters [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Beattie Stuart Beattie], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Elliott Ted Elliott] & [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Rossio Terry Rossio] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Wolpert Jay Wolpert]</ref> |
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| − | ==Behind the scenes== |
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| − | |||
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| − | *A chest similar to the stone chest of Cortés can be seen on Devil's Anvil in ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean Online]]''. |
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| − | *In ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest|Dead Man's Chest]]'', the treasure is mentioned by Lord [[Cutler Beckett]] after [[Elizabeth Swann]] attempted to warn him of the curse, stating that his "''desires are not so provincial,"'' and that ''"There's more than one chest of value in these waters."'' This may imply that Beckett either had knowledge of various lore of treasures in the Caribbean, or knew of the ongoings in the past year between Jack and Barbossa. However, what Beckett actually desired was finding the Dead Man's Chest. |
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| − | *The look of the cursed coins is partially based on the Mayan calendar. |
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| − | |||
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| − | *''Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm'' |
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| − | *''Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow: The Sword of Cortés'' |
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| − | *''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (video game) |
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| − | *''[[LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game]]'' |
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| − | ==Source== |
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| − | *''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl]]'' |
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| − | *''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow]]'' |
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==Notes and references== |
==Notes and references== |
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| − | {{Reflist |
+ | {{Reflist}} |
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{{PotCWiki}} |
{{PotCWiki}} |
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[[Category:Pirates of the Caribbean]] |
[[Category:Pirates of the Caribbean]] |
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| − | [[Category:Kingdom Hearts |
+ | [[Category:Kingdom Hearts objects]] |
[[Category:Magical Objects]] |
[[Category:Magical Objects]] |
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[[Category:Objects]] |
[[Category:Objects]] |
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Revision as of 04:07, 25 April 2020
- “Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize...the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed, we were, but now...we are consumed by it.”
- ―Hector Barbossa to Elizabeth Swann[src]
The Treasure of Cortés is a storied treasure featured in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. It consists of 882 pieces of cursed Aztec gold in a stone chest. When the original attraction was revamped in 2006, the stone chest was added to the Disneyland ride.
According to legends, the Aztecs delivered the stone chest as blood money to stem the slaughter that conquistador Hernán Cortés wreaked upon with his armies. But because the gold fueled Cortés' greed, a curse was placed upon it: any mortal that removes a piece from the stone chest shall be cursed to walk the earth as an undead horror. The Aztec curse could be broken only if all the gold coins were restored and the blood repaid. The treasure ultimately ended up on Isla de Muerta, hidden from the world. Subsequent to becoming cursed, the crew of the Black Pearl partakes in Hector Barbossa's quest to return all the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold, including a medallion owned by either Will Turner or Elizabeth Swann. After the curse was lifted, Isla de Muerta was claimed by the sea, along with the treasure.
Background
While the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés was conquering the Aztec Empire, he was given 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold in a stone chest as "blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies." But instead of satisfying Cortés, it merely fueled his greed. So the heathen gods place a terrible curse upon the gold. Ultimately, the treasure of Cortés would end up in the caves of Isla de Muerta, an island of the dead that could only be found by those who knew where it was.
Isla de Muerta is specified as "an island of death" in the film's first screenplay draft, in which its history is expanded: a ship carrying Cortés' treasure ran aground on the island, all but one of its crew dead. The lone survivor hid the treasure ashore before dying. Over time, the dark magic of the treasure cursed the island itself over time.[1]
The Aztec Curse
Hector Barbossa's cursed crew.
The curse of the Aztec gold was as follows: any mortal who removed a piece of the gold from the chest would be punished for eternity. Those cursed were doomed to live forever as the undead, the moonlight eerily transforming them into living skeletons. The only way to lift the curse was to return all the Aztec gold pieces to the chest and a blood debt repaid to the heathen gods.
A reference to the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride was the dialogue, which would be the base of the Aztec curse:
- No fear have ye of evil curses, says you? Arrrgh... Properly warned ye be, says I. Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure?
The curse only affected those who specifically stole a gold piece from the chest. When a cursed individual steals from the chest, no new curse has been given. This is particularly noted after Barbossa used Elizabeth to lift the curse when, after returning the coin, he grabbed it straight from the chest and gave it to Elizabeth.
Appearances
Films
The Curse of the Black Pearl
Throughout the first part of the film, the cursed treasure of Cortés was only mentioned in several scenes. After rescuing a shipwrecked survivor named Will Turner, young Elizabeth Swann took a gold medallion from Will's neck, believing it to be a pirate medallion, and hid it from Norrington's men.
Eight years later, while cursed pirates invaded Fort Charles, an imprisoned Jack Sparrow learned of the pirates' curse when he was grabbed in the moonlight. Aboard the Black Pearl, Captain Barbossa told Elizabeth, now his captive, a "ghost story" behind the medallion. One of 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself, it was blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But because Cortés' greed was insatiable, the heathen gods placed a terrible curse upon the gold. Barbossa also told of how he and his crew found and spent the treasure but learned too late that it was cursed, leaving them unable to satisfy their desires, and turning them into immortal skeletal beings whose true forms are revealed under moonlight. The curse can be lifted if the gold is returned, with a sacrifice of each pirate's blood. William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, Jack Sparrow's only supporter during the mutiny aboard the Black Pearl led by Barbossa, sent a coin to his son, Will, believing the crew should remain cursed. Barbossa had Bootstrap tied to a cannon and thrown overboard, before realizing that his blood was needed to break the curse.
Captain Barbossa touching the cursed treasure.
At Isla de Muerta, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner watched as Barbossa, believing Elizabeth is Bootstraps' child, anoints the last coin with her blood. But Barbossa and his crew then realize that Elizabeth was not the one they needed. As the cursed pirates argued among themselves, Will rescues Elizabeth and they escape to the Interceptor, leaving Jack behind. Ultimately, the Black Pearl was able to defeated the Interceptor and imprison its crew, and Will Turner handed himself over to Barbossa's crew. Barbossa agrees, but before returning to Isla de Muerta, he maroons Elizabeth and Jack on the same island Jack had been left on ten years earlier. However the two escaped the island by signaling the HMS Dauntless, and were able to convince Commodore Norrington to help rescue Will.
Returning to Isla de Muerta, Barbossa's crew prepared to perform the blood ritual once again. But before they could spill Will's blood, Barbossa's crew were in shock upon seeing Captain Jack Sparrow himself entering the cavern and persuades Barbossa to form an alliance, telling him to delay breaking the curse until they have taken the Dauntless, now moored off the coast of the island. Jack's plan goes amiss when Barbossa orders his undead crew to infiltrate the Dauntless from underwater. However, while Norrington discovered the Dauntless under attack, Jack frees Will before dueling with Barbossa, while Will fights Barbossa's remaining crewmen. Barbossa stabs Jack in the chest, but discovers that Jack is also immortal; he had stolen one of the cursed gold pieces while talking to Barbossa.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth escapes and heads to the island alone to save Will. Near the end of the battle, when Barbossa attempts to kill Elizabeth, Jack shoots Barbossa in the heart as Will drops the last two coins, stained with his and Jack's blood, into the chest. Now mortal, Barbossa says, "I feel... cold" before he dies.
Back aboard the Dauntless, realizing the curse had been lifted, the remaining members of Barbossa's crew surrendered to Norrington's men. Meanwhile, Jack goes through the non-cursed treasure in the cave as Will and Elizabeth decided to return aboard the Dauntless.
The post credits scene takes place at Isla de Muerta, where Barbossa's dead body can be seen. Barbossa's pet monkey, Jack, swims into the treasure cave and steals a gold coin from the chest, thus cursing itself once again.
Dead Man's Chest
By the events of Dead Man's Chest, it's learned that Isla de Muerta was reclaimed by the sea, taking with it both the cursed treasure and the hidden swag collected by Barbossa's crew. Only Barbossa's pet monkey Jack (now undead) survived this ordeal and found itself aboard the Black Pearl. The corpse of Hector Barbossa himself was only retrieved due to the intervention of the mystic Tia Dalma, who also restored him to life by the end of the film.
Video games
Kingdom Hearts II
The cursed treasure appears in the game. The nature of the cursed coins were actually further explained in Kingdom Hearts II. Luxord explains that darkness of men's hearts is drawn to the medallions, which he is able to use to create a "Grim Reaper" Heartless from. The Heartless created from the curse had the ability to curse those who had no contact with the medallions.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
The cursed treasure appears in the game.
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
The cursed treasure appears in the game.
Disney Parks
The stone chest in the POTC ride.
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Cortés' treasure was based on the talk of a "cursed treasure" from the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride, particularly from the line, "Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure." In the 2006 revamp of the Disney ride, the stone chest from The Curse of the Black Pearl would appear in the treasure-filled caves of Dead Man's Cove as one of the movie-related media that was added into the ride.
Gallery
External links
Notes and references
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