Soon after the Spanish conquered the Aztec empire in the 16th century, Spanish monks (hermitaños) tried to inculcate Christians beliefs through the use of religious plays, frequently using masks. One of the performance traditions transported from Spain was the dance of the Moors and the Christians, celebrating the victory of Spanish forces in 1492 over the Moorish Kings who had ruled over Southern Spain for seven hundred years. While meant to aggrandize the power and superior religion of the Spanish conquerers, many versions now performed in Mexico and Guatemala show a distinct sympathy with the defeated Moors.