READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Module 4: FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE

WORLD BY MAGELLAN
 UNDERSTANDING PERSPECTIVE

Historical sources are written by various authors

with different perspective.

Perspective refers to the point of view of the said

writer who was witness to the event.
Though historical sources are
important in writing history, the
historian is careful in using these
sources as the write may be
biased or prejudiced on the
subject he/she is discussing.
The book was taken from chronicles of
contemporary voyagers and navigators
of the 16th century

Antonio Pigafetta who accompanied

Ferdinand Magellan in his fateful
circumnavigation of the world

Pigafetta’s work instantly became a

classic

Pigafetta’s travelogue is one of the most

important primary sources in the study
of precolonial Philippines.
Pigafetta’s account was a major referent
to the events leading to Magellan’s
arrival in the Philippines

His encounter with local leaders

His death in the hands of Lapu

Lapu’s forces in the Battle in
Mactan

The departure of what was left of

Magellan’s fleet
In Pigafetta's account their fleet reached what he called the Ladrones Islands or
the “Islands of Thieves”.

“
These people have no arms,
but use sticks which have a
fishbone at the end. they are
poor, but ingenious and great
thieves.”

The Ladrones Island is presently known

as the Marianas Island.
Ten days after they reached Ladrones Island,
Pigafetta reported they reached what is called
the isle of Zamal (now Samar)

Magellan decide to land in another

uninhabited island for greater security where
they could rest for 2 days
March 18, nine men came to them and
showed joy and eagerness in seeing them.
Magellan realized that the men were
reasonable and welcome them with food,
drinks and gifts.

Pigafetta characterizes the people as very

familiar and friendly and willingly showed
them different islands.
The fleet went to Humunu Island (Homonhon). It is in this place where they found the first signs of
gold in the island. They named the island as the Archipelago of St. Lazarus
 On March 25, Pigafetta recounted they saw
two ballanghai (balangay), a long boat full of
people in Mazaua. The leader referred to as
king sent his men to the ship of Magellan.

The Europeans entertained these men

and gave them gifts
When the king offered to give Magellan a bar of
gold and a chest of ginger, Magellan declined.

Magellan asked for money for the needs of his

ships and expressed that he came to islands
as friend and not as enemy.
Magellan boasted of his men in armor who could not be struck with swords and daggers.
The kings was fascinated and remarked that men in such armor could be worth one
hundred of his men. Magellan showed his other weapons, helmets and artilleries. Magellan
also shared his charts and maps and shared how they found the islands.+
Magellan was introduced to the king’s brother who
is also a king of another Island. They went to this
island and Pigafetta reported that they saw mines
of gold.

The gold was abundant that parts of the ship and

of the house of the king were made of gold.

The King was named Raia Calambu, King of

Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and Caragua).
 On March 31 which happened to be Easter Sunday. Magellan ordered the chaplain to preside
a Mass by the shore. This Mass would go down in history as the first Mass in the Philippines.

“When the offertory f the mass came. Two kings, went to kiss the cross like us, but they offered
nothing and at the elevation of the body of our Lord they were kneeling like us and adored our
Lord with joined hands.”
 After the mass, Magellan ordered that the
cross be brought with nails and crown in
place.

He explained that the cross, the nail and the

crown were the signs of his emperor and was
ordered to plant it in the places that he would
reach.

Magellan further explained that the cross would be beneficial for their people because once
other Spaniards saw this cross then they would know that they have been in tis island and
would not cause troubles.
 Magellan and his men decide to move and look
for islands where they could acquire more
supplies and provisions.

Cebu the largest and richest of the islands, by

April 7 he reached the port of Cebu.

The King of Cebu demanded that Magellan pay

tribute as it was customary, but he refused.
Magellan's interpreter explained to the King of
Cebu that Magellan's king was the emperor of a
great empire and would do them better to make
friends with them.

“then the king said he was content and as a

greater sign of affection he sent him a little
blood from his right arm and wished he should
do the like.

The following day, Magellan spoke before

the people Cebu about peace and God .
 14th of April Magellan encouraged the king to be good Christian by burning the idols and
worship the cross. the King of Cebu was then baptize as a Christian.

“To that the king and all his people

answered that they would obey the
commands of the captain and do all
that he told them.”

“ The captain took the king by

hand and walked about the
scaffolding and when he was
baptized he said that he would
name him Don Carlos
(Charles).
Mass was conducted by the shore
everyday. when the Queen came to mass
one day, Magellan gave her an image of
the Infant Jesus made by Pigafetta
himself.
26th of April – Zula- a principal man from the
island of Matan (Mactan) went to see Magellan
and asked him for a boat full of men so he
would able to fight a chief named Silapulapu
(Lapu Lapu)

Magellan offered three boats and expressed

his desire to go to Mactan himself to fight Lapu
Lapu. Magellan's forces numbered 49 and the
islanders of Mactan were estimated 1,500.
“When we reached land we found the islanders fifteen hundred in number, they came down upon
us with terrible shouts”...The Captain then divided his men in two bands.
Throwing arrows, javelins, spears, stones and even mud. some of them cast lances pointed with
iron at the captain general.”
 Magellan was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his
right leg. Magellan was specifically targeted because
the natives knew he was the Captain General.

Magellan was hit with a lance in the face. Magellan

retaliated, he tried to draw his sword but could not lift it
because of his wounded arms. Seeing that the Captain
has already deteriorated, more natives came to attack
him.
Magellan died in that battle. The natives perceiving that the bodies of the enemies were protected
with armors, aimed for their legs instead.
One native with a great sword delivered a blow in
Magellan's left leg, brought him face down and the
native attacked him with lances, swords and even
with their bare hands

Pigafetta said that the king of Cebu could have

sent help but Magellan instructed him not to
join in the battle and stay in the balangay so
that he would see how they fought.
The King offered the people of Mactan gifts of any value in exchange of Magellan's body but
the chief refused. They wanted to keep Magellan's body as a memento of their victory
 ANALYSIS OF PIGAFETTA'S
CHRONICLE
The chronicle of Pigafetta was one of the most cited
documents by historians who wished to study the precolonial
Philippines. Pigafetta was a credible source for a period
which was prior unchronicled and undocumented.

In the case of Pigafetta was the reader needs to understand

that he was a chronicler commissioned by the king of Spain
to accompany and document a voyage intended to expand
the Spanish empire. He was also of a noble descent who
came from a rich family.
He was coming from a 16 th century
European perspective. Hence he regarded
the indigeneous belief systems and way of
life as inferior to that of Christianity and of
the Europeans.

Pigafetta description of the people, he

would always remarked on the nakedness
of the natives or how he was fascinated by
their exotic culture
Pigafetta would always mention the abundance of gold in the Island. An
empire like that of Spain would indeed search for new lands where they
could acquire more gold and wealth to be on top of all European nations.
The obsession with spices might be odd for
Filipinos because of its ordinariness in the
Philippines, but scare in Europe, hence were
seen as prestige goods.
These contexts should be used and understood
in order to have a more qualified reading of
Pigafetta's account.

that era, Spain and Portugal coveted the control of

spice islands because it would have led to a certain
increase in wealth, influence and power.
 RELEVANCE

1. Credit must be given to the Magellan expedition for proving

That the earth is not flat but an oblate sphere.

2. Magellan and his men completed the first

circumnavigation of the world.

3. The Portuguese route is not the only way to Pacific Ocean

Spice Island.

4. The other side of the American continent exist a

Large body of water which they named PACIFIC
OCEAN (Mar Pacifico)