Javier 1a2 Pigafetta PDF

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE SOURCE
● Spices were in-demand commodities among the Europeans because of its numerous
benefits such as food preservation, flavor enhancement, and medicine (Torres 2018,
14).
● Treaty of Tordesillas was effective at that time. According to Britannica Encylopaedia,
it is an agreement between Spain and Portugal aimed at settling conflicts over lands
newly discovered or explored by Christopher Columbus (2018).
● In search for spices, the Spaniards financed Magellan’s plan to go to East via a
westward direction after his plan was turned down by Portugal (Torres 2018, 15).
● Through going westward, the treaty between Spain and Portugal was not violated.
● Five boats were given to Magellan but only one remained after the expedition, Victoria
(Szalay 2014).
● Of the two hundred and seventy men at the beginning of the expedition, there were
only eighteen survivors including Antonio Pigafetta who kept a journal about the
journey (Szalay 2014).
TIME, PLACE, SITUATION AT THE TIME SOURCE WAS WRITTEN/MADE
● The voyage via westward to Spice (Maluku) Islands took place in the early 16th
century. (Bos 2013)
● Their assignment was to reach the Spice Islands, thereby proving they belonged to
Spain.
● The issue between Islam vs Christianity was still present at the time. There was one
scene in the account of Pigafetta where Magellan explicitly asked the natives if their
religion were Islam, as it would have been harder to convert them.
AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND, INTENT, PERSPECTIVE, AUTHORITY ON THE SUBJECT
● Antonio Pigafetta was born into a wealthy Vicenza family, and studied navigation
among other things.
● He served on board the galleys of the Knights of Rhodes, and accompanied papal
nuncio, Monsignor Chieregati, to Spain.
● Joined the Portuguese captain Ferdinand Magellan and his Spanish crew on their trip
to the Maluku Islands.
● While in the Philippines Magellan was killed, and Pigafetta was injured. Nevertheless,
he recovered.
● He was one of the 18 of Magellan’s original crew who, having completed the first
circumnavigation of the world, returned to Spain on board another vessel, the Victoria.
● He kept a detailed and comprehensive journal of his journey with Ferdinand Magellan.
● Pigafetta is also known as Antonio Lombardo
CONTENT ANALYSIS
AUTHOR’S MAIN ARGUMENT OR THESIS

The main source itself is not an essay, but a narrative depiction of the events that occured
during Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage around the world, most specifically in the Philippine
Islands.
The author’s main theses include:
That Magellan and his crew were the people who converted some of the natives to
Christianity. Consequently, they were also the one responsible for the first Mass in the
Philippine Islands.
There were already civilization and political systems, even before they came.
Ferdinand Magellan indeed, died on the Philippines
BIASES, INCONSISTENCIES, SHORTCOMINGS OF SOURCE
Pigafetta mostly used estimations regarding quantity, most especially people.
Such as: “Cilapulapu’s forces where about 1,500”

“We converted approximately 800 natives in a single day.”
Therefore the quantitative information given by Pigafetta is not entirely reliable.
Pigafetta was very loyal to his captain, Magellan. He never wrote one negative thing about
him. The source always presented and described Magellan with very good remarks. Never in
a negative light.
There was a controversy that Pigafetta was a spy sent by the merchants of Venice (he is
Italian) to learn more about Spanish efforts to establish trade relations with the kingdoms of
Asia. This information could have played a factor on his account of the events.
Pigafetta is a hardcore Christian. He is biased towards Christian views beliefs. Very evident
on one of the scenes of his journal regarding the sick man. He refers to the natives as “Those
heathen” which implies that he identifies the nationals by their beliefs or religion.
However, it is also possible that Pigafetta uses “those heathen people” because one of the
main goals of the expedition is to convert the natives to Christianity.
EVALUATION OF AUTHOR’S CLAIM BASED ON EVIDENCES PRESENTED OR OTHER

AVAILABLE EVIDENCE AT THE TIME
The journal of Pigafetta was very detailed, and supplied many information. As with most
journals, most is written from the authors experience or memory.
It is to say, Pigafetta’s journal is easily more reliable than that of Francisco Albo, who only
kept a log. Pigafetta, an eyewitness of the events during the first expedition wrote narratively.
FIRST CLAIM: Where the first mass in the Philippines occurred.
In the First Voyage Around the World by Pigafetta, the first mass on the Philippine Islands
happened on the first Sunday after the holy Friday (Good Friday). Which places it at 8 April,
1521.
Pigafetta did not explicitly specify where the mass took place. The only clue of where it
happened is that he stated that the crew were with Raia Colambu and Raia Siaui, kings of
Butuan and Calagan island.
“That island was called Butuan and Calagan. The name of the first king is Raia Colambu and
the second Raia Siaui…It is twenty-five leagues from Acquada, and is called Masaua”
Throughout Philippine History, it is widely accepted that the first Mass in the Philippines
happened in Butuan, in the island of Masaua.
CONTROVERSY: However, it was more feasible that the first mass took place in the island of
Limasawa since it had a safe and rich harbor while Masaua didn’t have any during that time.
Also considering the fact that Magellan’s crew was always finding port areas and large cities
to trade spices, which is the reason why they found themselves in Zubu (Modern day Cebu).
Comparing Pigafetta’s Journal with Albo’s log, his log during that time fits the location of
Limasawa (9 54’N), at the southern tip of Leyte, rather than that of Masaua. It is also strange
that Pigafetta called the island Mazaua, instead of Limasawa, where they’re geographically
located according to the log of Albo.
Albo’s Journal didn’t also mention the occurrence of a mass taking place. But only the
planting of the cross on the mountain top. Both of which is present in Pigafetta and Albo’s
accounts.
SECOND CLAIM: The miracle

On the process of converting the natives to Christianity, Magellan asked the natives as to why
they haven’t burned the artifacts of their idols, and haven’t stopped sacrificing animals as they
had promised.
The natives replied that they were offering them for a sick man so he may gain health. The
sick man turned out to be the Prince’s brother. He’s so sick that he’s bedridden and haven’t
spoke for 4 days. Magellan told them that if he were to be baptized he would quickly heal.
After being baptized, the sick man spoke for the first time, and within days, could already
walk.
CONTROVERSY: Magellan’s act caused the natives to strengthen their faith and to convert
more towards Christianity.
However, there are many factors to consider as to how the sick man recovered. According to
Pigafetta, Magellan gives the sick man almond milk and food on a daily basis, which could
have aided his recovery.
In today’s time, it is not entirely feasible that the sick man recovered through being baptized
through Christianity, like how Pigafetta presents it through his writing. The claim is more likely
a bias on the part of Pigafetta.
THIRD CLAIM: Who killed Magellan?

Throughout taking history classes ever since I was elementary, my teachers have always
claimed that Lapu-Lapu was the one who killed Magellan. During the battle of Mactan,
Lapu-Lapu struck Magellan with a spear which caused him his death. That is why Lapu Lapu
was considered to be the first bayani.
CONTROVERSY: But according to the accounts of Pigafetta, it wasn’t said that Lapu Lapu
was the one fully responsible for the death of their Captain General. There were a battalion of
soldiers, most especially the forces of Cilapulapu and any one of them could have killed the
Captain General.
COMPARISON WITH OTHER SIMILAR SOURCES, FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
● Maximilianus Transylvanus’ De Moluccis Insulis has a subject matter same with

Pigafetta’s book but its not an eyewitness account because the author is not part of
the expedition. He based his narrative on the interviews that he conducted with the
survivors of Victoria. His account is also far much shorter and contains less details.
● Francisco Albo’s journal is the shortest among all the accounts and it just focused
mainly on the location of the expedition on certain dates.
● Peter Martyr d’Anghiera also wrote accounts of Spanish explorations of the New World
which he divided into “decades.” The fifth decade appeared in 1523 and it recounted
the conquest of Mexico and the circumnavigation of the world by Magellan.
SOURCE’S RELEVANCE AND MEANING DURING THE TIME IT WAS WRITTEN
● Pigafetta’s chronicle contributed immensely to European historiography as it

preserved and popularized the achievements of the Magellan-Elcano expedition.
● They proved that the Earth is not flat but an oblate sphere.
● They confirmed that the Portuguese route is not the only way to the Spice Islands.
● They discovered that there is a large body of water on the side of the American
continent which they named the Pacific Ocean.
● The account of Pigafetta enriched Philippine historiography because it contains
important details about the conditions of the Visayan Islands in the 16th century.
● Local textbook writers use his book as their source of historical information about the
beginning of Christianity in the Philippines.
● Pigafetta’s book has numerous accounts about the reaction of the Filipinos when they
met the Spaniards.
MATERIAL’S RELEVANCE AT PRESENT
● We are commanded by power and greed fuelled with self-interest.

● Filipinos are easily manipulated with words.
● The definition of progress is to be colonized.
SOURCES
1. Torres, Jose Victor. Batis: Sources in Philippine History. Quezon City: C & E Publishing,
Inc., 2018.
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Treaty of Tordesillas”. Chicago: Encylopedia Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Tordesillas (accessed September 16, 2018).
3. Szalay, Jessie. “Ferdinand Magellan: Facts & Biography”. Live Science.

https://www.livescience.com/42788-ferdinand-magellan.html (accessed September 16,
2018).
4. Bos, Carole. “Magellan and His Voyage of Discovery - Part 1”. AwesomeStories.com.
October 07, 2013.
https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Magellan-and-his-Voyage-of-Discovery-Par
t-1 (accessed September 16, 2018)
5. The Philippine Diary Project. “About Antonio Pigafetta”.

http://philippinediaryproject.com/about-the-philippine-diary-project/about-the-diaries/abou
t-antonio-pigafetta/ (accessed September 16, 2018)

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CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE SOURCE

TIME, PLACE, SITUATION AT THE TIME SOURCE WAS WRITTEN/MADE

AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND, INTENT, PERSPECTIVE, AUTHORITY ON THE SUBJECT

AUTHOR’S MAIN ARGUMENT OR THESIS

The author’s main theses include:

Ferdinand Magellan indeed, died on the Philippines

BIASES, INCONSISTENCIES, SHORTCOMINGS OF SOURCE

Pigafetta mostly used estimations regarding quantity, most especially people.

Such as: “Cilapulapu’s forces where about 1,500”

Therefore the quantitative information given by Pigafetta is not entirely reliable.

EVALUATION OF AUTHOR’S CLAIM BASED ON EVIDENCES PRESENTED OR OTHER

FIRST CLAIM: ​Where the first mass in the Philippines occurred.

SECOND CLAIM: ​The miracle

THIRD CLAIM​: Who killed Magellan?

COMPARISON WITH OTHER SIMILAR SOURCES, FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

● Maximilianus Transylvanus’ De Moluccis Insulis has a subject matter same with

SOURCE’S RELEVANCE AND MEANING DURING THE TIME IT WAS WRITTEN

● Pigafetta’s chronicle contributed immensely to European historiography as it

MATERIAL’S RELEVANCE AT PRESENT

● We are commanded by power and greed fuelled with self-interest.

2. Encyclopaedia Britannica.​ “Treaty of Tordesillas”. Chicago: Encylopedia Britannica

3. Szalay, Jessie. “Ferdinand Magellan: Facts & Biography”. Live Science.

5. The Philippine Diary Project. ​“About Antonio Pigafetta”.

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FIRST CLAIM: Where the first mass in the Philippines occurred.

SECOND CLAIM: The miracle

THIRD CLAIM: Who killed Magellan?

2. Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Treaty of Tordesillas”. Chicago: Encylopedia Britannica

5. The Philippine Diary Project. “About Antonio Pigafetta”.