On March 17, 1521, 495 years ago, Fernand Magellan discovered the Philippine Islands. Ekaterina Shutova tells about how the traveler illegally took Indian women with him on the expedition and tried the priests, with Lapu-Lapu and the figurine of Jesus here.
On September 20, 1519, the Portuguese and Spanish navigator Fernand Magellan set off on an expedition, which is now referred to as the "first voyage around the world." In preparing the expedition, Magellan was actively assisted by his good friend, the astronomer Rui Faler. In particular, Faler, using longitude and latitude measurements, tried to figure out the fastest way for travelers to get to the Spice Islands, an Indonesian group of islands named after the fact that some of them grew nutmeg.
By the way, in the end, Ruyu Faler was given a horoscope, according to which imminent death awaited him on the expedition. The astronomer got scared and stayed on the shore.
Here's what happened next …
Illegal Indian women on board
Magellan personally watched as the five ships that were supposed to go on the expedition were loaded with food. At the request of the traveler, a huge amount of crackers, dried pork, olive oil, salted fish, jam, wine, rice, cheese and beef were found on the ships. In addition, in case of a military conflict, the ships were equipped with cannons and crossbows, and for trade Magellan was given a lot of women's jewelry, mirrors, bells and mercury.
Although in those days sailors were forbidden to take slave girls with them on the journey, Fernand bypassed the law and went on an illegal expedition with several Indian women. In addition, there were about 50 male slaves on the ships - among whom were natives of Africa and Asians.
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According to scientists, about 280 participants went on the expedition. Magellan took several translators with him on board, as well as the historiographer Antonio Pigafetta, who scrupulously kept diaries during the voyage. Upon returning home, Pigafetta presented the manuscripts to Emperor Charles V.
During the day - behind the flag, at night - behind the lantern
Three of the five ships were led by the noble Spaniards, who agreed to "deal" with Magellan if he got in their way. Fernand knew about their conspiracy, but, nevertheless, behaved somewhat arrogantly and did not provide anyone with information about the route.
“Your duty is to follow my flag during the day and my lantern at night,” Magellan told the captains.
Soon a conflict arose in the expedition: the Spaniard Juan de Cartagena, who was in charge of the ship "San Antonio", began to call Fernand instead of "captain-general" simply "captain". Magellan, gritting his teeth, made a few remarks to the rebel. Cartagena did not pay any attention to them - and then the captain-general was forced to grab the Spaniard by the collar and publicly declare him arrested. Soon Magellan announced that his relative Alvar Mishkita would be in charge of San Antonio.
The followers of Cartagena became very angry upon learning of these events. Soon they staged a mutiny, as a result of which they captured three ships - "San Antonio", "Concepcion" and "Victoria". However, Magellan managed to deal with the rioters - and after a while a trial was arranged over them. As a result, Fernand decided to execute 40 rebels - but then decided that the expedition could not lose so many sailors overnight. Therefore, Magellan announced: the death sentence awaits only one rebel. In addition, at the behest of Fernand, Cartagena and one of the rebel priests were landed on the nearest coast.
The captain-general left them some drinking water and ship biscuits - however, no one else heard anything about the further fate of the conspirators.
How Europeans deceived the "big-legged"
Already on November 29, 1519, the expedition reached the shores of Brazil, and soon the sailors ascended the coast of Patagonia - part of South America. Fleeing from the cold, the locals built themselves shoes from hay - for this the sailors called them Patagonians - "big-legged". Interestingly, the travelers were supposed to deliver several representatives of the indigenous population to the king - however, none of Magellan's team wanted to get involved in a conflict with the natives. Then the mariners went for a trick: they began to feed the Patagonians with food and clothes, and when their hands were completely occupied, they offered to "try" the leg shackles. The locals did not know the purpose of the shackles - and easily allowed themselves to be shackled.
So Magellan's team managed to capture two Patagonians - however, none of the inhabitants of South America survived until the end of the journey.
By March 1521, Magellan's expedition had reached an archipelago located between present-day Indonesia and Taiwan. Magellan called the group of islands "the archipelago of Saint Lazarus" (only from 1543 the archipelago will be called the Philippines in honor of the Spanish king Philip II). Magellan landed on one of the islands, setting up an infirmary for sick and wounded sailors. At that time, scurvy, a disease caused by an acute lack of vitamin C, was raging on the ships. In addition, many travelers had been seriously affected by collisions with the local population of the Mariana Islands a few weeks earlier.
How an assassin became a national hero
Soon, Magellan's team reached Homonkhon Island, which is part of the Philippines. Fernand was able to convert the ruler of the island and his wife to Christianity, as well as give them new names at baptism. So, the ruler became Carlos - in honor of the king of Spain, and his wife - Juana. The newly minted Christian received a figurine of Jesus as a gift from the travelers and announced that all his subordinates must immediately accept the faith of the Europeans. This order was opposed by one of the island leaders Lapu-Lapu, who started a rebellion against Magellan.
During one of the armed clashes, the famous traveler was killed.
“… The islanders followed us on the heels, fishing spears that had already been used once, and thus threw the same spear five or six times,” Antonio Pigafetta wrote about the death of Magellan. - Having recognized our admiral, they began to aim mainly at him; twice they had already managed to knock the helmet off his head; he remained with a handful of men at his post, as befits a brave knight, without trying to continue the retreat, and so we fought for more than an hour, until one of the natives managed to wound the admiral in the face with a reed spear. Furious, he immediately pierced the attacker's chest with his spear, but it got stuck in the body of the killed; then the admiral tried to draw out the sword, but could no longer do this, as the enemies severely wounded him in the right hand with a dart, and it ceased to act. Noticing this, the natives rushed at him in a crowd,and one of them wounded him in the left leg with a saber, so that he fell on his back. At the same moment, all the islanders pounced on him and began stabbing with spears and other weapons that they had. So they killed our mirror, our light, our consolation and our faithful leader."
Interestingly, today Lapu-Lapu is revered in the Philippine Islands as a national hero who was the first to try to organize resistance to European colonialists.
Tomb of Magellan and a monument to his killer, leader Lapu Lapu.