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Chapter 2: Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources

A. Context Analysis

Context Analysis considers the time and place the historical document was written as well as
the situation or the circumstances during the time.
Works pertaining to events in the past are analyzed by also taking into account the author of the
document, his/her biographical background, role in the event, and the intent for writing the
documents.

The two other questions to consider when doing a context analysis are as follows:

1. How authoritative is the account/source?

2. How is it relevant today?

Historical sources are written by various authors with different perspectives. Perspective refers
to the point of view of the said writer who was a witness to the event. Though historical sources are
important in the writing of history, the historian is careful in using these sources as the writer may
be biased or prejudiced on the subject he/she is discussing. For example, missionary chronicles or
narratives that were written by the religious missionaries who came to the Philippines to spread
Christianity in the islands usually referred to the early Filipinos as barbarians or uncivilized. This,
of course, is not true as it is known that Filipinos already had a form of civilization and had contact
with Asian neighbors before the Spaniards arrived.

Different participants who also wrote their accounts can also give varied opinions and
statements about a single event. For example, the Philippine Revolution of 1896 can be read from
the point of view of the Filipinos and from the side of the Spaniards. The same event can be
viewed from the lens of foreigners who were in the Philippines at that time and were just passive
observers. In any case, reading a historical event from the points of view of all sides will enable us
to form our own studies about the said event.

In this chapter, we will study the content and contextual analysis of selected primary sources;
identification of the historical importance of the text; and examination of the author’s main
argument and point of view.

1. Magellan’s Voyage Around the World

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

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 1. Analyze the content, context, and perspective of the document
2. Discuss Magellan expedition and experience based on the journal
3. Explain the importance of Pigafetta’s account on the study of Philippine history

Note: Individual copy on the excerpts from Pigafetta’s account shall be distributed to the student.

Historical Context

One of the benefits that the Europeans gained from the Crusades was the discovery of some
products that were not available in their home country. These included porcelain, silk, incense,
herbs, perfumes, fabrics, carpets, spices, and other oriental products. Of all these Asian products,
spices, became the most expensive and in-demand commodity among Europeans because of their
numerous uses such as food preservation, flavor enhancement, and even medicine. Since spices
were a very lucrative commodity, many merchants aspired to monopolize their supply and
distribution in the European markets.

Asian goods reached Europe either via the Silk Road or The Arabian-Italian trade route. Both
routes were expensive and oftentimes disrupted by wars, natural calamities, and bandits. The
closing of the land route of the Spice trade with the conquest by the Ottoman Empire of
Constantinople (present-day Turkey and the “gateway to the West” then) in 1453 forced European
kingdoms to look for ways to explore the oceans to look for a way to the famed Spice Islands.

Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal put up a maritime school that trained sailors who would
later discover an eastern sea route going to the Spice Islands (the modern-day Moluccas Islands)
and other islands in Southeast Asia via the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. This route
enabled them to trade directly with the producers of spices and other Oriental goods. The
numerous economic benefits it gave to Portugal made other monarchs envious and prompted them
to search for a new trade route to Asia. This led to the discovery of many territories previously
unknown to the Europeans, though inhabited already and known to other races.

The marriage of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (1469) coupled with
the victory of the Catholic monarchs over the Moors in the Battle of Granada (1492) resulted in the
rise of Spain as a world power. With the domestic problems already under control, Spain started to
explore their economic options outside the Iberian Peninsula. Inspired by the success of Portugal,
they aspired to have a fair share in spice trade. They financed the trans-Atlantic voyage of
Christopher Columbus (1492 to 1502) which resulted in the discovery of the territories on the other
side of the Atlantic Ocean. Decades later, the Spanish monarch also supported the plan of
Ferdinand Magellan to go to the East by sailing westward, a proposal that Portugal refused to
finance.

The Magellan expedition left the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda in Seville on August 20, 1519
with around 270 men of different nationalities. One of its main objectives was to search for a new
maritime path to the Spice Islands that would not violate Spain’s treaty with Portugal. Along the
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way, the expedition suffered natural and man-made challenges and out of the five ships that left
Spain only three reached the Philippines . The first couple of weeks of their stay in the
Philippines were marked with hospitality and cordial exchange of goods. The local inhabitants
traded with them and some were even converted to Christianity. Lapu-lapu, the chieftain of
Mactan, refused to trade with the Spaniards and when Magellan learned this, he waged war with
him. Despite the superiority in terms of arms and training, the Spaniards lost the battle and one of
the casualties was Magellan himself. When the survivors returned to Cebu, they were also
treacherously attacked by their former allies. This prompted them to leave the island. By that time,
their number was just enough to man two ships, the Victoria (now under the command of Juan
Sebastian Elcano) and the Trinidad. The expedition finally reached the Spice Islands and managed
to purchase a large amount of spices before leaving. Unfortunately, the Trinidad and her crew were
captured by the Portuguese on their journey back.

On September 7, 1522, Elcano and 17 survivors arrived in Spain aboard the ship Victoria. One
of them was Antonio Pigafetta, the assistant of Magellan who kept a journal that became the main
source of what we know about the first encounter of the Spaniards and the Filipinos.

About the Author

Antonio Pigafetta (1491-1534), born around 1490 in the town of Vicenza, Italy, was the eldest
son of Giovanni Pigafetta to second wife Angela Zoga. He studied astronomy, geography, and
cartography and during his younger years worked in the ships owned by the Knights of Rhodes.

His biographers describe him as a well-educated young man possessing an avid curiosity of the
world around him. He joined the delegation of Monsignor Francesco Chieregati when the latter
was assigned as Papal Nuncio to Spain in 1519. It was during this time when Pigafetta became
acquainted with lucrative spice trade and heard the news of the voyage to be undertaken by
Ferdinand Magellan. After getting the approval of the Spanish sovereign, he left Barcelona and
went to Seville. He presented his credentials to Magellan and to the Casa de La Contratacion, the
office in charge of voyages to the New World. He was admitted as one of the sobresalientes
(supernumeraries), or men coming from prominent families who will join the trip for the love of
adventure and for the advancement of military service. Pigafetta survived the challenges and
catastrophes that the expedition encountered along the way, including being wounded in the Battle
of Mactan. He was among the 18 survivors who returned to Spain on September 6, 1522 aboard
the Victoria with Juan Sebastian Elcano.

From Seville, Pigafetta reported to his Majesty King Carlos V and gave him a handwritten
account of what happened to them during the journey before retu rning to his native Italy. Very
little is known as to what happened to him during the latter part of his life except on some accounts
that he joined the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in its battle against the Turks. He died
sometime in 1534.

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About the Book

Pigafetta kept a detailed journal of what happened to them from the time they left Seville in
1519 until they returned to Spain three years after. When he returned to Italy, many of his
associates asked him to write a formal account of the Magellan expedition and have it published.
He followed their advice and, after doing it, he presented his draft to Pope Clement VII, Philippe de
Villiers L’Isle-Adam (grandmaster of the Knights of Rhodes) and to Louis of Savoy (mother of King
Francis I of France), hoping that they would help him finance its publication. Unfortunately, he was
unable to find a financier who would pay the deposit required by the printer because by that time,
the accounts of Maximilianus Transylvanus and Peter Martyr were already out and interest on
Magellan expedition had died down. Sometime in 1536, a condensed version of his manuscript
was published in Venice by Jacques Fabre.

The original journal of Pigafetta did not survive time. What was handed down to us are copies
of the manuscript that were never printed in his lifetime. Three of them were in French and two are
kept in the Bibliiotheque Nationale in Paris. The third one was originally owned by British collector
Sir Thomas Phillipps. Later, Beinecke Rare Book bought it and it is now kept in the Manuscript
Library of Yale University in New Haven. The fourth copy was written in mixed Italian, Spanish,
and Venetian languages and could be found in the Ambrosian Library in Milan. In 1800, Carlo
Amoretti published an Italian version and the following year a French version came out in Paris.
An English version was published in 1819. James Alexander Robertson made his own English
version of the Ambrosian copy and it appeared in The Philippine Islands opus (Volume 33) as well
as in a separate edition.

Of the four known primary sources that dealt with the Magellan expedition, Pigafetta’s account
is the longest and most comprehensive. It recounted the individual fates of the five ships (Trinidad,
San Antonio, Concepcion, Santiago, and Victoria) that gallantly survived the unforeseen problems
and challenges, such as shortage of food, various types of diseases, the crew’s lack of confidence
in Magellan’s leadership, and the hostile attitude of the people they encountered during the
journey. Pigafetta’s account also included maps, glossaries of native words, and geographic
information and descriptions of the flora and fauna of the places they visited.

Pigafetta’s travelogue contributed immensely to the enrichment of Philippine historiography. It

is one of the most cited documents by historians who wished to study the precolonial Philippines.
As one of the earliest written accounts, Pigafetta was seen as a credible source for a period, which
was prior unchronicled and undocumented. His writing provided us a glimpse of the political,
economic, and social conditions of the islands in the Visayan region during the 16 th century. He
described vividly the physical appearance, social life, religious beliefs, and cultural practices of the
people they encountered in the islands of Samar, Leyte, and Cebu. His account also contains data
about the economic activities of the local folks and the goods they offered for trade. He got all this

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information through the help of Magellan’s slave/interpreter, Enrique de Malacca. Pigafetta
likewise gave us an eyewitness account of the death of Magellan in the Battle of Mactan.

The report of Pigafetta is quite long and is not presented here in its entirety. The excerpts are
limited to the narration of what happened to the expedition upon reaching the Philippines – from
the time they landed on Homonhon up to the Battle of Mactan. Since Pigafetta and Enrique de
Malacca were not natives of the Visayan region, there were inaccuracies in the information about
and the spelling of the names and places they visited. Thus, the correct equivalent and translation
are provided to make the excerpts understandable to contemporary students.

Relevance of the Book

Pigafetta’s chronicle contributed immensely to Eureopean historiography as it preserved and

popularized the achievements of the Magellan expedition. If Pigafetta did not survive the journey,
we would have very little knowledge of Magellan’s numerous contributions in the fields of
geography, navigation, history, and other related areas.

First, credit must be given to Magellan expedition for proving that the earth is not flat but an
oblate sphere. Moreover, they demolished the myth that there is boiling water at the Equator.

Second, Magellan and his men completed the first circumnavigation of the world.

Third, they confirmed that the Portuguese route is not the only way to the Spice Islands. They
proved the theory that one can go to the east by sailing west.

Fourth, they brought to the attention of the Europeans that on the other side of the American
continent exists a large body of water which the named Pacific Ocean (Mar Pacifico). All of these
discoveries altered the European map of the world and resulted in the inclusion of new territories in
their world view.

The account of Pigafetta also enriched Philippine historiography because it contains important
details about the conditions of the Visayan Islands in the 16 th century. Some of the prominent
leaders during that time, their economic activities, social and cultural practices, and religious beliefs
were identified. Moreover, local textbook writers use his book as their source of historical
information about the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines. The accounts about the First
Mass in the Philippines, the conversion of Rajah Humabon and his wife, and the story of the image
of the Sto. Niño were mostly takes from Pigafetta’s book. Finally, Pigafetta has numerous
accounts about the reaction of the Filipinos when they met the Spaniards. Some Filipinos were
easily befriended by the Spaniards while others refused to interact and trade with them. Lapu-lapu
is the most prominent character in Pigafetta’s narrative. He was the first Filipino who led the
resistance movement against Spanish rule and successfully thwarted the first attempt of the
Spaniards to take control of the Philippines.

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 Learning Activities

Name:___________________________________________Score/Rating:___________________
Year & Section:______________________Day/Time:____________Date:___________________

Directions: READ the excerpts from the book Magellan’s Voyage Around the World by Antonio
Pigafetta. Analyze the content, context and perspective of the document by answering the
following question.

1. Who is Antonio Pigafetta? What is his role in the Magellan expedition?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. According to Pigafetta, how did the locals of the island welcome Magellan and his crew?
(indicate the page number/s on which you based your answer)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3. How are the islander’s way of life, cultural practices, and religious beliefs described from the
book ( indicate the page number/s on which you based your answer) ? What does Pigafetta’s
account tell us about the conditions of the Visayan Islands in the 16 th century?

Cultural Practices
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Religious Beliefs
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Conditions of the Visayan islands in the 16 th century according to Pigafetta’s account

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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4. Based on Pigafetta’s account, how did the battle of Mactan start? (indicate the page number/s
on which you based your answer)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

5. What particular traits of early Filipinos would you consider are still evident today? Do you agree
that such particular traits contributed to the present problems we have as a nation? Do you agree
that Filipinos are becoming more passive, more self-centered in their attitude in resolving so many
issues besetting our country? Justify your answer.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Rubric

10 - The student answers the different questions and explains his/her answer in a clear, sensible and
consistent manner. There are no major grammatical errors.

7 - The student answers the different questions and explains his/her answer in a somewhat clear,
sensible
and consistent manner. There may be minor grammatical errors.

4- The student has difficulty answering the different questions and explaining his/her answer. There
may
be major grammatical errors.
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 1- The student makes an attempt to answer the different questions but the explanation is without merit.

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