Magellan’s Death: A Detailed Description by Antonio Pigafetta 

Magellan died because he underestimated the

battle-hardened Filipino natives.
Every April 27, Filipinos commemorate the Battle of Mactan, the fateful day when Lapu-Lapu led his tribe to repel
Spaniards from invading our shores. Lapu-Lapu’s ardent love for freedom led him to victory. Or at least that was what
we were taught in grade school. Antonio Pigafetta , the chronicler of Magellan’s voyage, tells us a much colorful,
albeit different story.
Magellan’s landing in Homonhon Island
Contrary to old textbook depictions of Ferdinand Magellan arriving in the Philippines to invade the country, the actual
purpose of Magellan’s voyage was to prove that Earth is not flat by circumnavigating the world by traveling westward
to get to the East.
After crossing the Pacific Ocean, a name coined by Magellan for its tranquil waters, the expedition team sighted the
highest peak on Samar Island on March 16, 1521. On Magellan’s orders, the crew waited until the following day until
they landed on the beach of Homonhon, an uninhabited island.
When they landed on Homonhon, Magellan's crew was detected by Rajah Humabon, the chief of a nearby island
called Limasawa. Humabon sent scouts to Homonhon to investigate. Pigafetta details how the Filipino natives
approached their beach settlement from a boat.
“We saw a boat coming toward us with nine men in it. Therefore, the captain- general [Magellan] ordered that no one
should move or say a word without his permission. When those men reached the shore, their chief went immediately
to the captain-general, giving signs of joy because of our arrival.”
Magellan presented the natives with mirrors, bells, red caps, combs, and ivory. In exchange, the natives offered the
foreigners fish, wine, and bananas, which the Spaniards mistook for figs.
“When those men reached the shore, their chief went immediately to the captain-general, giving signs of joy because
of our arrival,” wrote Pigafetta. “The captain-general seeing that they were reasonable men, ordered food to be set
before them, and gave them red caps, mirrors, combs, bells, ivory, bocasine, and other things. When they saw the
captain’s courtesy, they presented fish, a jar of palm wine, which they call uraca (alak), figs more than one palm
long.”
“They had nothing else then, but made us signs with their hands that they would bring umay or rice, and cocoanuts
and many other articles of food within four days,” details Pigafetta.
Magellan Was Caught Between Feuding Chieftains
The highest ranks in society in pre-colonial Philippines were composed of local chieftains or datus who cooperated or
competed against each other. In some places, there was a pecking order among the ranks of the datus: vassals or
subordinate datus were less powerful leaders who allied themselves with datus who controlled trade and had more
resources.
Magellan and his crew witnessed this play of politics, but did not recognize its dynamics. They even mistook these
local chieftains for “kings,” which they
demise. Magellan was an excellent explorer and navigator, but he was no battle tactician. Refusing the help of the
two chiefs was his first big mistake at the Battle of Mactan.
A Lopsided Battle of Mactan
The Battle of Mactan is often depicted in films and paintings as a fierce battle between Filipinos and Spaniards of
arguably equal force, won only by Filipinos by virtue of their love of freedom. In reality, it was a horrific battle for
Magellan and his crew.
According to Pigafetta, they arrived at the shores of Mactan three hours before sunrise. Magellan sent a message to
the natives saying that if they still refused to recognize the Spanish king and pay them tribute, they would
demonstrate how effective their swords were at wounding people.
In reply, Lapu-Lapu’s men told Magellan that although the Spaniards had lances, they, too, were armed with bamboo
and stakes hardened with fire. The natives requested Magellan’s party to wait until morning before attacking so they
could gather more warriors, to which Magellan obliged.
When the sun rose, Magellan, including his crew of 49 (11 remained on the ship) witnessed how the natives were
highly organized at warfare:
“When we reached land, those men had formed in three divisions to the number of more than one thousand five
hundred persons. When they saw us, they charged down upon us with exceeding loud cries, two divisions on our
flanks and the other on our front,” wrote Pigafetta.
Against spears, bows, and arrows, Magellan’s muskets and armor proved worthless. The musket took one minute to
reload and fire, while the bow and arrow took one or two seconds to shoot between two arrows.
“When the natives saw that we were shooting our muskets to no purpose, they redoubled their shouts. When our
muskets were discharged, the natives would
never stand still, but leaped hither and thither, covering themselves with their shields,” wrote Pigafetta.
“They shot so many arrows at us and hurled so many bamboo spears (some of them tipped with iron) at the captain-
general, besides pointed stakes hardened with fire, stones, and mud, that we could scarcely defend ourselves.”
Magellan's Second Mistake: Burning the Natives' Houses
Realizing that they were no match for the natives they so underestimated, Magellan became desperate, so he
ordered some of his crew to distract the natives by burning their houses. Pigafetta is generous in details.
“One of them wounded him on the left leg with a large cutlass, which resembles a scimitar, only being larger.
That caused the captain to fall face downward, when immediately they rushed upon him with iron and
bamboo spears and with their cutlasses, until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true
guide.”
“When they saw their houses burning, they were roused to greater fury,” described Pigafetta. “Two of our men were
killed near the houses, while we burned twenty or thirty houses. So many of them charged down upon us that they
shot the captain through the right leg with a poisoned arrow.”
The wounded Magellan ordered his men to retreat more slowly, but the enraged natives were relentless at the
pursuit.