LESSON 3.

1
SITE OF THE
FIRST MASS
One of the most controversial topic in Philippine history is the site
of the first Catholic Mass, which happened on March 31, 1521 (Easter
Sunday).
Taken from Google Maps Today, debates on the
matter are being opened
as the Philippines
celebrates the 500th years
of Christianity, and this
time it is not just Masao,
Butuan and Limasawa
Island in Leyte, but
including other places in
Butuan such as Baug
Island, Suatan and Bood
Promontory. In this
lesson, we will continue
reading the accounts of
Antonio Pigafetta which is considered as a complete record of the
journey of Magellan.

Primary Source:
The First Voyage Round the World, translated from the accounts of
Antonio Pigafetta accompanied by original documents, with notes and an
introduction by Lord Stanley of Alderley.

In the island belonging to the king who came to the ship there are
mines of gold, which they find in pieces as big as a walnut or an egg, by
seeking in the ground. All the vessels which he makes use of are made of
it, and also some parts of his house, which was well fitted up according to
the custom of the country, and he was the handsomest man that we saw
among these nations. He had very black hair coming down to his shoulders,
with a silk cloth on his head, and two large gold rings hanging from his ears,
he had a cloth of cotton worked with silk, which covered him from the waist
to the knees, at his side he wore a dagger, with a long handle which was all
of gold, its sheath was of carved wood. Besides he carried upon him scents
of storax and benzoin. He was tawny and painted all over. The island of this
king is named Zuluan and Calagan, and when these two kings wish to
visit one another they come to hunt in this island where we were. Of
these kings the painted king is called Raia Calambu, and the other Raia
Siani.

CHAPTER THREE: ONE PAST BUT MANY HISTORIES 55

 On Sunday, the last day of March, and feast of Easter, the captain sent
the chaplain ashore early to say mass, and the interpreter went with him to
tell the king that they were not coming on shore to dine with him, but only to
hear the mass. The king hearing that sent two dead pigs. When it was time
for saying mass the captain went ashore with fifty men, not with their arms,
but only with their swords, and dressed as well as each one was able to
dress, and before the boats reached the shore our ships fired six cannon
shots as a sign of peace. At our landing the two kings were there, and
received our captain in a friendly manner, and placed him between them,
and then we went to the place prepared for saying mass, which was not far
from the shore. Before the mass began the captain threw a quantity of musk
rose water on those two kings, and when the offertory of the mass came, the
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. The ships fired all their artillery at the elevation of
the body of our Lord. After mass had been said each one did the duty of
a Christian, receiving our Lord. After that the captain had some sword-play
by his people, which gave great pleasure to the kings. Then he had a cross
brought, with the nails and crown, to which the kings made reverence, and
the captain had them told that these things which he showed them were the
sign of the emperor his lord and master, from whom he had charge and
commandment to place it in all places where he might go or pass by. He told
them that he wished to place it in their country for their profit, because if
there came afterwards any ships from Spain to those islands, on seeing this
cross, they would know that we had been there, and therefore they would
not cause them any displeasure to their persons nor their goods; and if they
took any of their people, on showing them this sign, they would at once let
them go. Besides this, the captain told them that it was necessary that this
cross should be placed on the summit of the highest mountain in their
country, so that seeing it every day they might adore it, and that if they did
thus, neither thunder, lightning, nor the tempest could do them hurt. The
kings thanked the captain, and said they would do it willingly. Then he
asked whether they were Moors or Gentiles, and in what they believed. They
answered that they did not perform any other adoration, but only joined
their hands, looking up to heaven, and that they called their God, Aba.
Hearing this, the captain was very joyful, on seeing that, the first king raised
his hands to the sky and said that he wished it were possible for him to be
able to show the affection which he felt towards him. The interpreter asked
him for what reason there was so little to eat in that place, to which the king
replied that he did not reside in that place except when he came to hunt and
to see his brother, but that he lived in another island where he had all his
family. Then the captain asked him if he had any enemies who made war
upon him, and that if he had any he would go and defeat them with his men
and ships, to put them under his obedience. The king thanked him, and
answered that there were two islands the inhabitants of which were his
enemies; however, that for the present it was not the time to attack them.
The captain therefore said to him that if God permitted him to return
another time to this country, he would bring so many men that he would put
them by force under his obedience. Then he bade the interpreter tell them
that he was going away to dine, and after that he would return to place the
cross on the summit of the mountain. The two kings said they were content,
and on that they embraced the captain, and he separated from them.

56 READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

 After dinner we all returned in our dress coats, and we went together
with the two kings to the middle of the highest mountain we could find, and
there the cross was planted. After that the two kings and the captain rested
themselves; and, while conversing, I asked where was the best port for
obtaining victuals. They replied that there were three, that is to say, Ceylon,
Zzubu, and Calaghan, but that Zzubu was the largest and of the most
traffic. Then the kings offered to give him pilots to go to those ports, for
which he thanked them, and deliberated to go there, for his ill-fortune would
have it so. After the cross had been planted on that mountain, each one said
the Paternoster and Ave Maria, and adored it, and the kings did the like.
Then we went down below to where their boats were. There the kings had
brought some of the fruit called cocos and other things to make a collation
and to refresh us. The captain, being desirous to depart the next day in the
morning, asked the king for the pilots to conduct us to the above-mentioned
ports, promising him to treat them like themselves, and that he would leave
one of his own men as a hostage. The first king said that he would go
himself and conduct him to this port, and be his pilots but that he should
wait two days, until he had had his rice gathered in and done other things
which he had to do, begging him to lend him some of his men so as to get
done sooner. This the captain agreed to.
This kind of people are gentle, and go naked, and are painted. They
wear a piece of cloth made from a tree, like a linen cloth, round their body to
cover their natural parts: they are great drinkers. The women are dressed in
tree cloth from their waists downwards; their hair is black, and reaches
down to the ground; they wear certain gold rings in their ears. These people
chew most of their time a fruit which they call areca, which is something of
the shape of a pear; they cut it in four quarters, and after they have chewed
it for a long time they spit it out, from which afterwards they have their
mouths very red. They find themselves the better from the use of this fruit
because it refreshes them much, for this country is very hot, so that they
could not live without it. In this island there is a great quantity of dogs, cats,
pigs, fowls, and goats, rice, ginger, cocos, figs, oranges, lemons, millet, wax,
and gold mines. This island is in nine degrees and two-thirds north latitude,
and one hundred and sixty-two longitude from the line of demarcation: it is
twenty-five leagues distant from the other island where we found the two
fountains of fresh water. This island is named Mazzava.

Main Issue: The questions about where the first mass happened in
the Philippines came from the dichotomy of understanding of
“Mazaua” based on the accounts of Pigafetta. This led to the
Limasawa and Masao, Butuan debate.
1) MASAO, BUTUAN – The claim is based on a tradition that was highly
observed from the 17th to19th century. Historians claim that there has
been no mention of the Limasawa Island in the primary sources of this
dispute history. Masaua according to them is now Masao.
2) LIMASAWA ISLAND – The accounts of Pigafetta, jointly read with
Francisco Albo’s diary (in a form of a log book), showed that Magellan’s
expedition did not reach Mindanao when they landed in Homonhon.
Instead, they have settled in an island in a latitude similar to the position
of Limasawa today, south of Leyte. In addition, the disputed location in
Masao is near a river, but in there has been no mention of such

CHAPTER THREE: ONE PAST BUT MANY HISTORIES 57

 geographical feature in the story of Pigafetta.

From your reading of the above primary source and other

sources, which of the following arguments do you believe in? Organize
your thoughts and write your answer on Worksheet 3.1.
The debate may have been settled today in favor of Limawasa,
but the people of Butuan, with their evidence and faith, are still in the
fight for their claims. Regardless of the result in the future, one this is
for sure, Magellan has planted on the Philippine soil the seed of
Christianity and everything has changed since then.

58 READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY