First Voyage Around the

World by Magellan
By ANTONIO PIGAFETTA

GROUP I
ANTONIO PIGAFETTA
-c. 1491 – c. 1531)
-was an Italian scholar and explorer from
the Republic of Venice
-He joined the expedition to the Spice
Islands led by explorer Ferdinand
Magellan under the flag of King Charles I
of Spain and, after Magellan's death in
the Philippines, the subsequent voyage
around the world. During the expedition,
he served as Magellan's assistant and kept
an accurate journal which later assisted
him in translating the Cebuano language.
It is the first recorded document
concerning the language.
-Pigafetta was one of the 18 men who
returned to Spain in 1522, under the
command of Juan Sebastián Elcano, out
of the approximately 240 who set out
three years earlier. These men completed
the first circumnavigation of the world.
Pigafetta's surviving journal is the source
for much of what is known about
Magellan and Elcano's voyage.
First Voyage Around the World by Magellan

Was published after Pigafetta returned

to Italy
Ladrones Island

-presently known as the Marianas

Island
-”Islands of the Thieves”
“these people have no arms, but use
sticks, which have a fish bone at the
end. They are poor, but ingenious, and
great thieves, and for the sake of that
we called these three islands the
Ladrones Islands”
Isle of Zamal

-now Samar
“Saturday, the 16th of March 1521, we
arrived at daybreak in sight of a high
island. This island is named Zamal,
now Samar.”
- Magellan decided to land in another
uninhabited island for greater security.
Humunu Island

-now Homonhon
-”Watering Place Of Good Signs”
-first sign of gold
-Raia Siagu
-Raia Calambu- king of Zuluan and
Calagan (now Butuan and
Caraga)
In the finest tradition of hospitality,
they welcomed the Spaniard
March 31, 1521

-happened to be Easter Sunday

-Magellan ordered the chaplain to
preside a mass by the shore
-this mass would go down in history as
the, First Mass in the Philippines
-after the mass, Magellan ordered that
the cross be brought with nails and
crown in place.
-Magellan’s Cross
Magellan explained that the cross, the
nail and the crown were signs of his
emperor and that he was ordered to
plant it in the places that he would
reach.
-the cross would be beneficial to people
because once other Spaniards saw this
cross they would know that they had
been in this land and would not cause
them troubles
7th of April, 1521

Ceylon (now Leyte)

Bohol
Zzubu (now Cebu)

-Magellan and his men reached the port

of Cebu
-the following day Magellan spoke
before the people of Cebu about peace
and God
-Rajah Humabon and Magellan made the
traditional blood compact(sandugo).
14th of April, 1521

-the people gathered with the king and

other principal men on the islands
-Magellan spoke to the king and
encouraged him to be a good Christian
-the king of Cebu was then baptized as
Christian
After 8 days, Pigafetta counted that all
of the island’s inhabitant were already
baptized
-mass was conducted by the shore
everyday
-Magellan gave an image of Infant Jesus
as a gift to the queen Hara Amihan
(baptized Queen Juana), (wife of Rajah
Humabon)
26th of April, 1521

-Zula, principal man from Matan (now

Mactan), went to see Magellan and
asked him for a boat full of men so that
he would be able to fight the chief
named Silapulapu (Lapulapu).

-according to Zula, such chief refused

to obey the king and was also
preventing him from doing so.

-Magellan offered three boats instead

and expressed his desire to go to
Mactan himself to fight the said chief
27th of April, 1521

-Magellan’s forces arrived in Mactan in

daylight
-Magellan deployed 49 armored men with
sword, axes, crossbows, and guns
-islanders of Mactan were estimated to
number 1,500

-the battle began

-the natives perceiving that the bodies of
the enemies were protected with armors,
aimed for their legs instead.
-Magellan was pierced with poison
arrow in his right leg
-he was specifically targeted because
the natives knew that he was the
captain-general
-seeing that the captain was already
deteriorated, more natives came to
attack him
-one native with great sword delivered
a blow in Magellan’s left leg, brought
him face down and the natives
ceaselessly attacked Magellan with
lances, swords and even with their bare
hands
-Magellan died in that battle.
Analysis of Pigafetta’s Chronicle

-one of the most cited documents of historians who

wished to study precolonial Philippines

-seen as a credible source for a period, which was prior

unchronicled and undocumented

-account for the “purest” precolonial society

-great importance in the study and writing of Philippine

History
 REMINDER:

A student of history should recognize

certain biases accompanying the
author and his identity, loyalties and
the circumstances that he was in and
how it affected the text that he
produced.