1.5 Historical Analysis of Pigafetta's Account of Magellan's Arrival in The Philippines - GEC 002-BALSCM12S1 - Readings in Philippine History

1/22/23, 8:02 PM 1.
5 Historical Analysis of Pigafetta's Account of Magellan's Arrival in the Philippines: GEC 002-BALSCM12S1 - Readings in P…
1.5 Historical Analysis of Pigafetta's

Account of Magellan's Arrival in the
Philippines
Now that you know what is historical context and its importance in your readings of Philippine
history, it is now time for you to do analysis of a sample historical event in Philippine history. For
this activity, we will use a sample of historical account of Antonio Pigafetta's "The First Voyage
around the World (1519-1522): An Account of Magellan's Expedition" which is pictured below:
This document reveals several insights not just in the character of the Philippines during pre-
colonial period, but also on how the fresh eyes of the European regard a deeply unfamiliar terrain,
environment, people and culture. Published after Pigafetta returned to Italy, his work became a
classic that prominent literary men in the West like William Shakespeare, Michel de Montaigne
and Giambattista Vico referred to the book in their interpretation of the New World.
Pigafetta's travelogue, when published in Europe in 1535, became a worldwide sensation.

Situated during the time when Europe, known as the Old World, is actively seeking for lands to
discover and conquer motivated by Gold, Glory, and God (Three Gs), this historical account
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1/22/23, 8:02 PM 1.5 Historical Analysis of Pigafetta's Account of Magellan's Arrival in the Philippines: GEC 002-BALSCM12S1 - Readings in P…
became a bestseller, teasing the imagination of the European readers about raw tropical beauty
of Oriental lands, beautiful women, bountiful lands awash of gold, spices, and natural resources.
Thus, this book became of one of the most important primary sources in the study of precolonial
Philippines. Importantly, his account was also a major referent to the events leading to Magellan’s
arrival in the Philippines, his encounter with local leaders, his death in the hands of Lapulapu’s
forces in the Battle of Mactan and in the depature of what was left of Magellan’s fleet from the
islands. Thus, completing what was known as the first circumnavigation of the world.
This is the historical context that we are going to analyze in this module.
Doing Historical Analysis

In order to fully understand a source, you must place it within the context of the time period in
which it was produced. Contextualizing a historical source involves: paying attention to
the people who produced it, the time in which they worked, what was going on during that
time, and how and what was going on may have influenced the production of the source.
It also involves understanding how the source's language, concepts, and terms were used within
that historical context, since meanings change over time. In short, contextualizing a source
increases a writer's credibility since it demonstrates the writer’s willingness to understand the
source and its time period on its own terms.
Questions to Consider in doing Historical Context Analysis

1. Who produced the historical source? In this part, you need to provide a brief description of
the author/writer/publisher of the historical event. Include photos/images and other ways to
introduce the source.
2. What is the genre of the source? In the case of Pigafetta's work, it is considered as
a travelogue, an account of the voyage as the official chronicler of Magellan's expedition.
Other historical sources may include diary entry, an eyewitness account, a published
book, a receipt, a log in the train ride, among others. You need to identify the genre of the
source you are reading.
3. How might this genre shape its content and viewpoint? In the case of Pigafetta's
travelogue, it highlighted his own personal viewpoint, judgment and biases towards the things
that he saw, people that he met, as well as customs, traditions, and other cultural highlights he
witnessed in his travels. In your analysis later on, you need to consider the genre because
there is difference in the way or the approach in which the historian may write the historical
event..
4. When was it produced? How does the timing of its production relate to other
events? Pigafetta's travelogue was published in 1535 and it received critical acclaim
worldwide during that time. Spain was the most powerful empire on Earth during that time and
its publication further glorified its name and the death of Magellan on the hands of the natives
headed by Lapu-lapu was portrayed as a sacrifice in the attainment of Spain's greater glory.
Its timing was significant to the growing interest and fascination of Westerners towards the
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Eastern people, its culture, its natural resources, riches, and treasures. You need to situate the
time and surrounding circumstances during which the event was written.
5. How might political, social, religious, or economic events occurring at the same time
have influenced the production of the source? Pigafetta's book, The First Voyage Around
the World, was published under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church. It is noted that
during that time, the church was very active in its quest to christianize undiscovered lands in
uncharted territories. Simultaneously, the state (government) of Spanish empire used th
opportunity to further expand its borders, and in the process, accumulating land, riches, and
fame all in the name of God, gold and glory.
Now let's apply these questions to a sample of historical account of Pigafetta from his book, The
First Voyage Around the World, online version. It is the account of the first ever landing and arrival
of Magellan to the Philippine Islands on march 16, 1521, pages 71 - 75. You can read it online
from this link (https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:First_Voyage_Round_the_World.djvu/151) . This
was given to you in advanced as required reading in the beginning of this module.
Click the link "Next" to continue.

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1/22/23, 8:02 PM 1.

1.5 Historical Analysis of Pigafetta's

Pigafetta's travelogue, when published in Europe in 1535, became a worldwide sensation.

Doing Historical Analysis

Questions to Consider in doing Historical Context Analysis

Click the link "Next" to continue.

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