CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF “FIRST VOYAGE OF MAGELLAN

BY ANTONIO PIGAFETTA”

PRIMARY ACCOUNTS DISCUSSIONS

Background of the Author - Antonio Pigafetta was a scholar

and explorer from Italy.
- He was born with a wealthy
family.
- He served in the Knights of
Rhodes galleys and traveled to
Spain with Monsignor Chieregati,
the papal nuncio.
- He recovered and was one of
only 18 members of Magellan's
original crew to return to Spain on
board the Victoria after the
explorer had made the first
voyage of the globe.
- He kept a journal of his travels,
which is an important resource
for information regarding
Magellan's historic adventure.

Historical background of the article - The entire expedition was

carefully chronicled by Antonio
Pigafetta, who also provided
important details about the
regions, peoples, flora, fauna,
and cultures he encountered.
One of the most significant main
sources for the voyage is thought
to be his writings.
- Five ships (Trinidad, San
Antonio, Concepción, Victoria,
and Santiago) and about 270
sailors made up Magellan's fleet,
which departed from Seville,
Spain, in 1519. Pigafetta joined
the journey as a chronicler and
scribe. The mission had several
difficulties, including dangerous
weather, mutinies, and
interactions with native
Americans.
- Portugal and Spain engaged in
an intense war to see who would
find and conquer new lands to
 supply the spices sought after by
European nobility.

Content and contextual analysis of the - Since there are several islands in
important historical information found in the region, Magellan called the
the article Islands of Humunu the
"Archipelago of San Lazarus."
The Philippines' original name
was "Archipelago of San
Lazarus".
- The first Mass was celebrated in
our nation on March 31—Eastern
Day. The first cross was
subsequently constructed in
Mazaua (Limasawa), as Magellan
had requested, for the benefit of
the locals.
- Pigafetta makes insightful
insights about the native peoples
found in diverse locales, including
their traditions, dialects, and way
of life.
- In order to better comprehend the
biodiversity in the uncharted
areas, he also kept notes on the
food, plants, and animals that the
expedition met.
- The main objective of the voyage,
which was to locate a western
passage to the Spice Islands
(Moluccas) in contemporary
Indonesia, shows the economic
motives that drove exploration at
the time.
- According to Pigafetta, Ferdinand
Magellan was a dedicated and
creative leader. It emphasizes the
difficulties he encountered and
his unwavering dedication to
discovering the western passage
to the Spice Islands.
- The original Filipinos used to
worship gods and a God they
named "Abba," but they
abandoned these beliefs once
Magellan introduced them to
Christianity.
Analysis of the Content and Context
- Pigafetta's work highlights
 Ferdinand Magellan's dedication
to discovering a westward
passage to the Spice Islands and
paints him as a capable and
resolute leader.
- The narrative is intimate, with
Pigafetta taking lead role as the
expedition's scribe and
chronicler. His point of view gives
the narrative a human element.
- His descriptions of storms,
mutinies, and other challenges
paint a realistic picture of the
difficulties early explorers
encountered.
- Some of the indigenous were
converted to Christianity by
Magellan and his crew. As a
result, they were also in the
position of celebrating the first
Mass in the Philippine Islands.
- The Age of Exploration, which
spanned the late 15th and early
16th centuries, was the backdrop
for Pigafetta's tale. During this
time, European nations were
motivated by a desire to find new
trade routes, lands, and
resources.
- The knowledge gained from
Pigafetta's narrative had a
significant influence on later
European exploration, influencing
planned expeditions, trading
routes, and colonial aspirations.

Contribution and relevance of the article Contribution and Relevance to

Philippine History
- Pigafetta's comprehensive
descriptions of the indigenous
groups he encountered in the
Philippines offer insightful
historical and anthropological
perspectives. He recorded their
traditions, dialects, attire, and
lifestyles, providing a window into
pre-colonial Filipino society.
- Ferdinand Magellan spread
Christianity, the most popular
 religion in the world, throughout
the Philippines. Christianity was
introduced to the archipelago in
1521 with the advent of the
Spanish armada. Pigafetta
mentioned the converting to
Christianity of local authorities,
such as Rajah Humabon of
Cebu. The event had a significant
and long-lasting impact on
Philippine history because it led
to the country's conversion to
Christianity.
- The narrative of Pigafetta
enhanced Philippine history
because it provides important
details on the Visayan Islands'
circumstances in the sixteenth
century.
- Our comprehension of the
linguistic and cultural landscape
of the Philippines prior to Spanish
colonization is aided by
Pigafetta's documentation of
Filipino words and phrases as
well as descriptions of regional
practices.
Contribution and Relevance to World
History
- Pigafetta's documentation of
encounters between Europeans
and indigenous peoples around
the world foretold the larger
effects of European colonization
on indigenous cultures, trade
networks, and global history.
- A wider impact of European
colonization on indigenous
cultures, trade networks, and
world history was predicted by
Pigafetta's documentation of
interactions between Europeans
and indigenous peoples around
the world.
- The Pigafetta material provided a
thorough account of the crucial
occasions in Ferdinand
Magellan's exploration.
- In Pigafetta's narrative, one of the
 first attempts to round the world
is described. In the early phases
of globalization, Ferdinand
Magellan's journey was a turning
point because it demonstrated
how interconnected the world's
regions are through marine
exploration and trade.
- On the side of the American
continent, they found a sizable
body of water that they named
the Pacific Ocean.