CHAPTER II

Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine

Learning Objectives:
• Familiarize oneself with the primary documents in different historical periods of the
Philippines
• Learn history through primary sources
• Properly interpret primary sources through examining the content and context of the
document
• Understand the context behind each selected document
Reference: Alporha, J. & Candelaria, V. (2018). Readings in Philippine History. Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, Inc.

Lesson 1: A Brief Summary of the First Voyage Around the World by Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta
This book was taken from the chronicles of contemporary voyagers and navigators of the sixteenth century. One
of them was Italian nobleman Antonio Pigafetta, who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan in his fateful
circumnavigation of the world. Pigafetta's work instantly 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 is one of the most important primary sources in the study
of the precolonial Philippines. 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 departure of what was left of Magellan's fleet from the islands.
Examining the document reveals several insights not just in the character of the Philippines during the
precolonial period, but also on how the fresh eyes of the Europeans regard a deeply unfamiliar terrain,
environment, people, and culture. Locating Pigafetta's account in the context of its writing warrants a familiarity
on the dominant frame of mind in the age of exploration, which pervaded Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth
century. Students of history need to realize that primary sources used in the subsequent written histories depart
from certain perspectives. Thus, Pigafetta's account was also written from the perspective of Pigafetta himself
and was a product of the context of its production. The First Voyage Around the World by Magellan was
published after Pigafetta returned to Italy.
For this chapter, we will focus on the chronicles of Antonio Pigafetta as he wrote his firsthand observation and
general impression of the Far East including their experiences in the Visayas. In Pigafetta' s account, their fleet
reached what he called the Ladrones islands or the "Islands of the Thieves”. He recounted:

“These people have no arms, but use sticks, which have a fish bone
at the end. They are poor, but indigenous, and great thieves, and for
the sake of that we called these three islands the Landrones Islands.”

The Ladrones Islands is presently known as the Marianas Islands. These Islands are located south-southeast of
Japan, west-southwest of Hawaii, north of New Guinea, and east of Philippines. Ten days after they reached
Ladrones Islands, Pigafetta reported that they reached what Pigafetta called the isle of Zamal, now Samar but
Magellan decided to land in another uninhabited island for greater security where they could rest for a few days.
Pigafetta recounted that after two days, March 18, nine men came to them and showed joy and eagerness in seeing
them. Magellan realized that the men were reasonable and welcomed them with food, drinks, and gifts. In turn,
the natives gave them fish, palm wine (uraca), figs, and two cochos. The natives also gave them rice (umai),
cocos, and other food supplies. Pigafetta detailed in amazement and fascination the palm tree which bore fruits
called cocho, and wine. He also described what seemed like a coconut. His description reads:

“This palm produces a fruit named cocho, which is as large as the head, or thereabouts: its first husk is green, and
two0 fingers in thickness, in it they find certain threads, with which they make the cords for fastening their boats.
Under this husk there is another very hard, and thicker than that of a walnut. They burn this second rind, and make
with it a powder which is useful to them. Under this rind there is a white marrow of a finger's thickness, which they
eat fresh with meat and fish, as we do bread, and it has the taste of an almond, and if anyone dried it he might make
bread of it.”

Pigafetta characterized the people as “very familiar and friendly” and willingly showed them different islands
and the names of these islands The fleet went to Humunu Island (Homonhon) and there they found what
Pigafetta referred to as the "Watering Place of Good Signs." It is in this placo where Pigafetta wrote that they
found the first signs of gold in the island They named the island with the nearby 1slands as the archipelago of
St. Lazarus. They left the island, then on March 25th, Pigafetta recounted that they saw two ballanghai
(balangay), a long boat full of people in Mazzaval Mazaua. The leader, who Pigafetta referred to as the king of
the ballanghai (balangay), sent his men to the ship of Magellan. The Europeans entertained these men and gave
them gifts. When the king of the balangay offered to give Magellan a bar of gold and a chest of ginger,
Magellan declined. Magellan sent the interpreter to the king and asked for money for the needs of his ships and
expressed that he came into the islands as a friend and not as an enemy. The king responded by giving Magellan
the needed provisions of food in chinaware. Magellan exchanged gifts of robes in Turkish fashion, red cap, and
gave the people knives and mirrors. The two then expressed their desire to become brothers. Magellan also
boasted of his men in armor who could not be struck with swords and daggers. The king was fascinated and
remarked that men in such armor could be worth one hundred of his men. Magellan further showed the king his
other weapons, helmets, and artilleries. Magellan also shared with the king his charts and maps and shared how
they found the islands.
After a few days, Magellan was introduced to the king's brother who was also a king of another island. They
went to this island and Pigafetta reported that they saw mines of gold. The gold was abundant that parts of the
ship and of the house of the second king were made of gold. Pigafetta described this king as the most handsome
of all the men that he saw in this place. He was als0 adorned with silk and gold accessories like a golden
dagger, which he carried with him in a wooden polished sheath. This king was named Raia Calambu, king of
Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and Caragua), and the first king was Raia Siagu. On March 31st, which happened
to be Easter Sunday, Magellan ordered the chaplain to preside a Mass by the shore. The king heard of this plan
and sent two dead pigs and attended the Mass with the other king. Pigafetta reported that both kings participated
in the mass. He wrote:

...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."

After the Mass, Magellan ordered that the cross be brought with nails and crown in place. Magellan explained
that the cross, the nail, and the crown were the signs of his emperor and that he was ordered to plant it in the
places that he would reach. Magellan further explained that the cross would be beneficial for their people
because once other Spaniards saw this cross, then they would know that they had been in this land and would
not cause them troubles, and any person who might be held captives by them would be released. The king
concurred and allowed for the cross to be planted. This Mass would go down in history as the first Mass in the
Philippines, and the cross would be the famed Magellan's Cross still preserved at present day.
After seven days, Magellan and his men decided to move and look for islands where they could acquire more
supplies and provisions. They learned of the islands of Ceylon (Leyte), Bohol, and Zzubu (Cebu) and intended
to go there. Raia Calambu offered to pilot them in going to Cebu, the largest and the richest of the islands. By
April 7th of the same year, Magellan and his men reached the port of Cebu. The king of Cebu, through Magellan's
interpreter, demanded that they pay tribute as it was customary, but Magellan refused. Magellan said that he was
a captain of a king himself and thus would not pay tribute to other kings. Magellan's interpreter explained to the
king of Cebu that Magellan's king was the emperor of a great empire and that it would do them better to make
friends with them than to forge enmity. The king of Cebu consulted his council. By the next day, Magellan's men
and the king of Cebu, together with other principal men of Cebu, met in an open space. There, the king offered a
bit of his blood and demanded that Magellan do the same. Pigafetta recounts:
“Then the king said that he was content, and as a greater sign of affection he sent him a little of his
blood from his right arm, and wished he should do the like. Our people answered that he would do it.
Besides that, he said that all the captains who came to his country had been accustomed to make a
present to him, and he to them, and therefore they should ask their captain if he would observe the
custom. Our people answered that he would; but as the king wished to keep up the custom, let him begin
and make a present, and then the captain would do his duty"

The following day, Magellan spoke before the people of Cebu about peace and God. Pigafetta reported that the
people took pleasure in Magellan's speech. Magellan then asked the people who would succeed the king after his
reign and the people responded that the eldest child of the king, who happened to be a daughter, would be the
next in line. Pigafetta also related how the people talked about, how at old age, parents were no longer taken into
account and had to follow the orders of their children as the new leaders of the land. Magellan responded to this
by saying that his faith entailed children to render honor and obedience to their parents, Magellan preached about
their faith further and people were reportedly convinced. Pigafetta wrote that their men were overjoyed seeing
that the people wished to become Christians through their free will and not because they were forced or
intimidated.
On the 14th of April, the people gathered with the king and other principal men of the islands. Magellan spoke to
the king and encouraged him to be a good Christian by burning all of the idols and worship the cross instead. The
king of Cebu was then baptized as a Christian. Pigafetta wrote:

“To that the king and all his people answered that they would obey the commands of the captain and do
all that he told them. The captain took the king by the hand, and they walked about on the scaffolding,
and when he was baptized he said that he would name him Don Charles (Carlos), as the emperor his
sovereign was named; and he named the prince Don Fernand (Fernando), after the brother of the emperor,
and the King of Mazavva, Jehan: to the Moor he gave the name of Christopher, and to the others each a
name of his fancy."

After eight days, Pigafetta counted that all of the island's inhabitant were already baptized. He admitted that they
burned a village down for obeying neither the king nor Magellan. The Mass was conducted by the shore every
day. When the queen came to the Mass one day, Magellan gave her an image of the Infant Jesus made by Pigafetta
himself. The king of Cebu swore that he would always be faithful to Magellan. When Magellan reiterated that all
of the newly baptized Christians need to burn their idols, but the natives gave excuses telling Magellan that they
needed the idols to heal a Sick man who was a relative to the king. Magellan insisted that they should instead put
their faith in Jesus Christ. They went to the sick man and baptized him. After the baptismal, Pigafetta recorded
that the able to speak again. He called this a miracle.
On the 26th of April, Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan (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). Such chief,
according to Zula, refused to obey the king and was also preventing him irom doing so. Magellan offered three
boats instead and expressed his desire to go to Mactan himself to fight the said chief. Magellan's forces arrived in
Mactan in daylight. They numbered 49 in total and the islanders of Mactan were estimated to number 1,500. The
battle began. Pigafetta recounted:

“When we reached land we found the islanders fifteen hundred in number, drawn up in three squadrons; they came
down upon us with terrible shouts, two squadrons attacking us on the flanks, and the third in front, the captain then
divided his men in two bands. Our musketeers and crossbow-men fired for half an hour from a distance, but did nothing,
since the bullets and arrows, though they passed through their shields made of thin wood, and perhaps wounded their
arms, yet did not stop them. The captain shouted not to fire, but he was not listened to. The islanders seeing that the
shots of our guns did them little or no harm would not retire, but shouted more loudly, and springing from one side to
the other to avoid our shots, they at the same time drew nearer to us, throwing arrows, javelins, spears hardened in fire,
stones, and even mud, so that we could hardly defend ourselves. Some of them cast lances pointed with iron at the
captain-general.”

Magellan died in that battle. The natives, perceiving that the bodies of the enemies were protected with armors,
aimed for their legs instead. Magellan was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his right leg. A few of their men
charged at the natives and tried to intimidate them by burning an entire village but this only enraged the natives
further. Magellan was specifically targeted because the natives knew that he was the captain general. Magellan
was hit with a lance in the face. Magellan retaliated and pierced the same native with his lance in the breast and
tried to draw his sword but could not lift it because of his wounded arm. Seeing that the captain has already
deteriorated, more natives came to attack him. One native with a great sword delivered a blow in Magellan’s left
leg, brought him face down and the ceaselessly attacked Magellan with lances, swords, and even with bare hands.
Pigafetta recounted the last moments of Magellan:

“Whilst the Indians were thus overpowering him, several times he turned round towards us to see if we were all in
safety, as though his obstinate fight had no other object than to give opportunity for the retreat of his men.”

Pigafetta also said that the king of Cebu who was baptized could have sent help but Magellan instructed him not
to join the battle and stay in the balangay so that he would see how they fought. The king offered the people of
Mactan gifts of any value and amount in exchange of Magellan's body butt the chief refused. They wanted to keep
Magellan's body as a memento of their victory.
Magellan's men elected Duarte Barbosa as the new captain. Pigafetta also told how Magellan's slave and
interpreter named Henry betrayed them and told the king of Cebu that they intended to leave as quickly as possible
Pigafetta alleged that the slave told the king that if he followed the slave's advice, then the king could acquire the
ships and the goods of Magellan's fleet. The two conspired and betrayed what was left of Magellan's men. The
king invited these men to a gathering where he said he would present the jewels that he would send for the King
of Spain. Pigafetta was not able to join the twenty-four men who attended because he was nursing his battle
Wounds. It was only a short time when they heard cries and lamentations. The natives had slain all of the men
except the interpreter and Juan Serrano who was already wounded. Serrano was presented and shouted at the men
in the ship asking them to pay ransom so he would be spared. However, they refused and would not allow anyone
to go to the shore. The fleet departed and abandoned Serrano. They left Cebu and continued their journey around
the world.
 ANALYSIS OF PIGAFETTA’S CHRONICLES
The chronicle of Pigafetta was one of the most cited documents by historians who wished to study the precolonial
Philippines. As one of the earliest written accounts, Pigafetta was seen as a credible source for a period, which
was prior unchronicled and undocumented. Moreover, being the earliest detailed documentation, it was believed
that Pigafetta's writings account for the "purest precolonial society. Indeed, Pigafetta's work is of great importance
in the study and writing of Philippine history. Nevertheless, there needs to have a more nuanced reading of the
source within a contextual backdrop. 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. In the case of Pigafetta, the reader needs to understand that he was a chronicler commissioned by the
King of Spain to accompany and document a voyage intended to expand the Spanish empire. He was also of noble
descent who came from a rich family in Italy. These attributes influenced his narrative, his selection of details to
be included in the text, his characterization of the people and of the species that he encountered, and his
interpretation and retelling of the events. Being a scholar of cartography and geography, Pigafetta was able to
give details on geography and climate of the places that their voyage had reached.
In reading Pigafetta's description of the people, one has to keep in mind that he was coming from a sixteenth
century European perspective. Hence, the reader might notice how Pigafetta, whether implicitly or explicitly,
regarded the indigenous belief systems and way of life as inferior to that of Christianity and of the Europeans. He
would always remark on the nakedness of the natives or how he was fascinated by their exotic culture. Pigafetta
also noticeably emphasized the natives' amazement and illiteracy to the European artillery, merchandise, and
other goods, in the same way that Pigafetta repeatedly mentioned the abundance of spices like ginger, and of
precious metals like gold. His observations and assessments of the indigenous cultures employed the European
standards. Hence, when they saw the indigenous attires of the natives, Pigafetta saw them as being naked because
from the European standpoint, they were wearing fewer clothes indeed. Pigafetta's perspective was too narrow to
realize that such attire was only appropriate to the tropical climate of the islands. The same was true for materials
that the natives used for their houses like palm and bamboo. These materials would let more air come through the
house and compensate for the hot climate in the islands.
It should be understood that such observations were rooted from the Context of Pigafetta and of his era. Europe,
for example, was dominated by the Holy Roman Empire, whose loyalty and purpose was the domination of the
Catholic Church all over the world. Hence, other belief systems different from that of Christianity were
perceived to be blasphemous and barbaric, even demonic. Aside from this, the sixteenth century European
economy was mercantilist. Such system measures the wealth of kingdoms based on their accumulation of
bullions or precious metals like gold and silver. It was not surprising therefore that Pigafetta would always
mention the abundance of gold in the islands as shown in his description of leaders wearing gold rings and
golden daggers, and of the rich gold mines. An empire like that of the Spain would indeed search for new lands
where they could acquire more gold and wealth to be on top of all the European nations. The obsession with
spices might be odd for Filipinos because of its ordinariness in the Philippines, but understanding the context
would reveal that spices were scarce in Europe and hence were seen as prestige goods. In that era, Spain and
Portugal coveted the control of Spice Islands because it would have led to a certain increase in wealth,
influence, and power. These contexts should be used and understood in order to have a more qualified reading
of Pigafetta's account.