MODULE 3: CONTENT & CONTEXTUAL
ANALYSIS OF “FIRST VOYAGE AROUND
THE WORLD BY MAGELLAN” BY
ANTONIO PIGAFETTA
Rationale:
Module 3 introduces to students content and contextual
analysis as a tool in evaluating selected primary sources
in Philippine history. It aims to develop student’s skills
in analyzing and interpreting primary sources.
Particularly, in this module, Antonio Pigafetta’s “First
Voyage Around the World” will be examined through
content and contextual analysis as he wrote his firsthand
observation and general impression of the far east
including their experiences in the Visayas.
Learning Objectives:
1) Analyze the context, content and perspective of
different kinds of primary sources
2) Determine the contribution of different kinds of
primary sources in understanding Philippine history.
3) Develop critical and analytical skills with exposure
to primary sources.
4) Appreciate the early Filipino civilization and the
heroism of our Filipino ancestors.
Content and Contextual Analysis
As per the suggested syllabus of the course Readings in
Philippine History the Commission on Higher
Education, to end goal of the course is to enable students
to understand and appreciate our rich past by deriving
insights from those who were actually present at the time
of the event. As a tool in examining the selected primary
sources, content and contextual analysis will be
employed.
Context analysis considers the following:
1) The historical context of source (time and place it
was written and the situation at the time)
2) The author’s background, intent, (to the extent
discernable) and authority on the subject
3) The source relevance and meaning today
Content analysis, on the other hand, applies appropriate
techniques depending on the type of source (written,
oral, visual). In the process students will be asked, for
example, to identify the author’s main argument or
thesis, compare points of view, identify biases and
evaluate the author’s claim based on the evidence
presented or other available evidence at the time.
Author’s Background
Antonio Pigafetta Famous is an Italian traveler born in
Vicenza around 1490 and died in the same city in 1534,
who is also known by the name of Antonio Lombardo
or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta. Initially linked to the
order of Rhodes, which was Knight, went to Spain in
1519, accompanied by Monsignor Francisco
Chiericato, and was made available from Carlos V to
promote the company initiated by the Catholic Monarchs
in the Atlantic. Soon he became a great friendship with
Magallanes, who accompanied, together with Juan
Sebastián Elcano, in the famous expedition to the
Moluccas begun in August of 1519 and finished in
September 1522. He was wounded at the battle of the
island of Cebu (Philippines) in which Magellan found
death. The output of Seville made it aboard of the
Trinity; the return, along with a handful of survivors (17
of the 239 who left this adventure), in victory, ship that
entered in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz) on September
6, the designated year. In the last years of his life, he
traveled by land from France to finally return to Italy in
1523. He wrote the relation of that trip, which was the
first around the world, Italian and with the title of
Relazioni in lathe to the primo viaggio di
circumnavigazione. Notizia del Mondo Nuovo with
figure you dei paesi scoperti, which was published
posthumously, in 1536.
The account of Pigafetta is the single most important
source about the voyage of circumnavigation, despite its
tendency to include fabulous details. He took notes
daily, as he mentioned when he realizes his surprise at
Spain and see that he had lost a day (due to its driving
direction). Includes descriptions of numerous animals,
including sharks, the Storm petrel (Hydrobates
pelagicus), the pink spoonbill (Ajaja ajaja) and the
Phyllium orthoptera, an insect similar to a sheet.
Pigafetta captured a copy of the latter near Borneo and
kept it in a box, believing a moving blade who lived in
the air. His report is rich in ethnographic details. He
practiced as an interpreter and came to develop, at least
in two Indonesian dialects.
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.
First Voyage Around the World
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 ingenious, and great thieves, and for the
sake of that we call these three islands the Ladrones
Islands.”
The Ladrones Islands is presently known as the
Marianas Islands. Ten days after they have reached
Ladrones Islands, Pigafetta reported that they have what
he 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. On
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.
Pigafetta detailed in amazement and fascination the
palm tree which bore fruits called cochos and wine. He
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
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Island (Homonhon) and there they found what he
referred to as the “Watering Place of Good Signs”, for it
is in this place that they found the first signs of gold in
the island. They named the island together with a nearby
island as the archipelago of St. Lazarus.
On March 25th, Pigafetta recounted that they saw two
balanghai (balangay), a long boat full of people in
Mazzava/Mazaus. The leader whom he referred to the
king became closely bonded with Magellan as they both
exchanged gifts to one another. After a few days,
Magellan was introduced to the king’s brother who was
also a king of another island where Pigafetta reported
that they saw mines of gold. The gold was abundant that
parts of the ship and of the house of the king were made
of gold. This king was named Raia Calambu, king of
Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and Caragua), and the first
king was Raia Siagu.
On March 31st (Easter Sunday), Magellan ordered the
chaplain to preside a Mass by the shore. The king heard
about this plan and sent two dead pigs and attended the
Mass with the other king. Pigafetta then 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.” This
was the first Mass in the Philippines, and the cross
would be famed Magellan’s Cross which is still
preserved at present day. This was the same cross which
Magellan explained to the kings as a sign of his emperor
who ordered him to plan it in the places where he would
reach and further explained that once other Spaniards
saw this cross, then they would know that they had been
in this island and would not cause them troubles.
By April 7th, Magellan and his men reached the port of
Zzubu (Cebu) with the help of Raia Calambu who
offered to pilot them in going to the island. The king of
Cebu demanded that they pay tribute as it was customary
but Magellan refused. 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. On April 14, 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. After 8 days, all of the
island’s inhabitant were already baptized.
When the queen came to the Mass one day, Magellan
gave her an image of the Infant Jesus made by
Pigafetta himself. On 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 name Silapulapu
(Lapulapu). Magellan offered 3 boats instead and went
to Mactan to fight the said chief. They numbered 49 in
total and the islanders of Mactan were estimated to
number 1,500. Magellan died in battle. He was pierced
with a poison arrow in his right leg. The king of Cebu
who was baptized offered help but Magellan refused so
that he could see how they fought. The king also offered
the people of Mactan gifts of any value and amount in
exchange of Magellan’s body but the chief refused and
wanted to keep Magellan’s body as a memento of their
victory.
Magellan’s men then elected Duarte Barbosa as the
new captain. Pigafetta also accounted how Magellan’s
slave and interpreter named Henry betrayed them and
told the king of Cebu that they intended to leave as soon
as possible. Henry and the king of Cebu 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 left on board the ship and was not able to
join the 24 men who went to the gathering because he
was nursing his battle wounds. The natives had slain all
the men except the interpreter and Juan Serrano who
shouted at the men on this ship to pay ransom so that he
would be spared but he was left on the island for they
refused to go back to shore. The fleet abandoned Serrano
and departed. They left Cebu and continued their
journey around the world.
Key Points:
o Context analysis considers the following:
1) The historical context of source (time and place
it was written and the situation at the time)
2) The author’s background, intent (to the extent
discernable) and authority on the subject
3) The source relevance and meaning today.
o Content analysis, on the other hand, applies
appropriate techniques depending on the type of
source (written, oral, visual). In the process students
will be asked, for example, to identify the author’s
main argument or thesis, compare points of view,
identify biases and evaluate the author’s claim based
on the evidence presented or other available
evidence at the time.
o The account of Pigafetta is the single most
important source about the voyage of
circumnavigation, despite its tendency to include
fabulous details.
o Pigafetta wrote his firsthand observation and general
impression of the Far East including their
experiences in the Visayas.
o In his account, they reached the Ladrones islands
(island of the thieves). By March 16, 1521 they
reached the Visayas islands where he called the
Philippine archipelago then as the ‘Archipelago of
St. Lazarus’. During their stay in the Visayas,
Magellan ordered the first Mass and baptized several
tribe leaders whom he had made blood compact
with. The battle of Mactan where Magellan was
killed was also foretold.
o In the Filipino point-of-view, the claim that the
Spaniards “discovered” the Philippines is misplaced,
since civilizations were already existing at the time
the colonizers came.
o It is important to note, that the accounts of Pigafetta
were written in foreign perspective.
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13. The utilization of videos from YouTube as a
reference for the lesson captivated my attention.
Further, it entertained me and allowed me to
repeat a particular part of the record to grasp its
significance thoroughly. It is a suitable manner
of learning.

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