LIFE IN SPAIN: The story of Ferdinand Magellan, the true hero of the Spanish age of exploration
WHEN we think of sixteenth-century explorers, Christopher Columbus typically comes to mind. The media love to celebrate the businessman from Genoa, who, in his day, was regarded as a failure, and who (technically) didn’t ‘discover’ America.
Perhaps we’d be better off redirecting our admiration to Ferdinand Magellan – a true adventurer who gave his life in pursuit of his daring mission, and whose discoveries reshaped the world.
On 20 September 1519, Magellan set sail from Andalucía to do what Columbus had attempted – and failed – to achieve: to reach the Spice Islands by sailing west.
Before we dive into the details, let’s clear something up. While Ferdinand Magellan was born in Portugal, calling him ‘Portuguese’ is a bit misleading. He married a Spanish woman and lived in Spain, raising his children as Spaniards. More importantly, at a time when national identities were not as clearly defined as they are today, Magellan considered himself a servant of the Spanish king, who funded his voyages and granted him titles.
The Spice Quest
Spices may seem like an everyday commodity today, but back in 1519, they were worth their weight in gold. Picture yourself as a middle-class family in Córdoba, Spain. There’s no refrigeration, and if the crops fail, you’re facing hunger. You might have a pig as backup. But after a week of eating pork every day, you start to notice the meat going off. Spices were vital to mask the rancid taste and smell.
Magellan, well-educated and aware that the Earth was round, understood the value of the Spice Islands – located somewhere near Japan. But the overland routes through places like Syria and India were slow and costly, riddled with middlemen and plagued by constant risk of robbery.
Magellan’s solution? Sail west. Surely there had to be a sea route to the Spice Islands, and if he could find it, massive profits would follow.
The Voyage Begins
With five ships and a crew of 270 men, Magellan set off from Sanlucar. By Christmas, his fleet had crossed the Atlantic and reached what is now Rio de Janeiro. But already, things were unraveling. One crew member was caught assaulting a cabin boy and was executed. A mutiny soon followed. Magellan, resolute in his command, had two of the ringleaders killed and some of the lower-ranking officers put in chains.
But the misfortune was just beginning.
As the fleet sailed south along the coast of what is now Argentina, they encountered terrible weather. One ship, The Santiago, sank in a storm. Magellan decided to pause the journey and let the men rest on land, realising they had entered the southern hemisphere, where winter was on the horizon. For safety, they remained ashore until October 1520, when they resumed their voyage.
The Straits of Magellan
In December 1520, Magellan found what he was looking for: a sea route around the southern tip of South America. The treacherous waters – now known as the Straits of Magellan – were notoriously stormy and difficult. Once through, the fleet entered a vast, calm ocean, which Magellan named the Pacific for its tranquil waters.
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The Toll of the Journey
But another disaster awaited. By this time, the sailors were suffering from scurvy – a vitamin C deficiency – because they had no access to fresh fruit. Sailors of the era were unaware of the disease, and Magellan’s men began to fall ill. By the time they reached the Philippines, 30 men had died.
Magellan, a devout Christian, sought to convert the natives of the Philippines to Christianity. However, this angered some local tribes, and a conflict broke out. In April 1521, Magellan was struck in the neck by a poisoned arrow and died almost instantly. He had been at sea for 19 months.
The Legacy
In September 1522, after a grueling three-year journey, just 18 men from Magellan’s original crew made it back to Spain. While Ferdinand Magellan never returned, his expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe, forever altering our understanding of the world.
Ferdinand Magellan may have lost his life, but his journey transformed humanity’s relationship with the planet we inhabit.
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