500th Anniversary of Magellan's Miracle

Gérard Depardieu
as Christopher Columbus

I remember as a young teenager in 1992 when the world celebrated the 500th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus's famous voyage from Spain to the West Indies. That year, a major Hollywood movie was released entitled 1492: Conquest of Paradise, starring Gérard Depardieu as Columbus.

Though less heralded in North America than in Europe—and perhaps particularly Spain and Portugal—another famous 500th Anniversary of a landmark sailing feat took place earlier this month on September 6th. It was the first circumnavigation of Planet Earth—accomplished in 1522 by European sailors led by Portuguese and Spanish Captains.  

This time, the explorer being celebrated was Fernão de Magalhães, or, as they say in Spanish, Fernando de Magallanes, or, as English speakers have anglicized it: Ferdinand Magellan.

It is worth noting these three different versions of the same name and person because they are all important to Magellan's truly EPIC story. First comes the Portuguese component of the tale: Magellan was born and raised in Portugal, thereby making him a Portuguese citizen.

Next is the Spanish part of the adventure: After his ambitious overtures were turned down multiple times by his own King Manuel in Portugal, the indomitable Magellan turned to King Charles I of Spain—a 19-year old monarch who had just barely ascended to the throne when Magellan sought (and received) his help financially and otherwise to embark upon his much dreamed about voyage.

As for the English part of the equation, the anglicization of Magellan's name is emblematic of the immense impact and influence his EPIC voyage had on the rest of the world, including the growing British Empire and later the United States. In short, the visionary courage of people like Ferdinand Magellan is what helped to create the incredibly interconnected and interdependent world in which we live today.   

Speaking of Magellan's dream...

          What exactly was his vision as a sailor? 

In actuality, Magellan did not set out to circumnavigate the planet. His goal, much like Columbus's original goal 28 years earlier, was to discover a Westward sea-path to the East Indies, where European sailors could get rich from the acquisition of rare spices unavailable in Europe, such as cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper—all of which could fetch an almost unfathomably high price in the 1500s.

Thanks to the recent discoveries of Columbus and others like him, Europeans were aware of the existence of North and South America by the 1500s. As such, sailors no longer sought a directly westward sea-path to India, as Columbus had originally set forth to do. Instead, Magellan sought to find a southern passageway at the bottom of South America that would lead from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Of the five (5) ships that began the journey, only
the Victoria completed the Circumnavigation

Magellan's epic journey began on September 20, 1519, when he and his crew of 239 men disembarked from Sanlúcar de Barrameda on the southwest coast of Spain, sailing southwest in five ships. Sadly, Magellan was not with his crew when they arrived back in Spain nearly three (3) years later having done the seemingly impossible and accomplishing far more than they originally set out to do. Rather, he was killed in the Battle of Mactan, fought against native Islanders in the Philippines on April 27, 1521—nineteen (19) months into the voyage.

Despite these seeming disconnects between his stated vision and his actual accomplishments, Magellan nevertheless got the lion share of the credit for the voyage's remarkable discoveries—and rightfully so—for it was Magellan's vision, determination, and persistence that ultimately made the journey possible. Furthermore, it was Magellan's indomitable courage that kept his men from turning back when the expedition seemed hopeless—which it often did. In fact, at one point along the way, one of the five ships (the San Antonio) actually did turn back to Spain the same way it had come. Three of the four other ships (the Santiago, the Conception, and the Trinidad), were eventually wrecked or abandoned before the circumnavigation was complete. Only one ship, the Victoria, under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano, completed the circumnavigation.  

Route of Magellan/Elcano Circumnavigation of the Globe
as shown on a map from the 1500s.

Among the voyage's many accomplishments were Magellan and his men's discovery of the Strait of Magellan, a name that persists to the present day. They also discovered a need for the establishment of an International Date Line. This discovery was made when, despite punctilious date-keeping efforts throughout the journey, their calendaring eventually fell one day behind all on its own, proving conclusively that you lose time when you sail west.

Magellan also named the mighty Pacific Ocean, yet another famous name that has stood the test of time. After successfully navigating through his famous eponymous strait, Magellan joined his men in being among the very first Westerners to ever see—not to mention seriously sail—the Pacific Ocean.

The gargantuan Pacific Ocean covers one-third of

the entire surface of the Earth. European sailors had no

idea how big it really was until Magellan's intrepid expedition.

In the early 1500s, Europeans knew very little about the Pacific Ocean. They were particularly ignorant of its enormous size. Magellan, for example, believed he could reach the East Indies in less than a week's sailing once he had found his sought-after strait at the southern tip of South America. To his dismay and the horror of his crew, 29 of whom died sailing the Pacific, they ended up sailing for nearly 100 days before finally reaching land on the island of Guam!

Imagine believing you are in for a journey of only a few days' time, only to end up at sea for over three months! During this longest haul, the crew was reduced to eating leather and rotten biscuits tainted by rat urine and drinking tainted water. 

Between their misunderstandings about the Earth's geography, the near-constant inter-crew squabbles (including several mutinies [or near mutinies] by his men), insufficient provisions, and conflicts with native peoples, the voyages were fraught from the beginning with abject difficulties and profound obstacles.

It was so challenging, in fact, that when the men finally returned to Spain on September 6, 1522—almost three years to the day from when the voyage began—only one of the five ships sailed into port and only 18 of the original 239 men were aboard. This 90%-plus attrition rate was the result of both desertion and death, which fatalities resulted from disease, starvation, battle, poisoning, and punishment for crime. It was, by some measurements, an unmitigated disaster and colossal tragedy.

But oh, what they accomplished! in addition to sailing 90,000 kilometers—15-times farther than Columbus sailed on his first voyage to the West Indies—they were the first Europeans to seriously explore the Pacific Ocean and the first human beings to circumnavigate the planet. Suffice it to say, there has never been a voyage quite like it—before or since.  

Magellan and Elcano, played by Rodrigo Santoro

& Álvaro Morte in Simon West's 2022 6-part

mini series about Spain's epic journey from 1519-1522

I recently watched a six-part mini-series on Magellan and his crew's EPIC voyage on Amazon Prime Video. The Spanish-language production is entitled: Sin Límites, which, translated into English means "Boundless." I watched the version with English voice-over talents in lieu of subtitles. It was a magnificent work that touched my heart deeply and inspired my soul as I became better educated about the extreme sacrifices these brave and audacious sailors were willing to make in an effort to accomplish things that had never been achieved before. I highly recommend it, with a caveat that it contains some material that is not suitable for children.

European Explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan were imperfect, but ultimately great men who have inspired countless others to dream big, dare nobly, and face their fears with action, endurance, and fortitude. 

These remarkable explorers have inspired me greatly in my own life and career. After all, I have been captaining the good-ship Freedom Focused for nearly 20 years now, and my shadow-crew and I still have not sighted land yet. But that is okay because I know the voyage I have undertaken is a worthy one, and I also know—or at least continue to believe with all the faith of my mind and heart—that land remains out there, and that if I will just keep sailing, will eventually find the New World I have been diligently and earnestly seeking to build these many years.

Along the seaways of my own life and career's circuitous and challenging voyages, I have found continual inspiration from the spirit and example of Christopher Columbus—and more recently, from Ferdinand Magellan—and others like him who faced their own deep, dark, and desperate trials at sea and beyond. Many of these noble explorers faced mutiny, potential starvation, or both before they ever "sighted land." Yet, somehow, someway, likely with the help of God Himself, both men eventually hit pay dirt because they were willing to risk everything to pursue their inspired dreams. And their remarkable accomplishments were catalytic in the onward march of progress and globalization that we enjoy today.   

Those of you who know me well, or who are avid readers of the Freedom Focused blog, are aware of the painful woes I faced in the arena of romance before eventually landing my beloved Lina as my wife. 

Click HERE to read about Dr. JJ's Rocky Road of Romance

Back in those days when things looked, felt, and seemed very bleak, a wise and trusted spiritual leader and counselor of mine pointed me to a poem about Christopher Columbus. The poem, entitled: Columbus, was written by a nineteenth century American poet—Cincinnatus Hiner Miller (1837-1913), more commonly known as Joaquin Miller—and eloquently articulates the courage Columbus had to exhibit in order to find success in an extraordinary journey bereft of accurate maps and other modern aids, which simply didn't exist in his day.  

The poem goes like this...

COLUMBUS

Behind him lay the gray Azores,
    Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores,
    Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: "Now must we pray,
    For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Adm'r'l, speak; what shall I say?"
    "Why, say: 'Sail on! sail on! and on!'"

"My men grow mutinous day by day;
    My men grow ghastly wan and weak."
The stout mate thought of home; a spray
    Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
"What shall I say, brave Adm'r'l, say,
    If we sight naught but seas at dawn?"
"Why, you shall say, at break of day:
    'Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!'"

They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,
    Until at last the blanched mate said:
"Why, now not even God would know
    Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way,
    For God from these dread seas is gone.
Now speak, brave Adm'r'l; speak and say"—
    He said: "Sail on! sail on! and on!"

They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:
    "This mad sea shows his teeth to-night;
He curls his lips, he lies in wait,
    With lifted teeth, as if to bite:
Brave adm'r'l, say but one good word;
    What shall we do when hope is gone?"
The words leapt like a leaping sword:
    "Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!"

Then, pale and worn, he kept his deck,
    And peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck—
    A light! a light! a light! a light!

It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
    It grew to be Time's burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
    Its grandest lesson: "On! sail on!" (1)

........................................................................................................................

There are, of course, times when it is wise to reconsider your pathway and, as needed, to change course. But other times, if and/or when you are already on the right course, there is no better advice than to simply buckle down and SAIL ON!  

I hope that readers of this blog will find the examples of Columbus and Magellan—and others like them—to be as inspiring in your own life and career as I have in mine.  

—Dr. JJ

September 21, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 284th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013 and the 113th consecutive weekly blog published since August 31, 2020.   

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 283 FF Blog Articles.  

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Notes:

1.  Cook, R.J. 1926. One Hundred and One Famous Poems. Chicago, IL: The Cable Company. Pages 37-38.