GE2-READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY | Module 3 | CONTENT AND

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE

HISTORY (A)

I. Introduction:

In the preceding module, you learned the importance of familiarizing oneself

about the different kinds of historical sources. The historian’s primary tool of
understanding and interpreting the past is the historical sources. Historical
sources ascertain facts. Such facts are then analyzed and interpreted by the
historian to weave historical narrative.
This module covers the content and contextual analysis of selected primary
sources in Philippine history. You will analyze a particular primary source which
was the most cited by historians who wished to study the pre-colonial
Philippines.
What is Content and Contextual Analysis?
Content analysis
⮚ Is a systemic evaluation of the primary source be it a text, painting, caricature,
and or/speech that in the process students could develop and present an argument
based on their own understanding of the evidences form their readings. The
students will identify pertinent information from the texts/documents and explain
its importance to their understanding of history in the Philippine setting.

Contextual analysis
⮚ Considers specifically the time, place, and situation when the primary source was
written. The analysis as well includes the author’s background, authority on the
subject and intent perceptible, and its relevance and meaning to people and
society today (Ligo, et.al., 2018)

Content and contextual analysis is an indispensable approach to strengthen the

students’ critical and analytical thinking skills and their ability to articulate their own
ideas, views and perspectives on a certain primary data or source. In order to achieve
this, primary sources will be used and utilized for analysis.

II. Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. analyze the content, context, and perspective of the document
2. explain the importance of Pigafetta’s account on the study of Philippine history.
3. interpret primary source by examining the content and context of the document.
III. Inputs:

The First Voyage around the World by

Magellan was taken from the chronicles of
contemporary voyagers and navigators of
the sixteenth century. One of them is
Antonio Pigafetta, who accompanied
Ferdinand Magellan in his faithful
circumnavigation of the world. Pigafetta’s
work instantly became a classic that
 GE2-READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY | Module 3 | CONTENT AND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY (A)

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 pre-colonial Philippines.

● BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD BY MAGELLAN

Antonio Pigafetta 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 ingenious, and great thieves, and for the
sake of what we called these three islands the Ladrones 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, Pigafette reported that they reached what
Pigafetta called 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 foof, drinks,
and gifts, in turn, the natives also gave them rice (umai), cocos, and other food
supplies. Pigaetta detailed in amazement and fascination the palm tree which bore
fruits called 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 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 two fingers in thickness, in it they find
certain threads, with which they make the cords for the 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 it with 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 hs the taste of an
almond, and if anyone dried it he might make bread of it (p.72)”.
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 Islands (Homonhon) and there they found what Pigafetta referred to as the
 GE2-READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY | Module 3 | CONTENT AND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY (A)

“Watering Place of Good Signs”. It is in the place where Pigafetta wrote what they
found the first signs of gold in the island. They named the island with the nearby
islands 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 Mazzava/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 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 this 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 if robes in Turkish
fashion, red cap, and gave the people knives and mirrors. The two men expressed their
desire to become brothers. Magellan also boasted of his men in armor who could not
be struck with swords and daggers. The kings 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 and of the
house of the second king were made 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 also adorned with silk and gold accessories like golden dagger, which he carried
with him in a wooden polished sheath. This king was named Raia Calambu, king of
Zuluan and Clagan (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.”
 GE2-READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY | Module 3 | CONTENT AND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY (A)

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 reason 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 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 it 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 he 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
 GE2-READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY | Module 3 | CONTENT AND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY (A)

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 goof Christian by
burning all of the idols and worship the cross instead. The king of Cebu was then
baptized as a Chrisitian. Pigafetta wrote:

“To that the king and his people answered that they would obey
the commands of the captain and do all that he told them. The captain
look 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 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 put their
faith in Jesus Christ. They went to the sick
man and baptized him. After the baptismal, Pigafetta recorded that the man was 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 from 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. The numbered 49 in total and the
islanders of Mactan were estimated to number 1,500. The battle began. Pigafetta
recounted:
 GE2-READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY | Module 3 | CONTENT AND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY (A)

“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 flanks, and 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 the 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 throw 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 his 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 blow in Magellan’s left leg, brought him face down and the natives ceaselessly
attacked Magellan with lances, swords, and even with their bared 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 an 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 but 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
 GE2-READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY | Module 3 | CONTENT AND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY (A)

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 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 the
shore. The fleet departed and abandoned Serrano. They left Cebu and continued their
journey around the world.

About the Author

Antonio Pigafetta (1491-c.1534)

⮚ born around 1490 in the town of Vicenza, Venice,

Italy.
⮚ He studied astronomy, geography, and
cartography and during his younger years
worked in the ships owned by the Knights of
Rhodes.
⮚ His biographers described him as a
well-educated young man possessing an avid
curiosity of the world around him.
⮚ He was among of the 18 survivors who returned
to Spain on September 6, 1522 aboard the
Victoria with Juan Sebastian Elcano.
About the Book
⮚ Pigafetta kept a detailed journal of what
happened to them from the time they left Seville in 1519 until they returned to
Spain three years after.
⮚ When he returned to Italy, associates asked him to write a formal account of
the Magellan expedition and have it published.
⮚ He presented his draft to Pope Clement VII, Philippe de Villiers L’Isle-Adam
(grandmaster of the Knights of Rhodes) and to Louis of Savoy (mother of King
Francis I of France), hoping they would finance its publication.
⮚ Unfortunately, he was unable to find a financier who would pay the deposit
required by the printer because by that time, the accounts of Maximilianus
Transylvanus and Peter Martyr were already out and interest on Magellan
expedition had died down.
⮚ In 1536, a condensed version of his manuscript was published in Venice by
Jacques Fabre.
⮚ The original journal of Pigafetta was did not survive time. What was handed
down to us are copies of the manuscript that were never printed in his lifetime.
⮚ The three of them were in French and two are kept in the Bibliotheque.
 GE2-READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY | Module 3 | CONTENT AND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY (A)

⮚ Pigafetta’s account is the longest and most comprehensive primary source that
dealt with the Magellan expedition.

VI. Activity 1: CONTENT and CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

CONTENT ANALYSIS
● Analyze the primary source “The First Voyage Around the World by
Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta” on its content. This document focuses 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 It reveals several insights not just in the character of the Philippines
during pre-colonial period, but also on how the fresh eyes of the European
regard a deeply unfamiliar terrain, environment, people and culture. The
following guide questions may help you analyze the content of the text. For
high-level and medium-level technology students, please post your
answer on our Google classroom. For low-level technology students,
please submit your answers in a whole page of paper.

1. How were the islander’s way of life, cultural practices, and religious
beliefs described? What does Pigafetta’s account tell us about the
conditions of the Visayan Islands in 16th century?
2. What are the most significant events happened during the first
voyage of Magellan as written in the account of Antonio Pigafetta?
3. What are the significance of these events to us Filipinos in the
present?
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

● Answer the following question for the contextual analysis.

1. Who is the author of “Voyage Around the World by Magellan? Give a

brief description about the author.
2. Who is the intended audience of the primary source?
3. What is the purpose of the author for writing the document?
4. Where and when was the primary source published or created?
5. Explain the importance of the text to Philippine history.

VII. References:
Candelaria, J., et.al, Readings in Philippine History.(2018).Rex Book Store, Inc.
Torres, J., Batis: Sources in Philippine History. (2018). C&E Publishing, Inc.
Ligan, et.al., (2018). Readings in the Philippine History. Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
Malabon City.
http://malacanang.gov.ph/7050-andres-bonifacios-pag-ibig-sa-tinubuang-lupa/
 GE2-READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY | Module 3 | CONTENT AND
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY (A)

https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=F4A59A&sp=yes