Have you ever given the narrative of the discovery of the Philippines any thought and the assassination of Ferdinand Magellan by Lapu-Lapu? Or perhaps Ferdinand Magellan killed Lapu-Lapu.
I had always heard Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese man, had been murdered by Lapu-Lapu when I had not completed my studies. But as time passes, the truth will eventually come to light and may even pursue you until it is revealed. But hold on a second, let me tell you about Fernand Magellan, even though most Cebuanos were already familiar with him.
Who Was Ferdinand Magellan?
Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese-born explorer and conqueror who served on several early 1500s Portuguese expeditions was born in Portugal. Nevertheless, he switched his allegiance to King Charles I of Spain in 1517 after falling out of favor with King Emanuel. The Spanish king agreed to Magellan’s plan to lead an expedition westward to the lucrative Spice Islands of modern-day Indonesia.
Magellan commanded a flotilla of five ships with a crew of 250 people on September 20, 1520, from the Spanish port of Sancar de Barrameda. They intended to get to the East Indies by finding a waterway to circumnavigate the Americas. This was an expedition into the unknown, comparable in risk to the moon landing in the 20th century in terms of adventure. Conventional thinking believed that the Spice Islands were just over the Pacific Ocean, with little understanding of what lay beyond the coasts of South America. Starvation, illness, mutiny, and desertion were all common occurrences along the long and challenging trek.
Ferdinand Magellan died fighting natives on an island in the Philippines, failing to attain his objective. With only two ships left, the rest of his crew persisted in their journey and eventually arrived in the Moluccas, also known as the Spice Islands. The two boats continued back home after loading up with cloves. The Portuguese fleet of five ships was reduced to one ship along the way by the capture of one ship. Victoria eventually returned to Spain on September 6, 1522, almost three years after leaving.
Who Was Lapu-Lapu?
Lapu-Lapu, therefore, ruled Mactan, a province of the Visayas area of the Philippines, as a “katutubo” ruler. Since he was the first native to oppose Imperial Spanish Colonization, or should we say, reject colonizers and fight as they could for their freedom, he was hailed as the first Filipino hero of the Philippines.
Bulakna, the princess of Olango Island, a few kilometers over the eastern coast of Mactan, is Lapu-spouse. Lapu’s According to legend, Lapu-Lapu frequently swam between the two islands as he courted the princess. Swahili, the couple’s only child, was born. Lapu-Lapu passed away peacefully in Spain. As a result of killing Magellan, he moved there.
Did Lapu-Lapu Really Kill Ferdinand Magellan?
On March 16, 1521, after a protracted voyage, Magellan arrived on the Philippine island of Homonhon. To interact with the local tribes everywhere they went, Magellan carried his Malay servant and translator. Most of the time, they exchanged presents for the knowledge they needed. Similar to Rajah Siaiu of Mazaua, who led them to Cebu following the transaction on April 7, 1511.
Rajah Humabon warmly welcomed them upon their arrival in Cebu, and he and his wife, Queen Hara Amihan, were later baptized as Christians. They also received the image of the Holy Child, now known as the Sr. Santo Nio de Cebu, and the Magellan’s Cross, representing the Christianization of all Filipinos in the Philippines.
Later, Magellan was persuaded to kill Datu Lapu-Lapu on Mactan by Rajah Humabon and his buddy Datu Zula. Datu Lapu-Lapu was offered the chance to convert to Christianity by Magellan, but Lapu-Lapu declined. Leaving towards Mactan on April 27, 1521, was Magellan. But regrettably, the conflict between them started.
One of Lapu-soldiers Lapu’s struck Magellan with a bamboo spear during the conflict, and he died from other weapons. In essence, Lapu-Lapu did not murder Magellan; but because he was the army commander, Magellan was instantly hailed as a hero.