This book was taken from chronicles of contemporary voyagers and navigators of 16th Century.

Antonio Pigafetta

• Italian nobleman

• Accompanied ferdinand magellan in his fateful circumnavigation of world.

• Pigafettas's work instantly became literary men in the west.

• Like William Shakespeare, Michel de Montaigne, Giambattista Vico referred to the book in their interpretation of the New World.

• His travelogue is one of the most important primary sources in the study of Pre-colonial Philippines.

• Examining the document reveals several insights not just in the character of the Philippines during the precolonial period, but also on how the fresh eyes of the europeans regard a deeply unfamiliar terrain, environment, people and culture

• Students of history need to realize that primary sources used in the subsequent written histories depart from certain perspectives.

• The book was published after Pigafetta returned to Italy.

• For this part, we will focus on the some of the chronicles of Antonio Pigafetta as he 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”.

• The Ladrones Islands is presently known as the Marianas Islands. These islands are located south-southeast of japan, west southwest Hawaii, north of New Guinea, and east of Philippines.

• Here, he met two kings. The first king was Raja Siagu, and the other are King was Raja Calambu, king of Zuluan and Calagan. (Butuan and Caragua)

• One day, Magellan ordered the chaplain to preside a Mass by the shore.

• The two kings heard of this plan and sent two pigs and attended the mass.

• After the mass, Magellan ordered that the cross be brought with nails and crown in place

• 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.

• Magellan also reached the island of Cebu where he met and as a sign of friendship, made a blood compact with Raja Humabon, the king of Cebu.

• A principal man from the island of Matan (Mactan) by the named of Zula went to see Magellan and asked him to fight the chief named Silapulapi (Lapu Lapu).

• Magellan agreed and expressed to go to Mactan himself to fight the said chief.

• Outnumbered, 49 to 1,500, Magellan died in that battle.

• The chronicle of Pigafetta was one of the most cited documents by historian who wished to study the precolonial Philippines.

• Moreover, being the earliest detailed documentation, it was believed that Pigafetta's writings account for the “purest” precolonial society.

Analysis of Pigafetta's Chronicle

• Nevertheless, there needs to have more nuanced reading of the source within a contextual backdrop.

• A student of history should recognize certain biases accompanying the author and his identity, loyalties, and the circumstances that he was in; and how it affected the text that he produced.

• In reading Pigafetta's description of the people, one has to keep in mind that he was coming from a 16th century European perspective.

• It should be understood that such observations were rooted from the context of Pigafetta and his era.