Bacalao
Encyclopedia
Bacallao was a phantom island
depicted on several early 16th century map
s and nautical charts. The name first appears on a chart in 1508, but there are earlier accounts of Bacalao. Bacallao literally means "cod
" or "stockfish
".
According to Gaspar Frutuoso
in his work Saudades da Terra written in the 1570s, the Portuguese
navigator João Vaz Corte-Real was in 1472 granted lands in the Azores
by the king of Portugal, because of his discovery of the Terras do Bacalhau. However, the work of Frutuoso is generally seen as not very reliable as it contains a great deal of misinformation. Also, Bartolomé de Las Casas
wrote about Portuguese voyages of discovery to Tierra de los Bacallao. This has led some to believe that Corte-Real reached the Americas a couple of decades before Columbus.
Off the northeast tip of Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula
, there is a Baccalao Island
; however, it was likely named after the mythical island.
Phantom island
Phantom islands are islands that were believed to exist, and appeared on maps for a period of time during recorded history, but were later removed after they were proved to be nonexistent...
depicted on several early 16th century map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
s and nautical charts. The name first appears on a chart in 1508, but there are earlier accounts of Bacalao. Bacallao literally means "cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
" or "stockfish
Stockfish
Stockfish is unsalted fish, especially cod, dried by cold air and wind on wooden racks on the foreshore, called "hjell". The drying of food is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years...
".
According to Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso was a Portuguese priest, historian and humanist from the island of São Miguel, in the Azores...
in his work Saudades da Terra written in the 1570s, the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
navigator João Vaz Corte-Real was in 1472 granted lands in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
by the king of Portugal, because of his discovery of the Terras do Bacalhau. However, the work of Frutuoso is generally seen as not very reliable as it contains a great deal of misinformation. Also, Bartolomé de Las Casas
Bartolomé de Las Casas
Bartolomé de las Casas O.P. was a 16th-century Spanish historian, social reformer and Dominican friar. He became the first resident Bishop of Chiapas, and the first officially appointed "Protector of the Indians"...
wrote about Portuguese voyages of discovery to Tierra de los Bacallao. This has led some to believe that Corte-Real reached the Americas a couple of decades before Columbus.
Off the northeast tip of Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...
, there is a Baccalao Island
Baccalieu Island
Baccalieu Island is a 5 km² uninhabited island at the northern extremities of Conception Bay near the community of Red Head Cove, Canada. It is separated from the island of Newfoundland by Baccalieu Tickle, a small strait and an abundant fishing ground....
; however, it was likely named after the mythical island.
See also
- Cape CodCape CodCape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
- Sacred Cod of MassachusettsSacred Cod of MassachusettsThe Sacred Cod of Massachusetts, also known simply as the Sacred Cod, is a carving of a codfish that hangs in the House of Representatives chamber of the Massachusetts State House in Boston, Massachusetts. The Sacred Cod measures long, is carved out of a solid piece of pine, and symbolizes the...
- Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contactPre-Columbian trans-oceanic contactTheories of Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact are those theories that propose interaction between indigenous peoples of the Americas who settled the Americas before 10,000 BC, and peoples of other continents , which occurred before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean in 1492.Many...
- VinlandVinlandVinland was the name given to an area of North America by the Norsemen, about the year 1000 CE.There is a consensus among scholars that the Vikings reached North America approximately five centuries prior to the voyages of Christopher Columbus...
- Brazil (mythical island)Brazil (mythical island)Brasil, also known as Hy-Brasil or several other variants, is a phantom island which was said to lie in the Atlantic ocean west of Ireland. In Irish myths it was said to be cloaked in mist, except for one day each seven years, when it became visible but still could not be reached...