Henry the Black
Encyclopedia
Enrique of Malacca was a native of the Malay Archipelago
who became a slave
of the Portuguese
explorer Ferdinand Magellan
in the 16th century. Italian
historian Antonio Pigafetta
, who wrote the most comprehensive account of Magellan's voyage, named him "Henrich" (which was Hispanicized
Enrique in official Spanish documents). Pigafetta explicitly states Henrich was a native of Sumatra
. His name appears as "Henrique
", which is Portuguese
, and is what probably was written in his baptism
al certificate, as he was baptized a Roman Catholic by his Portuguese captors. His name appears only in Pigafetta's account, in Magellan's Last Will
, and in official documents at the Casa de Contratación de las Indias of the Magellan expedition to the Philippines
.
Magellan acquired him as a slave, described in Magellan's document "Last Will", at Malacca
, most probably at the early stages of the siege by the Portuguese in 1511
. His Christian name, Henrique, indicates that his capture was on the feastday of St. Henry
on July 13, which was several days from the start of the siege of Malacca by the Portuguese under the leadership of Afonso de Albuquerque
.
His baptism is attested to by Magellan himself in his will where he wrote Enrique is a Christian. Magellan also explicitly states Enrique was a native of Malacca. Eyewitness documents of Antonio Pigafetta, Ginés de Mafra
, the Genoese
Pilot, Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas
, Juan Sebastián Elcano
, and Bartolomé de las Casas
and secondary sources such as João de Barros
, Francisco López de Gómara
referred to him as a slave.
, and onwards on Magellan's search for a westward passage to the East Indies
. He worked as a slave, and interpreter for the Spaniards
. Ginés de Mafra explicitly states in his firsthand account that Enrique was brought along in the expedition primarily because of his ability to speak the Malay language
. "He [Magellan]," wrote de Mafra, "told his men that they were now in the land he had desired, and sent a man named Herédia, who was the ship's clerk, ashore with an Indian
they had taken, so they said, because he was known to speak Malay, the language spoken in the Malay Archipelago
." The island in the Philippines where he spoke and was understood by the natives was Mazaua which Ginés de Mafra locates somewhere in Mindanao
.
The Genoese Pilot of the Magellan expedition, states — wrongly — in his eyewitness account that the Spaniards had no interpreter when they arrived back to Cebu
, because Enrique had died on Mactan along with Magellan during the Battle of Mactan
in 1521. However, Enrique was, in fact, very much alive on May 1, 1521, and attended a feast given by Rajah Humabon
to the Spaniards. Antonio Pigafetta writes that survivor João Serrão, who was pleading the crew to save him from the Cebuano tribes, said all who went to the banquet were poisoned, except Enrique.
Enrique accompanied Magellan on all his voyages, including the voyage that circumnavigated the world in 1519-1521. He was left in Cebu on May 1 and there is nothing more said of Enrique in any document. Historians and trivia buffs have often speculated that Enrique was the first to circumnavigate the world. The official and generally accepted view is that Elcano and his sailors were first, but there is still much debate on the matter. De Malaca is only documented to have traveled with Magellan from Malacca to Cebu, 2500 km and 20 degrees of longitude short of completing the circumnavigation. It is not known if he ever had a chance to complete it.
In Harun Aminurrashid's book Panglima Awang, it is said that Enrique's real name was Awang, and that he was one of the Sultan warriors (Panglima). The story states that Magellan told him to change his religion, or at least to change his name, in order to avoid bad treatment from the ship's crew for being a Muslim. Magellan himself gave him the name Enrique. The book also describes how Magellan treated Enrique not as a slave but as a friend, and defended him from the prejudice of other sailors. Enrique repaid this kindness with loyalty, and followed Magellan until his death. After Magellan's death, Enrique decided to stop sailing with the Spaniards, but continued to sail with other ships such as traders, and eventually landed in the northern part of Borneo (now Sabah). He was confident that he could sail around the world and reunite with friends that had become refugees of the Portugal-Malacca War. He then completed his circumnavigation of the world, and landed at Malay Peninsula.
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
who became a slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
of 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...
explorer Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
in the 16th century. Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
historian Antonio Pigafetta
Antonio Pigafetta
Antonio Pigafetta was an Italian scholar and explorer from the Republic of Venice. He travelled with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew on their voyage to the Indies. During the expedition, he served as Magellan's assistant and kept an accurate journal which later assisted him...
, who wrote the most comprehensive account of Magellan's voyage, named him "Henrich" (which was Hispanicized
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
Enrique in official Spanish documents). Pigafetta explicitly states Henrich was a native of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. His name appears as "Henrique
Henrique
Henrique is the name of two rulers and two princes of Portugal:*Henry, Count of Portugal .*Henry I, King of Portugal .*Henry the Navigator , a royal prince and important figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire....
", which is Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, and is what probably was written in his baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
al certificate, as he was baptized a Roman Catholic by his Portuguese captors. His name appears only in Pigafetta's account, in Magellan's Last Will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
, and in official documents at the Casa de Contratación de las Indias of the Magellan expedition to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Magellan acquired him as a slave, described in Magellan's document "Last Will", at Malacca
Portuguese Malacca
Portuguese Malacca was the territory of Malacca that, for 130 years , was a Portuguese colony.- History :From the writing of the Portuguese historian Emanuel Godinho de Erédia in the middle of the 16th century, the site of the old city of Malacca was named after the Myrobalans, fruit-bearing trees...
, most probably at the early stages of the siege by the Portuguese in 1511
Capture of Malacca (1511)
The Capture of Malacca in 1511 occurred when the Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque subdued the city of Malacca in 1511.The port city of Malacca controlled the narrow strategic strait of Malacca, through which all sea-going trade between China and India was concentrated...
. His Christian name, Henrique, indicates that his capture was on the feastday of St. Henry
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
on July 13, which was several days from the start of the siege of Malacca by the Portuguese under the leadership of Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque[p][n] was a Portuguese fidalgo, or nobleman, an admiral whose military and administrative activities as second governor of Portuguese India conquered and established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian Ocean...
.
His baptism is attested to by Magellan himself in his will where he wrote Enrique is a Christian. Magellan also explicitly states Enrique was a native of Malacca. Eyewitness documents of Antonio Pigafetta, Ginés de Mafra
Gines de Mafra
Ginés de Mafra was a Spanish explorer who sailed to the Philippines in the 16th century. De Mafra was a member of the expeditions of Ferdinand Magellan of 1519–1521 and Ruy López de Villalobos of 1542–1545.- Voyage to the Philippine Islands:...
, the Genoese
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
Pilot, Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas
Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas
Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas , Spanish historian, was born at Cuéllar, in the province of Segovia.-Biography:His father, Roderigo de Tordesillas, and his mother, Agnes de Herrera, were both of good family...
, Juan Sebastián Elcano
Juan Sebastián Elcano
Juan Sebastián Elcano was a Basque Spanish explorer who completed the first circumnavigation of the world. As Ferdinand Magellan's second in command, Elcano took over after Magellan's death in the Philippines.-Early life:Elcano was born to Domingo Sebastián Elcano I and Catalina del Puerto...
, and 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"...
and secondary sources such as João de Barros
João de Barros
João de Barros , called the Portuguese Livy, is one of the first great Portuguese historians, most famous for his Décadas da Ásia , a history of the Portuguese in India and Asia.-Early years:...
, Francisco López de Gómara
Francisco López de Gómara
Francisco López de Gómara was a Spanish historian who worked in Seville, particularly noted for his works in which he described the early 16th century expedition undertaken by Hernán Cortés in the Spanish conquest of the New World...
referred to him as a slave.
Magellan expedition
Enrique accompanied Magellan back to EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and onwards on Magellan's search for a westward passage to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. He worked as a slave, and interpreter for the Spaniards
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Ginés de Mafra explicitly states in his firsthand account that Enrique was brought along in the expedition primarily because of his ability to speak the Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
. "He [Magellan]," wrote de Mafra, "told his men that they were now in the land he had desired, and sent a man named Herédia, who was the ship's clerk, ashore with an Indian
Indies
The Indies is a term that has been used to describe the lands of South and Southeast Asia, occupying all of the present India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and also Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines, East Timor, Malaysia and...
they had taken, so they said, because he was known to speak Malay, the language spoken in the Malay Archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
." The island in the Philippines where he spoke and was understood by the natives was Mazaua which Ginés de Mafra locates somewhere in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
The Genoese Pilot of the Magellan expedition, states — wrongly — in his eyewitness account that the Spaniards had no interpreter when they arrived back to Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, because Enrique had died on Mactan along with Magellan during the Battle of Mactan
Battle of Mactan
The Battle of Mactan was fought in the Philippines on April 27, 1521. The warriors of Lapu-Lapu, a native chieftain of Mactan Island, defeated Spanish forces under the command of Ferdinand Magellan, who was killed in the battle.- Background :...
in 1521. However, Enrique was, in fact, very much alive on May 1, 1521, and attended a feast given by Rajah Humabon
Rajah Humabon
Rajah Humabon was the Rajah of Cebu at the time of Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan's arrival in the Philippines in 1521. There is no official record of his existence before the Spanish arrival, but extensive narration by Italian historian Antonio Pigafetta was made on Humabon and the...
to the Spaniards. Antonio Pigafetta writes that survivor João Serrão, who was pleading the crew to save him from the Cebuano tribes, said all who went to the banquet were poisoned, except Enrique.
Enrique accompanied Magellan on all his voyages, including the voyage that circumnavigated the world in 1519-1521. He was left in Cebu on May 1 and there is nothing more said of Enrique in any document. Historians and trivia buffs have often speculated that Enrique was the first to circumnavigate the world. The official and generally accepted view is that Elcano and his sailors were first, but there is still much debate on the matter. De Malaca is only documented to have traveled with Magellan from Malacca to Cebu, 2500 km and 20 degrees of longitude short of completing the circumnavigation. It is not known if he ever had a chance to complete it.
In Harun Aminurrashid's book Panglima Awang, it is said that Enrique's real name was Awang, and that he was one of the Sultan warriors (Panglima). The story states that Magellan told him to change his religion, or at least to change his name, in order to avoid bad treatment from the ship's crew for being a Muslim. Magellan himself gave him the name Enrique. The book also describes how Magellan treated Enrique not as a slave but as a friend, and defended him from the prejudice of other sailors. Enrique repaid this kindness with loyalty, and followed Magellan until his death. After Magellan's death, Enrique decided to stop sailing with the Spaniards, but continued to sail with other ships such as traders, and eventually landed in the northern part of Borneo (now Sabah). He was confident that he could sail around the world and reunite with friends that had become refugees of the Portugal-Malacca War. He then completed his circumnavigation of the world, and landed at Malay Peninsula.
Publications
- Bergreen, Laurence. 2003. Over The Edge of The World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe. New York.
- Blair, Emma Helen and Robertson, James Alexander. 1901-1907. The Philippine Islands 1493-1898, 55 vols. Cleveland. Abbreviated BR in citations.
- De Jesús, Vicente Calibo. 2004. Mazaua, Magellan's Lost Harbor.
- Fry, Stephen. 2006. "The Book of General Ignorance". London.
- Genoese Pilot. 1519. Navegaçam e vyagem que fez Fernando de Magalhães de Seuilha pera Maluco no anno de 1519 annos. In: Collecção de noticias para a historia e geografia das nações ultramarinas, que vivem nos dominios Portuguezes, ou lhes sao visinhas. Lisboa 1826. Pp. 151–176.
- Mafra, Ginés de. 1543. Libro que trata del descubrimiento y principio del Estrecho que se llama de Magallanes. Antonio Blazquez y Delgado Aguilera (eds.) Madrid 1920. Pp. 179–212.
- Manchester, William. 1993. A World Lit Only By Fire, The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance. Boston.
- Maximilian Transylvanus. 1523. De Moluccis insulis. In: The First Voyage...Filipiniana Book Guild. Manila 1969: Pp. 103–130.
- Morison, Samuel Eliot. 1974. The European Discovery of America: The Southern Voyages 1492-1616. New York.
- Parr, Charles McKew. 1953. So Noble a Captain: The Life and Times of Ferdinand Magellan. New York.
- Pigafetta, Antonio. 1524. Various editions and translations:
- 1524a. Magellan’s Voyage, Vol. II. Facsimile edition of Nancy-Libri-Phillipps-Beinecke-Yale codex. New Haven 1969.
- 1524b. Primo viaggio intorno al globo terracqueo, ossia ragguaglio della navigazione...fatta dal cavaliere Antonio Pigafetta...ora publicato per la prima volta, tratto da un codice MS. Della biblioteca Ambrosiana di Milano e corredato di note da Carlo Amoretti. Milan 1800.
- 1524c. Il primo viaggio intorno al globo di Antonio Pigafetta. In: Raccolta di Documenti e Studi Publicati dalla. Commissione Colombiana. Andrea da Mosto (ed. and tr.). Rome 1894.
- 1524d. Le premier tour du monde de Magellan. Léonce Peillard (ed. and transcription of Ms. fr. 5650). France 1991.
- 1524e. Magellan’s Voyage, 3 vols. James Alexander Robertson (ed. and tr. of Ambrosian). Cleveland 1906.
- 1524f. Magellan’s Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First Circumnavigation. R.A. Skelton (ed. and tr. of Yale ms.). New Haven 1969.
- 1524g. * of Ms. fr. 5650 and Ambrosian ms.). London 1874.
- 1523h. The Voyage of Magellan: The Journal of Antonio Pigafetta. Paula Spurlin Paige (tr. of Colínes edition). New Jersey 1969.
- 1524i. Il Primo Viaggio Intorno Al Mondo Con Il Trattato della Sfera. Facsimile edition of Ambrosian ms. Vicenza 1994.
- 1524j. The First Voyage Around the World (1519-1522). Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (ed. based on Robertson’s tr.) New York 1995.
- 1524k. Pigafetta: Relation du premier voyage autour du monde...Edition du texte fraçais d’après les manuscripts de Paris et de Cheltenhan. Jean Denucé (text transcribed from Ms. 5650, collating Mss. Ambrosiana, Nancy-Yale and 24224 in notes.) Anvers 1923.
- Quiriño, Carlos. 1980-1995. "The First Man Around the World Was a Filipino." In: Philippines Free Press, December 28, 1991. --"Pigafetta: The First Italian in the Philippines." In: Italians in the Philippines, Manila: 1980. -- "Enrique." In: Who's Who in the Philippines. Manila: Pp. 80–81.
- Ramusio, Gian Battista. 1550. La Detta navigatione per messer Antonio Pigafetta Vicentino. In: Delle navigationi e viaggi…Venice: Pp. 380–98.
- Torodash, Martín. 1971. “Magellan Historiography.” In: Hispanic American Historical Review, LI, Pp. 313–335.
- Zweig, Stefan. 1938. Conqueror of the Seas: The Story of Magellan. New York.
External links
- Yale University - Pigafetta, Journal of Magellans' Voyage
- Notes on Pigafetta, Mazaua, Ginés de Mafra another seaman of Magellan
- First circumnavigator
- Spanish PDV Enrique de Malacca
- Malayan words recorded by Antonio Pigafetta
- Sugbo Sa Karaang Panahon, Cebu-Online.com
- Radio Sejarah. Melayu: Enrike of Melaka - Was the First Man to Sail Around the World A Malay
- Pacific Maritime History Mazaua: Magellans' Lost Harbour