Sleepy History - Ferdinand Magellan: He Died Trying to Sail Around the World

Episode Date: October 1, 2026

✨Sleepy History is written and narrated by humans. ✨ Narrated By: Arif Hodzic Written By: Alexandra Turney Learn about the expedition led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century - an eventful journey that resulted in the first circumnavigation of the globe. Includes mentions of: Exploration, Colonization, Death, Slavery, Violence, Battle Scenes #History #Sleep #Ferdinand #Magellan #Colonization #Travel #Exploration About Sleepy History Explore history's most intriguing stories, people, places, events, and mysteries, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. If you struggle to fall asleep and you have a curious mind, Sleepy History is the perfect bedtime companion. Our stories will gently grasp your attention, pulling your mind away from any racing thoughts, making room for the soothing music and calming narration to guide you into a peaceful sleep. Want to enjoy Sleepy History ad-free? Start your 7-day free trial of Sleepy History Premium: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sleepyhistory.supercast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have feedback or an episode request? Let us know at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumberstudios.com/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.slumberstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Sleepy History. Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen, ad-free, and support the show, check out our premium feed. Visit BetMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. BetMDM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly, 19 plus to wager. Ontario only.

Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to, to you. Peace contact connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor, free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. The age of discovery, men set sail from Europe in search of new lands, wealth. And one of these men was the Portuguese navigator, Ferdinand Magellan, who was born in the late 15th century. His travels to South America and the Philippines would go down in history. This evening we'll learn all about the Magellan expedition that changed people's understanding

of the world. We'll also look at Magellan himself and explore his complex legacy. So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of Ferdinand Magellan. Year 1480, Ferdinand Magellan was born in northern Portugal. His family were minor nobility. Magellan would have enjoyed a fairly privileged upbringing and likely received an excellent education. While still a child, he was sent to Lisbon, where he worked as a page for the royal household. In his 20s, he did what many young men did at the time. He joined the military.

Over the following years, expeditions took him to East Africa, India, and Malaysia, where he took part in the conquest of Malacca in 1511. During his travels, Magellan gained valuable military experience and honed his navigational skills. It's likely that these experiences also gave him a taste for adventure. Magellan seems to have had a reasonably successful career, but around 1513 there were a couple of setbacks. While fighting in Azamore on the coast of Morocco, Magellan was injured.

He was left with a permanent limp. Additionally, Magellan's relationship with the King of Portugal began to sour. Magellan made repeated petitions to King Manuel, asking for an increased pace. these requests were refused. It's thought that accusations about Magellan's conduct, which were possibly false, had reached Portugal. Magellan also had another request. He wanted to make an expedition to the Spice Islands,

located in present-day Indonesia. They're also known as the Maluku Islands or the Malacca's. Magellan hoped to find a new trade route traveling west from Europe, but the King of Portugal turned down this request too. Magellan realized that he would have to look for support elsewhere. So, in 1517, he left Portugal for Spain, settling in Seville, or in English, Seville. As it turned out, the Spanish king was much more receptive to Magellan's plans. While in Seville, Magellan married a woman named Beatrice.

They had two children together, in most accounts of Magellan's life. you won't hear much about his family. Tragically, his children both died young, and his wife passed away in 1521, around the same time as Magellan himself. Considering that Magellan left for his expedition in 1519, he wouldn't have got to spend much time with his family. Just a couple of years, and then he was off,

setting sail for the expedition of a lifetime. But first, let's look at what was happening in Spain to understand how the expedition was made possible in the first place. As we mentioned, Magellan received support from the King of Spain. Charles I was young, still in his teens. And yet, as well as ruling over Spain, he was also about to become Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. When Magellan proposed a voyage to the Spice Islands, the young king was enthusiastic.

In recent years, there had been an intense rivalry between Portugal and Spain. Both powers were sending ships across the world and establishing colonies. They were in the early stages of building up. their respective empires, Portugal had acquired control over eastern sea routes. This meant that if Spanish ships wanted to reach the Spice Islands in Southeast Asia, they had to seek a Western route. This was Magellan's proposal. Around 1518, Charles may have felt the need to prove himself as the new King of Spain. If Magellan could establish establish a maritime route to the Spice Islands, on behalf of the Spanish Crown, that reflected well

on him. The islands were known as the Spice Islands, because huge quantities of cloves, nutmeg, and mace were produced there. These spices were incredibly valuable, So, for Spain, there was money to be made and prestige to be gained. The same thing applied to Magellan himself. Like other navigators in the Age of Discovery, he wasn't motivated by wanderlust alone. To understand Magellan and his expedition, it's also helpful to consider the wider context of the time, what we now call the age of discovery had begun about a hundred years earlier. During this time, navigators such as Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama had embarked on trailblazing

expeditions. They reshaped knowledge of the globe, and thanks in part to their efforts, the countries supporting them, Spain and Portugal, became even more wealthy and influential. By the time Magellan was planning his expedition, around 1518, there was a sense of just how much could be gained from maritime exploration and establishing new trade routes. It's no wonder Magellan was so eager to set sail. This was the plan to sail west from Europe,

eventually reaching Asia in order to establish a new maritime trade route with the Spice Islands. Again, as a reminder, the Spice Islands were in the East Indies in present day Indonesia. In order to get there, Magellan would have to get past South America. Europeans had only recently begun exploring the Americas. following the voyages of Christopher Columbus in the late 15th century. At the time, geographical knowledge was very much a work in progress. Magellan would have known where these places were, more or less, but it was still something of a leap into the unknown.

The voyages of the age of discovery have sometimes been compared to space exploration, sailing across the world was truly adventurous and risky, but Magellan seems to have been confident of his abilities. By 1519, Magellan was ready to set sail. He had his expedition all planned out, and thanks to the King of Spain, he had the financial support he needed. However, right from the beginning, there were problems. The ships themselves were not the most seaworthy vessels. Some were old and in rather poor condition. Of the five ships that set sail, only one, the Victoria, would complete the journey. The crew was also a mixed bunch. Magellan had struggled with recruitment, as not many people were willing to sign up for such

dangerous, poorly paid work. But in the end, he managed to recruit about 270 men. While most of the crew were Spanish, there were a variety of nationalities on board, from Greek to German. The original captain, Rui Faleru, was removed from the expedition before they set off. According to some accounts, he had become mentally unstated. There's also a story that Faleru, who was also an astrologer, had been unsettled by his horoscope. It predicted that the expedition would result in his death. Considering what happened over the next couple of years, it's probably just as well that Faleru stated home.

In September 1519, Magellan bid his family farewell. set sail from Spain. Instead of sailing directly west across the Atlantic, Magellan first headed south towards the Canary Islands. He then followed part of the West African coast. At some point, Magellan received reports that they were being pursued by Portuguese ships. Remember, Although Magellan himself was Portuguese, he was sailing on behalf of Spain. The two powers were rivals, and Portugal didn't want Spain to reach the Spice Islands. As Magellan insisted on sailing south through stormy seas, rather than west, his crew became increasingly disgruntled.

There was a confrontation with one of the Spanish captains. Juan de Cartagena. It was a sign of things to come. You might be wondering how we know what happened on board. Much of our information comes from Antonio Picafetta, a Venetian nobleman who worked as Magellan's assistant. Pica Feta kept a journal, chronicling every stage of the expedition. Something else worth noting about Pica Feta is that he was,

was one of the few crew members who seems to have genuinely liked Magellan. While other men on board were actively plotting Magellan's death, Piga Feta remained loyal to the end. During the Atlantic crossing, an incident led to heightened tension on board. After being caught in the act of sodomy, two crew members were put on trial and found guilty. The older of the two men was sentenced to death and executed. The other man also died on the voyage, but it's unclear whether he took his own life or was killed. Although technically a crime under Spanish law,

sodomy was often tolerated on naval voyages. Magellan could have chosen to overlook the incident, but instead, he chose the harshest penitess. sentencing a member of his crew to death. Why? While we can't know for sure, it's possible that he wanted to assert his authority. But if that's the case, it seems to have backfired. Resentment continued to build over the following weeks.

By December, the fleet had reached Brazil, although it had been claimed as Portuguese terrorist. territory, Magellan decided to drop anchor in Rio de Janeiro. It was an opportunity for the men to rest, and also to trade, stock up, and get to know the locals. Magellan's crew seemed to have received a warm reception. In the words of one historian, their time in Rio was a Saturnalia of feasting and lovemaking. Magellan's assistant Piga Feta noted that the local people were easily converted to Christianity. The crew's arrival in Rio had coincided with the first rainfall in weeks. So, according to Piga Feta, the indigenous people assumed that the crew had come from heaven,

bringing the rain with them. There's no way of knowing how accurate Pika Feta's account is. It may well be exaggerated, but it's worth noting, as religion is a theme that becomes important later in our story. Magellan was a devout Christian. He would have likely seen it as his duty to convert non-believers. He left Rio at the end of the month and continued their journey down the coast of South America. Conditions on board were unpleasant, to say the least. The ships were infested with rats, mice, and insects.

We can imagine that morale must have been low, as they sailed for weeks and found that the coastline just kept going. They didn't know how big South America was, and they were unaware that the strait they were looking for The passage that would allow them to reach the Pacific was much further south. By March of 1520, winter was approaching, and weather conditions made sailing difficult. The men decided to spend the winter in a natural harbor, which they named Puerto San Julien. Located in present-day Argentina, this place would be their home for the next five.

months, but almost as soon as they dropped to anchor, a mutiny broke out. Resentment had been building over weeks at sea, and some members of the crew had lost faith in Magellan as a leader. They were beginning to doubt whether the strait even existed. At midnight on Easter Sunday, some of the Spanish captains seized control of a ship, the San Antonio. During the conflict that ensued, some ships were commandeered by the mutineers, while others declared loyalty to Magellan. Although Magellan ultimately managed to subdue the rebellion, it was a serious challenge to his authority. It wasn't just a case of a few disgruntled men. More than 40 members of the crew had been plotting against him.

In the aftermath, a trial took place. The ringleaders were executed or sentenced to be marooned. This was the fate of the Spanish captain, Juan de Cartagena, and a priest who had also taken part in the mutiny. A few months later, the two men were given a supply of water and biscuits and left on an island. These punishments were harsh, but, may have seemed necessary to Magellan, he needed to maintain his authority and discourage insubordination. While the other men involved in the mutiny were also punished, their lives were spared. Most likely,

Magellan couldn't afford to lose that many crew members. Around this time, it was becoming clear that they urgently needed to find the strait. Supplies were running low. One of the ships, the Santiago, was sent ahead to look for a route to the Pacific Ocean. The ship ventured further south, although there was no sign of the strait, the men did find the estuary of a river, which they named the Santa Cruz. But as the Santiago was on its way back north, it was caught in a storm and ran aground. While all the men survived, some had to endure a grueling hike back to San Julian to get help. It was then decided that the entire fleet would relocate to Santa Cruz, where conditions were better to wait out the last

weeks of the winter. During their time in this region, Magellan and his men made contact with the indigenous people. Pica Feta describes the encounter. One day, without anyone expecting it, we saw a giant who was on the shore of the sea quite naked. He was dancing and leaping and singing, and while singing, he put the sand and dust on his head. Our captain sent one of his men towards him, whom he charged to sing and leap like the other,

to reassure him and show him friendship. Pika Feta claimed that the indigenous man was so tall. The tallest of their crew only came up to his waist. Magellan called these people the Patagon, and the name stuck. To this day, this region of Salern of South America is known as Patagonia. However, the exact etymology is unclear. An old theory is that the name meant big feet, a reference to the people's gigantic stature. It's believed that the people Magellan met may have been the Tewellche. While European men at the time

were typically around 5 foot 5, some men in this part of the world may have been over 6 feet tall. So, to Magellan's crew, they might have seemed like giants. A recent theory is that the name Patagon was a reference to a fictional character. A monster of the same name appeared in a Spanish chevalric romance, published just a few. years earlier in 1512. In either case, perhaps it says something about how Magellan and other European explorers sometimes saw indigenous people. They were defined by their physical appearances and their differences. In October, Magellan's fleet set sail, continuing the journey south. While the weather remained poor at last, the landscape

began to change. An opening emerged. It seemed to be a passage. Was this the strait they were looking for? While they couldn't have known at this stage, this was indeed the strait that cuts through South America leading to the Pacific Ocean. Located in present-day Chile, it would later be named the Strait of Magellan. But the men weren't celebrating just yet. Until they reached the other side, they couldn't know for sure that they had found what they were looking for. Traveling through the strait itself was, pardon the pun, anything but straightforward. The ships had to navigate strong currents, dangerous shallows, and sudden storms. As they passed through, Magellan was struck by the number of fires along the shore. These were likely campfires

and signal fires, built by the people who lived in the area. Thanks to Magellan, the area became known as Tierra del Fuego, or the land of fire. After a few long weeks of navigating the strait, Magellan sent two of the ships ahead to explore west. When the fleet was reunited, there was good news. The men had found the end of the strait and glimpsed the Pacific Ocean. On hearing this, Magellan reportedly broke down in tears of joy. At last, the end was in sight. However, when Magellan's fleet reached the end of the strait,

there were only three of the four remaining ships. The San Antonio had gone missing. This was a significant setback, especially as the ship held many of the fleet's provisions. Unbeknownst to Magellan, the San Antonio had deserted the expedition. Some of the crew had decided that they'd had enough. The ship's captain, Alvaro de Mesquita, happened to be Magellan's nephew. But while Mesquita was loyal to Magellan, the others were not. A mutiny took place, and Mesquita was chained up.

Then, after some disagreement about what to do next, the ship returned to Spain. Once they arrived in May 1521, The men faced trial for desertion, but ultimately they escaped punishment and pinned the blame on Magellan. Mesquita, who had remained loyal to Magellan, was imprisoned, and rather unfairly, Magellan's wife, Beatrice, was placed under house arrest. It seems the Spanish authorities had decided to detain her until Magellan returned. What no one in Spain yet knew was that by this point, Magellan was no longer alive. But first, let's rewind to where we left off. By November of 1520, Magellan's three remaining ships had just reached the end of the Strait.

in South America. Now, the plan was to sail across the Pacific Ocean, towards the Spice Islands in present-day Indonesia. The problem was, Magellan, like others at the time, had no idea just how big the Pacific was. He probably expected to reach his destination in a few weeks, but the journey took four months. Supplies of food and water ran low, and the crew began to suffer the effects of scurvy. During the crossing, around 30 men died of the disease. Magellan, however, along with the other high-ranking crew members,

seemed to have remained healthy. Perhaps that's because, as part of their diet, they enjoyed a delicacy made from preserved quince, a fruit that contains vitamin C. Back then, of course, people didn't know that vitamin C helped to prevent scurvy. We might say Magellan got lucky. In March 1521, the fleet reached the island of Guam in the Western Pacific. We can imagine their relief after such a harrowing journey, but when Magellan's crew encountered the indigenous people, the Chamoros, things didn't exactly go smoothly.

The Chamoros began to take items from Magellan's ships. This led to a violent confrontation, and Magellan naming the island, the Isla de los Ladrones, or the island of thieves, it's possible that there was a misunderstanding. Perhaps the Chamoros thought they were taking part in a trade deal. At any rate, Magellan was unforgiving. In retaliation, he ordered his men to raid the island. Houses were burned, and several Chamorro men were killed. Magellan's fleet continued their journey. journey west, reaching the Philippines in mid-March.

Initially, relations with the local people were friendly. It helped that Magellan had an interpreter, his personal slave, Enrique, who was able to communicate with the locals. Enrique had previously lived in Malacca, in present-day Malaysia. It's thought that he became Magellan slave ten years earlier during the Portuguese capture of Malacca. Magellan brought Enrique back to Europe, then took him on his expedition in 1519. While we don't know what happened to Enrique after the expedition, it's possible that he returned

to Malacca. In that case, Enrique might have been the first person in history to see that's the first person in history to circumnavigate the world. An interesting side note and something to keep in mind for later when we look at Magellan's legacy. But for now, back to our story. On the 31st of March, Easter Sunday, the first ever Catholic Mass in the Philippines took place on the island of Lima Sawa. It was held by the fleet's chaplain and attended not only by Magellan and his men, but also some of the local people. As you may remember from earlier, Magellan wanted to convert people to Christianity.

And that wasn't all. After Mass, a cross was raised on the highest hill, and Magellan declared that the islands belonged to Spain. Magellan's fleet then traveled on to the nearby island of Cebu. Magellan continued his conversion campaign, and some of the local people were receptive. A few chieftains agreed to be baptized. Magellan was on friendly terms with some of these chieftains, but his alliance with one of them and his insistence on spreading Christianity

would prove to be a fatal mistake. a chieftain named Raja Humabon converted to Christianity. But a rival chieftain named Lapu-Lapu resisted. So Humabon encouraged Magellan to intervene. If we were to speculate about their motives, we might say this. Humabon might have seen an opportunity to take advantage of Magellan and his men. to involve them in his conflict with a rival. As for Magellan, he may have wanted to strengthen his alliance with Humabon.

He was also keen to spread Christianity and assert his authority. On the 27th of April 1521, a battle took place. Magellan and his men launched their attack on Muktaan, the island ruled by Lappan. Lapu-Lapu, the Europeans had the advantage of heavy armor and strong projectile weapons, such as muskets and crossbows. But although Lapo-Lapu's forces had more rudimentary weapons, they also far outnumbered the Europeans. According to Piga Feta, Magellan had 60 men.

Lapu-Lapu's army had around 1500. When Magellan's forces landed on the shore, they were met with a barrage of arrows and spears. It soon became clear that Lapu-Lapu had the upper hand, and that Magellan's strategies, such as setting fire to nearby houses, were not working. During the battle, Magellan was wounded by a poisoned arrow, and then attacked by a group of men. In his chronicle, Piga Feta describes the moment of Magellan's death. The Indians threw themselves upon him and ran him through with lances and scimitars, and all the other arms which they had, so that they deprived of life our mirror, light, comfort,

and true guide. Lapu Lapu had won the battle. Today, he is celebrated in the Philippines as a hero who resisted European colonization. We'll look at Magellan's legacy in just a moment. First, let's see what happened to his surviving crew and the expedition that now lacked a leader. Several members of Magellan's crew had died during the battle. More men were killed a few days later.

being ambushed by the indigenous people. The survivors, led by a new commander, wisely decided to travel on. But, having lost so many men, it no longer made sense to keep all three ships. The Concepcion was emptied, then set on fire, and the ship wasn't the only thing to be left behind. Magellan had given orders that his slave, Enrique, be freed upon his death. Magellan's crew decided to ignore these orders, as they wanted to keep Enrique as an interpreter. It seems Enrique made a run for it. He disappeared.

In November 1521, the two remaining ships and the surviving men finally made it to the Spice Islands in Indonesia. They loaded up on valuable. good such as cloves before setting sail once more. But along the way, they lost another ship. And with limited rations, some men died of starvation. Ultimately, of the original five ships, only one, the Victoria, would make it back to Spain in September 1522. For the final stage of the journey. It had been under the command of the Spanish captain Juan Sebastian Elcano. Of the original crew, about 270 men, only 18 completed the journey. Antonio Piccafetta was one of them.

These men, as far as we know, were the first in history to circumnavigate the world. As we mentioned earlier, it's possible that Magellan's former slave, Enrique returned to Malaysia. In that case, he may have technically been the first person to circumnavigate the globe, but we can't know for sure. As for Magellan himself, well, he did and he didn't. He's sometimes given credit as his expedition made it all the way around the world. But Magellan died in the Philippines before he could complete the job. journey. Another way of looking at it is that Magellan technically did circumnavigate the globe, or almost. But not in one journey. In his lifetime, Magellan traveled from Europe to

Malaysia, then back to Europe. And then, years later, he sailed westward from Europe to the Philippines. He traveled extraordinary distances, and not just as a sailor, but as a navigator. Magellan's reputation has changed over the centuries. In the aftermath of the expedition, many people thought poorly of Magellan. For the Portuguese, he was a traitor who had sailed for Spain. Additionally, some of the surviving members of Magellan's crew were a highly critical of his leadership. This affected his reputation. What's interesting is that something similar happened with the explorer Christopher Columbus, who had traveled to the Americas a couple of decades earlier. In their own time, Columbus and Magellan were controversial figures. In the case

of Magellan, it took a while for his achievements to be fully recognized. Magellan's legacy is mixed, to say the least, considering his treatment of indigenous people. Magellan might be considered a colonizer, or even an invader. According to one historian, Magellan's crimes include imperialism, slavery, incontinent bloodlust, and unjust discrimination. Magellan has been criticized for his campaign of forced Christian conversion. Still, there's no denying his influence. Though mass conversion occurred later, it was Magellan who introduced Catholicism to the Philippines.

These days, around 90% of the population identifies as Christian. One of the most important religious artifacts in the Philippines is a statue of the child Jesus, known as Santa Niño. It was a gift from Magellan to the wife of the chieftain, Humabon, not long before the Battle of Maktan, while some aspects of Magellan's legacy are complex and open to interpretation. It's still worth recognizing his achievements. Magellan was undoubtedly a skilled navigator who led one of the most important expeditions in history.

He was the first European to discover the strait in South America, now named the Strait of Magellan, and although he never made it to his destination, he was proven right. It was indeed possible, though perhaps not advisable, to sail west from Europe to Asia. Magellan's expedition contributed to contemporary understanding of the world. It's fair to say that he was a pioneer. The Strait of Magellan isn't the only thing to be named in his honor.

Two dwarf galaxies visible in the southern hemisphere, are known as the Magellanic clouds, and in the 1980s, NASA named a spacecraft after Magellan. Magellan and his crew might be considered the space explorers of their day. In a sense, they were setting off into the unknown, and against the odds, some of them made it all the way around the world, and home again to tell the tale.