| Enrique of Malacca was the first person to circumnavigate the globe linguistically—he traveled so far in one direction (west) that he came to a place where his own language was spoken. Enrique may have also circumnavigated the globe completely, a full circle of the earth beginning and ending in Malacca or somewhere in the modern-day Philippines.
Enrique departed Malacca on the Malay Peninsula in 1512 or 1513, taken as a slave by Ferdinand Magellan after the 1511 Portuguese invasion of the area trade hub. They went first to Lisbon and later to Spain before departing on the Magellan-Elcano expedition that first circled the globe. Enrique was last seen by Magellan's fleet at Cebu (Philippines), some 2,600 kilometers from Malacca. |
A picture is worth a thousand words, a map is worth so many more in the study of history. Add world music and learning goes even deeper. This video map history of Sumatra traces the Indonesian island's past, from Srivijaya to the present.
Sumatra's proximity to the Malay Peninsula makes this video also a history of Malacca and the peninsula.
This Philippine Daily Inquirer feature by Javier Galván explores the myths and the history surrounding the first circumnavigation as perceived in the Philippines, including whether Enrique of Malacca was the first person to circumnavigate the globe and what part was played by Lapulapu, datu at Mactan, where Ferdinand Magellan was killed in battle.
Here's a delightful New York Times feature on a modern circumnavigation of the globe, by John Weber. He compares his experience with those in history, including Enrique of Malacca's, noting that for him it was a bit easier with Kayak—the website, not the boat—and a laptop.
 |
| Three- and four-masted carracks. |
The
Nao Concepción was the third-largest
ship in Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet in tonnage. The Concepción was recorded at 90 tons compared
with the
Filipino filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik has spent more than thirty-five years putting together his film Balikbayan #1 (Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III).
A mix of historical documentary and fiction, Balikbayan tells the story of Enrique of Malacca, the slave of Ferdinand Magellan who was one of the first people to circumnavigate the globe.
 |
| Go to podcast. |
The British historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto is interviewed in this podcast on the story of Ferdinand Magellan. In his new book Straits: Beyond the Myth of Magellan, Fernández-Armesto describes Magellan as largely a failure.
See also:
Enrique of Malacca's origin is a subject of debate. Three places are considered possible: Malacca, then a major trade hub on the Malay Peninsula; Sumatra, the large island adjacent to Malacca; and the Visayan Islands in the (modern-day) Philippines. The evidence points to Malacca, though chronicler Antonio Pigafetta said Sumatra, and some scholars believe it's possibly Enrique was from the Visayan Islands in the modern-day Philippines? See the historical evidence in this post: Where was Enrique of Malacca from, Malacca or the Philippines?
This is a fun but cheesy dramatization of Enrique of Malacca using a Frankenstein-like collection of clips from other films. See the list of films the clips were taken from below.
It's a commendable effort, but beware of inaccurate historical details in the English subtitles. For instance, Ferdinand Magellan was not "dishonorably discharged" after a Malacca campaign. First, that wasn't a thing in 16th century Portugal, and second, Magellan later served the Portuguese king in battle in Morocco, where he was seriously wounded. It was that and other humiliations that prompted Magellan to defect to Spain.
Here's a 13-minute video slideshow offering an introduction of Ferdinand Magellan's voyage and excerpts from the journal of Antonio Pigafetta, chronicler of the expedition. These include descriptions of the Tupi people in "Verzin" (Rio de Janeiro) and the Patagonian "giants." The video puts together an impressive range of images.
Ferdinand Magellan and his Armada de Molucca were the first Europeans to encounter the "Patagonian giants," whom Pigafetta described as so tall that "we reached only to his waist." Europeans on later voyages, including Sir Francis Drake's in 1579, also reported this race of giants living along the Patagonian coast (modern-day Argentina). The giants were likely Tehuelches, an indigenous people in the region.
Here's a fast-spoken, detailed account of the Srivijaya Empire, a maritime-based empire that grew on Southeast Asian trade from the seventh to the twelfth centuries. This was a civilization built on Malay seafaring, connecting Southeast Asia with China to the northeast and the Indian Ocean to the northwest.
 |
| The exhibition 'Skola Gambar Enrique de Malacca' by artist Ahmad Fuad Osman. Photo: Ilham Gallery. |
News piece on the Skola Gambar Enrique de Malacca exhibition in KL, from the Star.
Five hundred years ago, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan embarked on a historic journey to circumnavigate the globe.
Five ships with 270 crew members set sail on this perilous three-year expedition from Spain, among them an enslaved Malay sailor and interpreter named Enrique de Malacca, whom Magellan had acquired during the Portuguese conquest of Malacca in 1511.
YouTube Introduction:
The historical journey of the Sultanate of Malacca every year (1402-1528). From its foundation as a small Hindu settlement in southern Malay Peninsula, its golden age as a powerful Islamic sultanate in late 15th century, until its decline and fall by the Portuguese in early 16th century.
---- Music: - 'Zapin Ghalit' ~ Kedahan Malay Music by litmibimi (https://youtu.be/QJIcXkGE7rE)