Quincentennial Cebu: Magellan’s Bloodstain in Silk
On April 8th, 1521, Magellan made the first imprints of a foothold for 3oo years of Spanish colonialism in the Philippines. In the international trade port of the Sugbu Rajahnate, now the city of Cebu in the central Philippines, his clerk and a man enslaved by him in Malaysia met with Raja Humabon and his foreign associate from Champa (located in today’s coastal Vietnam). Here’s a fictional retelling of their encounter…
Bính walked alongside the Raja and pulled his yellow silk cloak a bit tighter as they passed through the cool shade of a tall house of bamboo and nipa leaves. The Raja was asking him how the sales of his cargo were going, and if security at the storehouse was sufficient. Bính replied almost automatically, hardly thinking about his words. “The storehouse is secure, Raja. No escapes yet. Suitable buyers are coming by quickly enough and… they should all be sold before the cost of your food offsets your profits…” His voice faded off as they came into the open plaza.
He had been distracted by the thought of the strangers in the black ships yesterday. And now, clearly distinguishable next to a few local men with bamboo spears, he spotted them waiting in the plaza in the morning sunlight. Two of them were familiar from yesterday’s meeting: the darker one from Malacca, and the younger one from Portugal …but… serving the king of Spain… Bính remembered. A third man was with them today: he looked a bit older and considerably less restless than the young one; he stood in a straight posture, nearly motionless except to turn his head to watch the Raja’s approach. At his feet sat a small chest, and Bính immediately wondered what was inside. What could these men of Spain have to compete in the market of Sugbu?
Bính followed the Raja onto the shaded bamboo platform and took a seat cross-legged at his right side. The Raja’s nephews and sons-in-law (Bính couldn’t tell them apart), had been walking with them, and they followed onto the platform as well. Another of the Raja’s men, Tuko, had evidently led the strangers into town from their boat as he’d done yesterday, and now watched over them with his sheathed sword in hand.
Turning, Tuko said in his own language, “Raja, they would like to sit with you this time.” Bính understood the local language well enough but still preferred to speak his own, or else Malay, which could be heard in just about every port Bính had been to.
After a moment, Humabon nodded and waved his hand softly to invite the strangers closer. The three of them carefully stepped on, the third one taking the chest up with him. It wasn’t too heavy for one man, Bính noticed, whatever was inside it. The guards behind them stepped closer to the platform. The Raja’s male relatives hadn’t yet sat down, so they formed a wider circle around as the strangers sat close by. The Malaccan, Henrique, sat across from Bính at Humabon’s left side. The young Portuguese, Cristóvão sat across from Humabon, and the new Spaniard with the chest sat to Bính’s right. He didn’t like the smell of him. Like the man had bathed in the ocean instead of a river. Bính’s noontime wash couldn’t come soon enough.
The Malaccan spoke first, greeting the Raja in Malay, “Selamat pagi, Raja Humabon.” Continuing in Malay, he introduced his companions, “You have met Cristóvão, of our commander’s household. We have with us today a man who serves our commander by counting our ships’ stores; his name is Juan de Espoleta.”
The Raja gave a nod towards no one in particular, and asked the Malaccan, “You have three ships in my harbor; is there more than one commander among them?”
The Malaccan relayed the question to his companions. At first Bính thought he heard him speaking Portuguese, like he’d heard from him yesterday, and from Portuguese people in Malacca in the past. But this seemed a bit different; it must have been the language of Spain, he guessed. The Spaniard said nothing, eyeing his companions like he didn’t have the answer. But the young Portuguese spoke up suddenly and briefly in the language Bính couldn’t understand.
Henrique turned back to Humabon and answered simply, “we follow only one commander.”
And Humabon continued, “And does your commander… wish that I pay tribute to… his raja? His…?”
“Imperador,” Henrique offered.
“His Imperador?” Humabon repeated.
Again the men of Spain spoke in their strange language. Until the Malay answered, “No. Our commander wishes only to trade with the things which he has brought.” As the Raja nodded, the Malay continued, “and only with your people. Not with others in this sea.”
To this the Raja nodded more deeply, still with a flat expression on his face. But after a moment, he said, “I am pleased to hear this. And to express my friendship with your commander, I want to offer my blood.” From his belt, Humabon pulled a small kris knife with a wavy blade out of its sheath. On the inside of his left forearm, just beyond a thick gold ring at his elbow, the Raja quickly slid the knife tip across, meanwhile telling Henrique, “I hope that your master will do the same; it’s our custom here.” And taking a white silk handcloth from his belt, he wiped the end of the blade off, and then dabbed the cut on his arm. He leaned forward and handed the bloodstain in silk to Henrique.
Accepting the cloth with two hands, Henrique turned it for his companions to see and explained to them the message. “Es un pacto de sangre.” Cristóvão furrowed his brow, hardly bothering to hide his expression. De Espoleta simply blinked at the thing.
Henrique nodded to the Raja, saying, “He will do the same.”
To which the Raja nodded again, now showing a smile of satisfaction. “Also,” he said, “ship masters who come to my country make a gift to me — by custom. And I to them, as a friend. Will your master do the same?”
Once more, the three men of Spain and of three different birthplaces conferred… the young one’s voice seemed a little louder. The older one didn’t seem to disagree but spoke more evenly. Henrique turned back again, “Good Raja, if you would graciously demonstrate the custom to our commander, please begin by offering a gift, and he will do the same. As is his duty by custom.”
Raja Humabon turned to Bính, “My friend, you’ve seen my storehouses — What do you think will make fitting gifts for my other guests?”
Bính, the merchant from Champa, began to think of Sugbu’s many wares: gold necklaces, armrings, and earrings like the Raja was wearing now. Raw gold as well; local rice, local coconuts, tuba coconut wine; meats from pigs, goats, and chickens; flutes, gongs. Other metal from China, and porcelain, and cooking pots. Bladed weapons from many other places……
Time passed as Bính discussed what Sugbu had to offer. He eagerly wanted to see how the contents of the Spaniard’s chest would compare. Later, aboard La Trinidad in Sugbu’s harbor, Cristóvão returned to his father with a bloodied silk handcloth.
Taking it and looking it over, Fernão Magalhães drew a kris knife from his belt — a souvenir from the Capture of Malacca a decade ago. Pulling aside the upper buttons of his shirt, he drew the blade edge across his half-bare chest. With his offhand he opened a box at the wall of his cabin and rummaged through a few linen cloths until he found a silk cloth beneath. He dabbed it against his chest and wiped the blade carefully.
Turning his head to Cristóvão he said, “God is here with us in the Archipelago of St. Lazarus!” And he smiled like Cristóvão had never seen his father smile before.
This is part 6 of Retelling Magellan’s Philippines
Next chapter: “Moonlight and Firelight”
Previous chapter: “Meeting the Raja”
Historical notes:
We don’t actually know if the blood was passed in silk. We know that Raja Calambu of Limasawa had silk, and he considered Raja Humabon richer than himself, or at least in control of a larger port.
We also don’t know who exactly was present at the meeting. Antonio Pigafetta writes that “our clerk” or “our notary” (depending on the translation) went with the interpreter to the town of Zzubu. It might be assumed that guards were with them, or it might not. It might be assumed that Cristóvão attended to represent Magellan as he’d done on the first day, but Pigafetta doesn’t state this either.
