First Mass Controversy: Magellan's Mazaua, Limasawa or Butuan?
The day, March 31, 1521, was on an island recorded by Magellan's chronicler as Mazaua but the issue on Mazaua's exact location is still hot debated by several groups that even the National Historical Institutes stand on the issue is not accepted.
The official NHI stand points to Limasawa Island off the coast of Leyte, an island without a harbor making it impossible to be the lost harbor of Magellan according to others. Another claim is that Mazaua is in Butuan, but Butuan is not an island (unless geomorphologists can really prove the island of Mazaua is now part of Butuan where the balangay boats were excavated). The third claim is the area of Pinamanculan-Bancasi.
The issue can only be settled unless archeologists can dig up artifacts attesting to the claims or any person who witnessed the event resurrects on Easter Sunday.
The latter seems improbable and the former needs lots of money and time. For now the controversy and debate will go on the issue: “Where is the site of the first mass?"
Annually, a Tridentine Mass is held at Bood Promontory in Pinamanculan, Butuan to commemorate the first mass while there's also a commemoration in Magallanes, Limasawa island, Southern Leyte (that still some quarters claim happened in Barangay Triana, not Magallanes)
Are you still not confused? :P
489 years and counting, that's how long the search for Magellan's lost harbor has been going on.
The First Mass in the Philippines on Limasawa Island, Leyte depiction at the neo-classical Leyte Provincial Capitol. Another bas relief features the MacArthur landing in Palo near the end of World War II---
Other significant events of March 1521:
March 28, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan's three ship Armada de Molucca anchored on Mazaua
The first blood compact in the islands, to be known later as The Philippines, happened between Ferdinand Magellan and Raia Siaiu. (This is contrary to the misinformed claims of some Boholanos that the Sandugo, the blood compact between Legazpi and Sikatuna in the island of Bohol was the first treaty of "friendship." The said Sandugo was also not honored by the Spaniards when they later enslaved the Filipinos so why celebrate the historically-inaccurate Sandugo Festival?)
Magellan then took ownership of the island group and named it Islas de San Lazaro for it was the feast day of San. Lazaro. The name shall only be changed to Islas de Filipinas, by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos more than two decades later.
Labels: History
posted by backpacking philippines @ 9:49 PM,
5 Comments:
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At Apr 1, 2010 1:58:00 PM,
docgelo said...
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wow, thanks for sharing a piece of history.
have a blessed holy week, tutubi =) -
At Apr 2, 2010 2:04:00 PM,
Vicente Calibo de Jesus said...
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The Limasawa story: There is absolutely no reference to an Easter Sunday mass
The author of the Limasawa story was a Spanish missionary who had not read one single eyewitness account of Magellan's voyage.
Fr. Francisco Combes, S.J., had two contradictory sources, one (Giovanni Battista Ramusio) said the port of March-April 1521 was Butuan. The second (Antonio de Herrera) pointed to Mazaua as the island-port where the fleet was moored for the same period.
Combes adopted Ramusio. He invented the word "Limasaua" to negate the story of Herrera that the port was Mazaua. Not only that, Combes not only disregarded Mazaua, he also completely disregarded the idea there was an Easter Sunday mass held anywhere in the Philippines.
You can read Combes story at Facebook, click http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=app_2347471856&id=761273501#!/note.php?note_id=382721419812
VICENTE CALIBO DE JESUS
ginesdemafra@gmail.com -
At Apr 4, 2010 11:47:00 AM,
Traveler on Foot said...
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According to Ambeth O. this first mass was held on Easter, so Happy Easter to you and your wonderful family tutubi!
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At Apr 24, 2010 7:06:00 PM,
grasya said...
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hrrmm this is a good reference for my travels - http://www.grasya.com
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At Jul 12, 2011 10:08:00 AM,
Vicente Calibo de Jesus said...
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I believe no one questions a mass was held at Mazaua on 31 March 1521, an Easter Sunday. The question is: Is Limasawa Mazaua?
Last January, I launched a global contest where the prize is an all-expense paid trip around the world. It's a very simple contest. All one has to do is point to the word "missa" in the Limasawa story by Fr. Francisco Combes, the author of the Limasawa story.
No need to write anything. No need to argue. No need to say anything. All one must do is encircle the word "missa" in the three (!) paragraphs of Combes story. Send this to me with your name and address and telephone no. and email so I can contact you in an instant.
I gave Dr. Ambeth Ocampo and the entire NHI the chance to have the first crack at this. It's now six months. No one among them has seen the word.
Anyone out there who can?
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