CANNIBALISM Flashcards
Was there such thing as discoveries in the 15th century?
Peter Dear “Revolutionising the Sciences” 2009
No space for newness as everything was created by God during the 7 days of creation.
When were Christopher Columbus’ 4 voyages?
1492, 1493, 1498, 1502.
What was the aim of Columbus’ first voyage in 1492?
To devise a new spice route to Asia as the Spanish have increasing competition to finding routes to India and China.
Describe the problems with the provenance of the log of Columbus’ first voyage?
When Columbus returned to Spain in 1493 the log was given to the monarchs at royal court of Barcelona.
Queen Elizabeth ordered log to be copied (Barcelona Copy)
Barcelona copy was returned to Columbus before his second voyage in 1493.
Left to Columbus’ son after his death who wrote a biography on him in 1538.
Bartolome de la Casas used this information to write “A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies” 1552
Other than the work of De las Casas, what evidence do we have of Columbus’ first voyage?
Letter to the King and Queen of Spain from February 1493 when Columbus was aboard Nina.
What is the principal idea Columbus takes from Marco Polo for his first voyage in 1492?
“The Travels of Marco Polo” 1300
Travels between 1271-95.
Polo lives at the court of Kublai Khan.
Columbus believes that he will meet the subjects of the Great Khan.
What is the problem with the provenance of “The Travels of Marco Polo” 1300?
Polo returned to Venice and was arrested after his travels.
He dictated his notes to a fellow prisoner and it is therefore never a first hand account.
What map relies heavily on the work of Marco Polo?
Fra Mauro “World Map” 1450.
Also relies on the work of geographers such as Ptolemy.
Depicts Cipangu (Japan) as the land of extraordinary riches.
The map is upside down.
What are the horrendous races that Columbus prepares to meet?
Cyclopes: Giants with single eye.
Sciapodes / Monopodes: single, large foot extending from a leg centred in the middle of the body.
Blemmyes: Headless men.
Cynocephalus: Dog-headed species of man.
Anthropophagus: man eaters.
Before Columbus, who wrote about man-eaters?
Herodotus “Histories” 440 BC
Pliny the Elder
Isiodore de Seville “The Etymologies” (dictionary).
Describe the events of Columbus ‘discovering’ cannibalism?
Heard about it November 1492 a few weeks after reaching Northern coast of Cuba.
Interpreters told him “there were men with only one eye and others…who ate men”.
26th November 1492: Arawaks of Cuba tell Columbus of ‘Caribs’, which is mistaken for ‘Caniba’
Caribs were the enemy tribe of the Arawaks located in the Lesser Antilles.
‘The Caniba are none other than people of the Great Khan’.
Who exaggerates the findings of Columbus in the 16th century?
Peter Martyr “Decades of the New World” 1511
“De orbo novo” 1530
Quotes Columbus’ letters.
Interviews travellers.
Quoted reports from the Spanish Council of the Indies.
No longer uses the story of the Great Khan.
What image depicts cannibalism as a projection of European habits onto the New World?
Lorenz Fries “Auslegung der Mercarthen oder Cartha Mariana” 1525
Butcher shop.
Name 2 maps that depict cannibals?
Sebastian Munster “World Map” 1550
Martin Waldseemuller “Universalis Cosmographia” 1507
Decribe an event during which New World inhabitants were used to celebrate European discovery?
Entry of Henry II and Catherine of Medici in Rouen 1550.
Festival of mermaids, mythical figures, imported Tupinamba.
