Text, Context, Intertext: Columbus' diario de a bordo as Palimpsest

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Henige ◽  
Margarita Zamora
Keyword(s):  
Primary Source ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
The Past ◽  
Las Casas ◽  
Bartolome De Las Casas ◽  
Text Context ◽  
Day By Day

We pray [any reader] not to nibble with critical teeth at this work of ours, which has been diligently twisted into shape by love rather than knowledge…Since its discovery nearly two centuries ago, Las Casas' summary of the diario de a bordo of Columbus' first voyage has fascinated, beguiled, and exercised historians, who have used it time and again in attempting to recreate the events, course, and atmosphere of this momentous occasion. In doing so, most have treated the summary as a quintessential day-by-day account of the events it describes, despite the fact that the document as we have it is at least a third-hand transcription by Bartolomé de las Casas, who was effectively its author, or at least its senior co-author. Despite this tendency to treat the diario as a primary source then, in truth it is, even more than most historical sources, a prism rather than a window on the past, and a prism unfortunately not governed by any known laws of historical optics.

Las Casas, Historian of Christopher Columbus

1956 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-362
Author(s):  
Emiliano Jos
Keyword(s):  
Washington Irving ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Christopher Columbus ◽  
Las Casas ◽  
Bartolome De Las Casas ◽  
Heaven And Earth

THE esteemed and controversial figure of that famous citizen of Seville, Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, has been, and continues to be, studied by many authors. Some are those who are attracted by the eminence of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of “the new heaven and earth,” and devote years of work to formulating opinions on the Columbian historical sources. They include J. B. Muñoz, Fernández de Navarrette, Washington Irving, Thacher, Lollis, Harrisse, González de la Rosa, Vignaud, and many others. The three last-named scholars, however, in their studies have casf suspicion on one of the principal sources of Las Casas, and one of the notable historical works on Columbus: the Historia de la Vida y Hechos del Almirante Don Cristóbal Colón, written by his son Fernando. They say it was not written by Fernando Colón but is a forgery. Some even insinuate that several of the less credible sections of that Historia were introduced by Fr. Las Casas. It seems to me that such a hypothesis is not justified by creditable reason.

White Legend Against Black: Nationalism and Enlightenment in a Spanish Context

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Paul J. Hauben
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Sixteenth Century ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
The Other ◽  
American Experience ◽  
The Past ◽  
Las Casas ◽  
Bartolome De Las Casas ◽  
Four Books ◽  
The Subject

The appearance of no less than four books in English marked 1971 as a banner year for Black Legend studies, especially for their colonial side. As in the past discussion emphasized the sixteenth century, dominated by the commanding and controversial Dominican, Bartolomé de Las Casas on one hand, and the grim Indian demographic catastrophe on the other. This was no less so during the Enlightenment's passionate debates on the subject. Modern research gives greater credence to mortality rates suggested by Las Casas, but centers on the dire effects of disease as the main agent causing mass death. As this essay will suggest, eighteenth century discussants were somewhat betwixt and between concerning the American experience and the Hispanic impact. Clearly much of the ongoing appeal of Las Casas' interpretation of the Indians' calamity, which stressed the conquerors' brutality, comes from its foreshadowing of modern agonies over race relations and western treatment of other colonialized peoples.

In the Wake of In the Wake of Columbus: Why the Polemic Over Columbus' First Landfall is of Interest to Africanist Historians

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 349-357
Author(s):  
David Henige
Keyword(s):  
New World ◽  
Culture Contact ◽  
The Bahamas ◽  
Old World ◽  
Las Casas ◽  
Bartolome De Las Casas ◽  
History Of ◽  
Day By Day

It must be premised that the journal contains statements that appear to be absolutely irreconcilable with the present topography of the Bahamas.Despite its disappointingly meager immediate results, its role as catalyst for the great age of worldwide culture contact inevitably resulted in a lively interest in every detail of Columbus' first voyage to the New World. Continuing unabated for nearly five centuries, the interest has assumed many forms, ranging from the putative effects of contact on the Amerindians to the identity of Columbus' first landfall--just where did the Old World first view the New World? Though it might seem to be both straightforward and of minor interest, the latter issue has in fact aroused great controversy for more than two centuries and remains far from settled today, as it appears that the most recent bid for consensus has been rudely shattered in its turn.The controversy arises not at all from the fact that there exist several and contradictory independent testimonies bearing on the issue. Quite the contrary, as there is only a single surviving source, the so-called Diario de a bordo, which purports to be, at least in part, a record of Columbus' voyage on a day-by-day basis. The history of this text as we have it is complicated and this goes some way towards explaining why so many issues based on it remain moot. The only known extant copy was discovered as recently as 1790 and is in the handwriting of Bartolomé de las Casas, the noted missionary and historian of the early Indies, who was also a friend of several members of Columbus' family.

EPITAFIES OF THE RELATIVES OF HADJI IBRAHIM AL-URADI AS A SOURCE ON THE BIOGRAPHY OF THE SCIENTIST AND ON THE HISTORY OF GIDATL

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-21
Author(s):  
Sh M Khapizov ◽  
M G Shekhmagomedov
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
Medieval History ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
The Past ◽  
Arabic Script ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of Culture ◽  
The Look ◽  
Cultural Monuments ◽  
Written Sources

The article is devoted to the study of inscriptions on the gravestones of Haji Ibrahim al-Uradi, his father, brothers and other relatives. The information revealed during the translation of these inscriptions allows one to date important events from the history of Highland Dagestan. Also we can reconsider the look at some important events from the past of Hidatl. Epitaphs are interesting in and of themselves, as historical and cultural monuments that needed to be studied and attributed. Research of epigraphy data monuments clarifies periodization medieval epitaphs mountain Dagestan using record templates and features of the Arabic script. We see the study of medieval epigraphy as one of the important tasks of contemporary Caucasian studies facing Dagestani researchers. Given the relatively weak illumination of the picture of events of that period in historical sources, comprehensive work in this direction can fill gaps in our knowledge of the medieval history of Dagestan. In addition, these epigraphs are of great importance for researchers of onomastics, linguistics, the history of culture and religion of Dagestan. The authors managed to clarify the date of death of Ibrahim-Haji al-Uradi, as well as his two sons. These data, the attraction of written sources and legends allowed the reconstruction of the events of the second half of the 18th century. For example, because of the epidemic of plague and the death of most of the population of Hidatl, this society noticeably weakened and could no longer maintain its influence on Akhvakh. The attraction of memorable records allowed us to specify the dates of the Ibrahim-Haji pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, as well as the route through which he traveled to these cities.

Bartolome De Las Casas (1474-1566) A Travers Son Quatrieme Centenaire

Moreana ◽  
1967 ◽  
Vol 4 (Number 15-16 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 401-430
Author(s):  
Pierre Mesnard
Keyword(s):  
Las Casas ◽  
Bartolome De Las Casas

Disciplining Polenta: A Parody on the Politics of Saving Food

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Zachary Nowak ◽  
Bradley M. Jones ◽  
Elisa Ascione
Keyword(s):  
Food Products ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Traditional Food ◽  
Traditional Foods ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Scholarly Literature ◽  
Identity Creation ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Social

This article begins with a parody, a fictitious set of regulations for the production of “traditional” Italian polenta. Through analysis of primary and secondary historical sources we then discuss the various meanings of which polenta has been the bearer through time and space in order to emphasize the mutability of the modes of preparation, ingredients, and the social value of traditional food products. Finally, we situate polenta within its broader cultural, political, and economic contexts, underlining the uses and abuses of rendering foods as traditional—a process always incomplete, often contested, never organic. In stirring up the past and present of polenta and placing it within both the projects of Italian identity creation and the broader scholarly literature on culinary tradition and taste, we emphasize that for so-called traditional foods to be saved, they must be continually reinvented.

Manuscript Catalogs and Inventories of Books from the Lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – Some Problems of Publishing Rules

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 107-121
Author(s):  
Lilia Kowkiel ◽  
Arvydas Pacevičius ◽  
Iwona Pietrzkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Primary Source ◽  
Digital Form ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Historical Texts ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
Grand Duchy ◽  
Book Culture

Historians and publishers of historical sources have a lot of problems with the texts written in different languages and alphabets, which were created at different times, in the multilingual areas inhabited by many nations following different religions. The historians of book culture have the same problems with texts of inventories and catalogues of books, which are the primary source of knowledge about the content of libraries. At present it’s also important the historical texts to be published in the digital form. This article is a part of the discussion on this very important subject.

Problèmes agraires : Survivances coloniales et précoloniales

1966 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 779-814
Author(s):  
Alexandre Lipschutz
Keyword(s):  
Las Casas ◽  
Bartolome De Las Casas ◽  
Groupes Ethniques

Est-il possible, de parler de l'évolution de l'Amérique Latine comme d'un tout ?L'Amérique Latine est un continent qui offre une variété extraordinaire de conditions géographiques physiques et aussi de groupes ethniques. L'histoire culturale de ces multiples groupes a été très diverse dans les temps précolombiens ; il suffit de comparer les cultures des peuples du haut plateau du Mexique avec celles des îles du Caribe ; ou la culture incaïque du Pérou avec celle des Araucaniens du Chili ou des habitants de la Terre de Feu. Et, à première vue, quelle diversité aussi dans l'évolution de la conquête et de la colonisation, au long de près de trois siècles et demi, sur le sol de l'Amérique Latine, au sein de ces innombrables peuplades !Et pourtant on peut invoquer un fait d'importance décisive, qui permet de traiter l'histoire de l'Amérique Hispanique comme un tout. Ce fait se résume sous les termes de : Destrucción de las Indias — selon le titre que Bartolomé de Las Casas a donné au célèbre écrit qu'il publia en 1552.

Controverses autour de Bartolomé de Las Casas

1966 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 875-885
Author(s):  
Marianne Mahn-Lot
Keyword(s):  
Las Casas ◽  
Bartolome De Las Casas ◽  
Ramon Menendez Pidal ◽  
Majeure Partie ◽  
Edition Critique

UNE nouvelle querelle est née autour de Bartolomé de Las Casas à la suite de la publication récente du livre de Ramón Menéndez Pidal. Ce n'est, à vrai dire, que la reprise de controverses qui se firent jour au Congrès des Américanistes de 1935, à Séville, à la suite de l'offensive menée par Romulo D. Carbia contre l'illustre Défenseur des Indiens. On pourrait être tenté de penser que ce sont là vaines querelles, car la personnalité de Las Casas est souvent un simple paravent, derrière lequel s'abritent les tenants de l'impérialisme colonial, ou d'un libéralisme à tendance humanitaire et chrétienne. Mais, que l'histoire de ce moine du XVIe siècle, que l'interprétation du rôle qu'il a pu jouer gardent encore un tel pouvoir passionnel, voilà justement qui n'est pas indifférent et qui nous met au coeur de maints problèmes encore brûlants dans l'Amérique latine d'aujourd'hui. D'autre part, la discussion entre admirateurs et adversaires du dominicain n'aura pas été inutile ; car, depuis 1935, l'impulsion a ainsi été donnée à toute une série de publications : édition critique de la majeure partie de l'œuvre de Las Casas, recueils de textes relatifs à la Conquista, recherche — et découverte — d'inédits, études sur l'encomienda, etc. Peu à peu la réalité américaine de ce riche demisiècle en sort mieux connue, se dessine plus nettements.

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