Editing Battle of Mactan

{{Short description|1521 battle between Ferdinand Maris and Lapulapu}}
{{cleanup rewrite|date=April 2022}}
{{Use Philippine English|date=September 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Battle of Mactan
| partof      = [[Magellan-Elcano expedition]]
| image       =
| caption     = 
| date        = {{start date|1521|04|27}}
| place       = [[Mactan Island]], [[Cebu]], Philippines
| result      = Mactan victory
| combatant1  = Kedatuan of Mactan
| combatant2  = [[Spanish Empire]]<br>[[Rajahnate of Cebu]]
| commander1  = [[Lapulapu]]
| commander2  = [[Ferdinand Magellan]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Humabon]]<br>Zula
| strength1   = 1,500 ([[Antonio Pigafetta|Pigafetta]]'s account)<ref name="angeles2007">{{cite journal|last=Angeles|first=Jose Amien|journal=Philippine Studies|title=The Battle of Mactan and the Indigenous Discourse on War|date=2007|volume=55|issue=1|pages=3–52 |jstor=42633898 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/42633898|access-date=August 12, 2023}}</ref><ref name="ocampo2019"/>–3,000<ref name=":0"/>
| strength2   = 60 Europeans (Pigafetta's account)<ref name="ocampo2019">{{cite web|url=https://opinion.inquirer.net/122348/the-battle-of-mactan-according-to-pigafetta|title=The Battle of Mactan, according to Pigafetta|last=Ocampo|first=Ambeth R.|author-link=Ambeth Ocampo|website=[[The Philippine Inquirer|Inquirer]]|date=July 3, 2019|access-date=August 12, 2023}}</ref> (49 engaged, 11 left in boats);<ref name=":0"/>
large number of natives on the Spanish side
| casualties1 = 15 dead<ref name=":0"/>
| casualties2 = 12 dead<ref name=":0"/>
}}

The '''Battle of Mactan''' ({{langx|fil|Labanan sa Mactan}}; {{langx|es|Batalla de Mactán}}) was fought on a beach in [[Mactan Island]] (now part of [[Cebu]], [[Philippines]]) between Spanish forces led by the Portuguese explorer [[Ferdinand Magellan]] along with local allies, and [[Lapulapu]], the chieftain of the island, on the early morning hours of April 27, 1521. Magellan, a [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese-born]] commander serving the [[Spanish Empire]] who led an [[Magellan expedition|expedition that ultimately circumnavigated the world for the first time]], commanded a small Spanish contingent in an effort to subdue Mactan under the Spanish crown. The sheer number of Lapulapu's forces, compounded with issues associated with the location and the armor, ultimately resulted in a disastrous defeat for the Europeans and the death of Magellan. Surviving members of Magellan's crew continued the expedition under the command of [[Juan Sebastian de Elcano]], who completed the journey in September 1522.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Pigafetta |first=Antonio |title=The first voyage round the world by Magellan: transl. from the accounts of Pigafetta and other contemporary writers |date=2010 |publisher=Cambridge Univ. Press |isbn=978-1-108-01143-3 |editor-last=Stanley |editor-first=Henry Morton |edition=Digitally printed version [d. Ausg.] London, Hakluyt Soc., 1874 |series=Works issued by the Hakluyt Society |location=Cambridge New York |pages=12, 85}}</ref>

The battle's exact details are lost to history, with [[Antonio Pigafetta]]'s account being the only source for much of the known information today. It is remembered in the Philippines as the first battle won by a native Filipino against the Spanish forces, with Lapulapu being hailed as the country's first national hero. The Spanish Empire would continue to send expeditions to the archipelago with little to no success until [[Miguel Lopez de Legazpi]]'s expedition to Cebu and Manila in 1565, [[History of the Philippines (1565-1898)|starting a 333-year Spanish rule on the archipelago]].

==Background==
{{History of the Philippines}}

[[Magellan's circumnavigation|Magellan's expedition]] had left Spain in August 1519 on a mission to find a westward route to the [[Moluccas]] or Spice Islands. On March 16, 1521 ([[Julian calendar]]), Magellan sighted the mountains of what is now [[Samar]]. This event marked the arrival of the first documented Europeans in the archipelago. The following day, Magellan ordered his men to anchor their ships on the shores of [[Homonhon Island]].<ref name="Agoncillo 2006">{{cite book|last=Agoncillo|first=Teodoro|title=Introduction to Filipino History|publisher=Garotech Publishing|year=2006}}</ref>

There, Magellan befriended Rajah Kolambu and Rajah Siagu, king of [[Limasawa Island|Limasawa]], who guided him to Cebu.<ref name="Agoncillo 2006" /> There he met [[Rajah Humabon]], the Rajah of Cebu. Then, Rajah Humabon and his queen were baptized into the [[Catholicism|Catholic]] faith, taking the Christian names Carlos, in honor of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|King Charles I of Spain]], and Juana, in honor of [[Joanna of Castile|King Charles' mother, Joanna the Mad]]. To commemorate this event, Magellan gave Juana the [[Santo Niño de Cebú|Santo Niño]], an image of the infant Jesus, as a symbol of their new alliance and held their first [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]] on the coast.<ref name="Agoncillo 2006" />

As a result of Magellan's influence with Rajah Humabon, an order was issued to each of the nearby chiefs, to provide food supplies for the ships, and to convert to Christianity.
Most chiefs obeyed.  Datu [[Lapulapu]], one of the two chiefs on the island of Mactan, was the only one to show opposition: he refused to accept the authority of Rajah Humabon in these matters. This opposition proved influential. [[Antonio Pigafetta]],<ref>{{cite book|last=David|first=Hawthorne|title=Ferdinand Magellan|publisher=[[Doubleday & Company, Inc.]]|year=1964}}</ref> Magellan's voyage chronicler,<ref name="dom">{{cite web|title=Battle of Mactan Marks Start of Organized Filipino Resistance Vs. Foreign Aggression|url=http://kumustanews.tripod.com/index_files/page0006.htm|access-date=April 9, 2009}}</ref> wrote that Zula, the island's other chief, sent one of his sons to Magellan with gifts but Lapulapu prevented the journey and refused to swear fealty to Spain.<ref name="Nowell 1962">{{cite book|last=Nowell|first=Charles E.|title=Magellan's Voyage Around the World: Three Contemporary Accounts|url=https://archive.org/details/magellansvoyage00pigagoog|publisher=[[Northwestern University Press]]|year=1962}}</ref>

Rajah Humabon and Datu Zula suggested that Magellan go to Mactan to force the Datu's compliance.<ref name="Agoncillo 2006" /> Magellan saw an opportunity to strengthen the existing friendship ties with the ruler of the [[Visayan]] region and agreed to help him subdue the resistant Lapulapu.{{Citation needed|date = April 2021}}

==Battle==
Upon landing, Magellan's small force was immediately attacked by the natives with a heavy barrage of ranged weapons, consisting of arrows, iron-tipped "bamboo" throwing spears (probably [[rattan]] ''[[bangkaw]]''), fire-hardened sticks, and even stones. They surrounded Magellan's landing party, attacking from the front and both flanks. The heavy armor of the Spaniards largely protected them from this barrage, inflicting only a handful of fatalities on the Europeans, but it was heavily demoralizing on the troops.<ref name="Angeles">Angeles, Jose Amiel. "The Battle of Mactan and the Indigenous Discourse on War." ''Philippine Studies'' vol. 55, No. 1 (2007): pp. 3–52.</ref>

The musketeers and crossbowmen on the boat tried to provide support by firing from the boats. Though the light armor and the shields of the natives were vulnerable to European projectile weapons, the barrage had little effect, as they were firing from an extreme distance and the natives easily avoided them. Due to the same distance, Magellan could not command them to stop and save their ammunition, and the musketeers and crossbowmen continued firing for half an hour until their ammunition was exhausted.<ref name="Angeles" />

Magellan, hoping to ease the attack, set fire to some of the houses, but this only enraged the natives. Magellan was finally hit with a poisoned arrow through his unarmored legs, at which time the natives charged the Europeans for close-quarters combat.<ref name="Angeles" />

Many of the warriors specifically attacked Magellan. In the struggle, he was wounded in the arm with a spear and in the leg by a large native sword (likely a [[kampilan]]). Those who stood beside him were easily overpowered and killed, while the others who tried to help him were hacked by spears and swords. With this advantage, Lapulapu's troops finally overwhelmed and killed Magellan. Pigafetta and a few others managed to escape.<ref>{{cite web | title =The Death of Magellan, 1521 | url=http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/magellan.htm | access-date = June 9, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080607090557/http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/magellan.htm| archive-date= June 7, 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref>

According to Pigafetta, several of Magellan's men were killed in battle, and a number of native converts to Catholicism who had come to their aid were immediately killed by the warriors.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Nowell 1962" />

Magellan's allies, Humabon and Zula, were said<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cebuwanderlust.com/culture-and-heritage/battle-mactan-told-antonio-pigafetta/ | title=The Battle of Mactan as Told by Antonio Pigafetta | date=April 26, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> to not have participated in the battle, at Magellan's bidding. They watched from a distance.

== Magellan's Death: according to Antonio Pigafetta's Journal ==
The only known primary source of the [[Magellan expedition]], titled the ''Primo viaggio intorno al mondo'' (English: First Voyage Around the World), contains Pigafetta's personal recount and vivid description of [[Ferdinand Magellan|Ferdinand Magellan's]] death.
[[File:Journal of Magellan's Voyage WDL3082.pdf|thumb|193x193px|A manuscript of the original copy of ''Primo viaggio intorno al mondo'' - written by Pigafetta between 1522-1525]]
As said in ''EyeWitness to history'',<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The Death of Magellan, 1521 |url=http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/magellan.htm |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=www.eyewitnesstohistory.com}}</ref> Pigafetta writes that Magellan, in an attempt to show off his power and scare the local Mactan tribes into obedience, took most of his men to storm the beach and attack the natives. He ordered the men on his ship to fire upon the natives with their muskets and cannons, however, Magellan made a strategic error, not taking into account the reef that stands between the beach and his ship. The distance to the ship is too great, so the cannons and muskets were not able to reach the natives. 
[[File:Magellans death.jpg|left|thumb|312x312px|Ferdinand Magellan's final stand]]
Upon seeing this, the furious Mactans fired arrows back at Magellan. His response was sending a couple men to burn down the natives' houses. This only further enraged the natives, causing them to rush Magellan's men and hurl spears and arrows at the Spaniards' vulnerable legs. Amidst the chaos, Magellan's right leg was wounded with a poisoned arrow. He then ordered his men to retreat, but they ignored him and continued engaged in the battle. 

With both parties refusing to back down, the battle lasted for over an hour. After Magellan sustained a significant injury to his arm, the natives focused their attack on him. After being wounded in his left leg, Magellan collapsed. Multiple Mactan warriors then rushed him with their spears and killed the captain.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Pigafetta |first=Antonio |title=The first voyage around the world, 1519-1522: an account of Magellan's expedition |last2=Cachey |first2=Theodore J. |date=2007 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |others=Gibson Library Connections, Inc |isbn=978-1-4426-8492-8 |series=Lorenzo da Ponte Italian library series |location=Toronto [Ont.]}}</ref>

===Aftermath===
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2017}}
Datu Lapulapu's warriors recovered the body of Magellan. Humabon demanded the bodies of Magellan and of some of Magellan's dead crew, in return for as much merchandise as the warriors wished, but they refused.

Some of the soldiers who survived the battle and returned to Cebu were poisoned at a feast given by Humabon. Magellan was succeeded by [[Juan Sebastián Elcano]] as commander of the expedition. After Humabon's betrayal, he ordered an immediate departure. Elcano and his fleet sailed west. They reached Spain in 1522, completing the first [[circumnavigation]] of the world.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Berasaluze |first=Gari |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/863179867 |title=Elkano: itsasoak emandako bizitza |date=2008 |publisher=Txalaparta |others=Dani Fano |isbn=978-84-8136-535-1 |edition=1. argit |location=Tafalla |oclc=863179867}}</ref>

==In Philippine culture==
[[File:MactanShrineTower2.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Magellan shrine|memorial to Magellan]] built by the Spanish.]]
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2017}}

In Philippine history, the "victory of Mactan" is considered to have delayed the [[Spanish colonization of the Philippines]] by 44&nbsp;years until the conquest by [[Miguel López de Legazpi]] in 1564–1565. Today, Lapulapu is retroactively honored as the first "Philippine [[Folk hero|national hero]]" to resist foreign rule.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/the-story-of-lapu-lapu-the-legendary-filipino-hero/ |title= The Story of Lapu-Lapu: The Legendary Filipino Hero |last=Valdeavilla |first=Ronica|date= September 14, 2018 }}</ref>

Lapulapu is remembered by a number of commemorations: statues on the island of Mactan and at the Cebu Provincial Capitol, a city bearing his name, and a local variety of Red [[Grouper]] fish. [[Kapampangan people|Kapampangan]] actor-turned-politician [[Lito Lapid]] starred in a film called ''Lapu-Lapu'', and [[Novelty song|novelty singer]] [[Yoyoy Villame]] wrote a folk song entitled "Magellan" that tells a humorously distorted story of the Battle of Mactan.<ref>{{cite web| title= 'Magellan' Lyrics |author=Yoyoy Villame|url=http://www.opmpinoy.com/opm-magellan-lyrics-11063.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210055420/http://www.opmpinoy.com/opm-magellan-lyrics-11063.html|archive-date=February 10, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There is a spot in Mactan Island called the "Mactan shrine" where the historic battle is reenacted along the mangrove shorelines of the shrine during its anniversary and culminated with the ''Rampada Festival'', a festival reenacting the victory celebration of Mactan after the battle. Appropriately called the "Victory of Mactan" (Cebuano: ''Kadaugan sa Mactan''), the reenactment is considered as a grand celebration for Cebuanos and one of Cebu's prime festivals together with the [[Sinulog]] of Cebu. Usually, during the re-enactment, Filipino celebrities, especially of Cebuano origin, play Lapu-Lapu, his wife Reyna Bulakna, and Ferdinand Magellan. 

The inhabitants of the [[Sulu archipelago]] believe that Lapulapu was a [[Muslims|Muslim]] of the [[Sama-Bajau]].<ref name="tucci">{{cite book|author=Frank "Sulaiman" Tucci|title=The Old Muslim's Opinions: A Year of Filipino Newspaper Columns|publisher=[[iUniverse]]|year=2009|page=41|isbn=9781440183430|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3rXBdkCnL0C&q=lapu-lapu+muslim&pg=PA41}}</ref>

On April 27, 2017, in honoring Lapulapu as the first hero who resisted foreign rule in the country, the date April 27 when the battle happened was declared by President [[Rodrigo Duterte]] as ''Lapulapu Day''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kabiling|first=Genalyn|title=April 27 declared as Lapu-Lapu Day|newspaper=Manila Bulletin News |url=http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/04/27/april-27-declared-as-lapu-lapu-day/|publisher=[[Manila Bulletin]]|access-date=May 22, 2017|date=April 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Romero|first1=Alexis|title='Hero' Lapu-Lapu gets special day|url=http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/04/28/1694633/hero-lapu-lapu-gets-special-day|publisher=[[The Philippine Star]]|date=April 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531182642/http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/04/28/1694633/hero-lapu-lapu-gets-special-day|archive-date=May 31, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Battle of Mactan}}
*[http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/magellan.htm The Death of Magellan according to Pigafetta]
*[http://www.bulatlat.com/news/2-14/2-14-magellan.html Reliving the Battle of Mactan]
*[http://living.cebunetwork.com/battle-of-mactan-shrine/2006/05/08/ Battle of Mactan: History and Myth]

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{{Magellan expedition|state=expanded}}

[[Category:1521 in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Battles involving Spain|Mactan 1521]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Philippines|Mactan]]
[[Category:Civil wars of the Middle Ages|Mactan]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1521|Mactan]]
[[Category:History of Cebu]]
[[Category:History of the Philippines (1565–1898)]]
[[Category:Lapu-Lapu City]]
[[Category:Magellan expedition]]
[[Category:Military history of the Philippines|Mactan]]
[[Category:Visayan history]]