Magallanes: building the hero

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2019-1348

Keywords:

Hero, myth, Magellan, circumnavigation of the globe

Abstract

Introduction. The world of yesterday, as with that of today, needs references. Building heroes, figures elevated to the status of extraordinary beings, responds to that human need to know that there have been others who achieved great things before them. Methodology. In this paper, a qualitative method based on an established model, i.e. that of the hero’s journey, was employed, along with an ad hoc tool with a number of supplementary variables relating to the morphological and functional attributes of the hero. Results. Two literary works were reviewed with an eye to detecting the principal mechanisms used to convert Magellan into the hero of the first circumnavigation of the globe. Discussion and conclusions. In light of the above considerations, Magellan was lionised from the moment that he embarked on his adventure. Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler accompanying him, was responsible for making him into a hero in his writings, due to the admiration that he felt for him, while paving the way for others who would follow in the navigator’s footsteps.

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Author Biographies

Ángeles Martínez-García, Sevilla University

A professor at the Faculty of Communication of the University of Seville, Martínez-García has been a member of the Communication Area of the Andalusian Audio-visual Foundation (RTVA) and an advisor of the Cabinet Office of the Andalusian Audio-visual Council, in addition to having lectured at different Spanish universities.

Martínez-García is a member of the research group ‘HUM-1013: Equipo de Investigación de la Imagen y la Cultura Visual en el Ámbito de la Comunicación (EIKON)’.

Her lines of research include cinematographic images and current media myths. Besides having published papers in national and international journals, she has authored four books to date: La imagen fragmentada. Miradas al audiovisual hecho desde Andalucía, editorial Biblioteca Nueva; La imagen cinematográfica. Manual de análisis aplicado (2015), editorial Síntesis; Laberintos narrativos (2012) editorial Gedisa; Mito, cine, literatura. Laberinto y caos en “El tercer hombre” (2006), editorial Alfar. Furthermore, she co-ordinated two books: 50 imágenes para entender la comunicación. Imago Mundi (2017), editorial Tirant Lo Blanch; and 50 imágenes para entender la comunicación en el siglo XX. Imago Mundi (2018).

Antonio Gómez-Aguilar, Sevilla University

Professor at the Faculty of Communication at the University of Seville. He has been a member of the Communication Area of ​​the Andalusian Audiovisual Foundation (RTVA), professor of Professional Image and Sound Training and professor at the EUSA University Center.

He is a member of the research group HUM-1013: Image and Visual Culture Research Team in the Field of Communication (EIKON).
His lines of research are communication technologies and audiovisual production.

In addition to other collaborations in national and international scientific journals, he has published two full volumes as an author so far: La imagen fragmentada. Looks at the audiovisual made from Andalusia, Editorial Biblioteca Nueva; The cinematic image. Applied Analysis Manual (2015), Síntesis editorial.

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Published

2019-02-28

How to Cite

Martínez-García, Ángeles, & Gómez-Aguilar, A. (2019). Magallanes: building the hero. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, (74), 618–636. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2019-1348

Issue

Section

Miscellaneous