Ferdinand Magellan and the Santo Niño

We all know of the story of Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan and the image of the Santo Niño he brought to Cebu as a historical fact. What is not clear, however, is if it was destiny or mere happenstance. Magellan came to Cebu in 1521 and gave the image of the Santo Niño to the native queen, Humamai, as a baptismal present on her conversion to the Christian faith, together with her husband, Rajah Humabon, and 800 others. Within a few days afterwards, Magellan was killed by Lapulapu, the chieftain of the neighboring Mactan tribe.

During the next 44 years, there was no account of the Santo Niño. Then, in 1565, a soldier of the second Spanish expedition under Miguel Lopez de Legazpi found the image among the rubbles in an area that had been gutted by fire. The Santo Niño was unscratched.

It is said that in the interval between Magellan and Legazpi, the Santo Niño became a pagan idol among the native people. That's probable, considering that there was no one to nurture the budding Christian faith in the community; the natives must have had easily slid back to their old religion. In fact, there were reportedly several attempts by the natives to destroy the Santo Niño. But they failed every time. That's how they come to be convinced that the little statue had power.

And as the Santo Niño eventually became a part of the village life, the local people claimed it as their own. When Legazpi would later ask them about it, the villagers claimed that the image was there since the ancient times. They never related the Santo Niño with the gift that Magellan gave to their queen. They had many legends about the origin of the image. Some of these tales have survived to this day.

One legend has it that the Santo Niño image was originally a driftwood that got caught in a local fisherman's net. That, no matter how the fisherman tried to throw it away, the driftwood kept coming back. Finally, he decided to just keep it. That's when his fish catch became so plentiful, and he attributed the bounty to the driftwood. The fisherman brought it home, and the whole village worshipped it after hearing his story.

According to writer Nick Joaquin, the Santo Niño is such "a symbol of Philippine history, because it came with Magellan, became a native pagan idol, and then reestablished as a Christian icon by Legazpi." But the story between Magellan and the Child God hints of a much deeper meaning. The great explorer was trying to make a record of being the very first man to circle the globe. Propagating Christianity might not have been his main reason for daring to tread on uncharted territories. It was probably more for his own personal glory. It boggles the mind how Ferdinand Magellan could have lost the battle at Mactan. He had obviously superior firepower and military acumen over the bolos and raw rage of the tribal warriors. But Magellan failed. He failed in claiming the land for his king. He failed in propagating the faith. He was a highly learned and very decorated man, no doubt; but a mere human, still.

On the other hand, the wooden statue that could not move on its own or preach a single word has conquered where the man of great might failed. By just standing there, patiently waiting, the Niño has claimed the village, then the whole island, and eventually the rest of the archipelago, for the Father.

So was it destiny why Magellan lost? Why did the Niño allow the fall of his great advocate? Whatever the reason, what does it matter? What is one human life worth when God Himself sent His only begotten son to cleanse all mankind of sin? Perhaps Magellan had to be cleared out of the way in order for the glory of God to clearly shine through.

God wins. We can see that, at least, in the widespread and intense devotion to the Santo Niño today. People come to Him, kneel before Him. But it was God who set the example first. He came for His people, humbled Himself and endured resistance and humiliation by those He came down to the world for. He even offered His life for them. And by His death, mankind wins. (E-MAIL: modequillo@hot mail.com)