In the early 1520s, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew, employed by the Spanish Crown, set out to circumnavigate the globe, exploring the coast of South America in the process. They intended to reach the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, setting up a western sea route to hasten their trade of spices across the isles.
The expedition started out as a success for Magellan - he was the first European to chart what would be dubbed the 'Strait of Magellan', a navigable stretch of sea that separated the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans between mainland Chile and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. He would also make it across the Pacific to the islands of East Asia soon after, and fulfil the Spanish request. His luck would not last, however - he would soon die in battle with the inhabitants of the Philippine Island of Mactan upon reaching East Asia in 1521. It is through the words of one of Magellan's men - the Venetian scholar and explorer Antonio Pigafetta - that the subject of today's video can be explored.
Pigafetta was one of the few men on board Magellan's expedition who returned safely to Western Europe in 1522, and he wasn't short of tales to tell of his voyage. Among them was an account of an unusual sighting that supposedly took place along the coastlines of Patagonia while on the South American leg of the journey. According to the explorer, a race of giant humans, twice the height of any other, were living along the coastlines and forests of Patagonia. It's a claim that skewed European perceptions of the region for almost three hundred years to follow - but what did Pigafetta actually see on his travels west?
In this video, we will be breaking down the claims and legends behind the mysterious giants of Patagonia, taking a look at the historical accounts, and attempting to explain the truth behind the sightings. Join us as we trace Magellan's steps to the coastlines of Patagonia to investigate the mysterious 'giants' who reportedly lived there.
Narrated and Presented by: Tom McGlynn
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