Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda
Encyclopedia
Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda (c. 1536 – after 1575, dates uncertain) was a Spanish
shipwreck
survivor who lived among the Indians
of Florida
for 17 years. His memoir, written in 1575, is one of the most valuable contemporary accounts of American Indian life from that period.
Around 1549, when Fontaneda was thirteen, he and his brother were sailing to school in Salamanca
, Spain when their ship wrecked on the coast of Florida, possibly during a hurricane. The crew and passengers were rescued by the Calusa
, who enslaved them and eventually sacrificed
everyone besides Fontaneda; the boy apparently escaped death by correctly interpreting their commands to sing and dance for them. He spent the next seventeen years living among the Calusa and other tribes, learning several languages and travelling extensively through Florida. Around 1566 Fontaneda was rescued from his captivity by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
, Florida's first Spanish governor and founder of St. Augustine
, who bargained for his freedom from King Carlos. An alternate claim is that Fontaneda was rescued by the Huguenots of Fort Caroline
in 1565, and reunited with the Spanish when they took over the fort. He served as an interpreter and guide for Menéndez on a number of missions for the next several years, and returned to Spain in 1569 to reclaim his parents' property from the Crown. In 1575 he wrote his memoir, which proved valuable to historians of the day such as Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas
, and remains so today.
Fontaneda provides the city of Tampa
's earliest written mention. He names 22 important villages of the Calusa, the first being "Tanpa". He gives no details concerning the exact location of Tanpa, but the connection with modern Tampa (known to have indigenous origins) is considered unlikely. The "Memoir" also proved instrumental in the development of the Fountain of Youth
legend as an early mention of Juan Ponce de León
looking for the healing waters in Florida, a detail almost inseparable from the myth today. Though Fontaneda did not believe the story, later historians were less incredulous.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
survivor who lived among the Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
for 17 years. His memoir, written in 1575, is one of the most valuable contemporary accounts of American Indian life from that period.
Around 1549, when Fontaneda was thirteen, he and his brother were sailing to school in Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
, Spain when their ship wrecked on the coast of Florida, possibly during a hurricane. The crew and passengers were rescued by the Calusa
Calusa
The Calusa were a Native American people who lived on the coast and along the inner waterways of Florida's southwest coast. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region; at the time of European contact, the Calusa were the people of the Caloosahatchee culture...
, who enslaved them and eventually sacrificed
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
everyone besides Fontaneda; the boy apparently escaped death by correctly interpreting their commands to sing and dance for them. He spent the next seventeen years living among the Calusa and other tribes, learning several languages and travelling extensively through Florida. Around 1566 Fontaneda was rescued from his captivity by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral and explorer, best remembered for founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. This was the first successful Spanish foothold in La Florida and remained the most significant city in the region for several hundred years. St...
, Florida's first Spanish governor and founder of St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, who bargained for his freedom from King Carlos. An alternate claim is that Fontaneda was rescued by the Huguenots of Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline was the first French colony in the present-day United States. Established in what is now Jacksonville, Florida, on June 22, 1564, under the leadership of René Goulaine de Laudonnière, it was intended as a refuge for the Huguenots. It lasted one year before being obliterated by the...
in 1565, and reunited with the Spanish when they took over the fort. He served as an interpreter and guide for Menéndez on a number of missions for the next several years, and returned to Spain in 1569 to reclaim his parents' property from the Crown. In 1575 he wrote his memoir, which proved valuable to historians of the day such as Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas
Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas
Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas , Spanish historian, was born at Cuéllar, in the province of Segovia.-Biography:His father, Roderigo de Tordesillas, and his mother, Agnes de Herrera, were both of good family...
, and remains so today.
Fontaneda provides the city of Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
's earliest written mention. He names 22 important villages of the Calusa, the first being "Tanpa". He gives no details concerning the exact location of Tanpa, but the connection with modern Tampa (known to have indigenous origins) is considered unlikely. The "Memoir" also proved instrumental in the development of the Fountain of Youth
Fountain of Youth
The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus, the Alexander romance, and the stories of Prester John...
legend as an early mention of Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer. He became the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. He led the first European expedition to Florida, which he named...
looking for the healing waters in Florida, a detail almost inseparable from the myth today. Though Fontaneda did not believe the story, later historians were less incredulous.