The Vivaldi brothers in the 13th century
In early 1291, Vandino and Ugolino Vivaldi sailed from Genoa, planning to reach India by sea in ten years. They crossed the Mediterranean, sailed through the strait at Gibraltar, entered the Atlantic ocean, headed south along the coast of Morocco... and were never heard of again.
It is presumed that they would have tried to reach India by circumnavigating Africa around the Cape of Good Hope. If, however, their vessels were sturdy and well stocked with fresh water, and if they encountered turbulent weather in the South Atlantic, the trade winds or storm winds could have blown them to the New World. Now consider...
The legends of Quetzalcoatl and Pahana
Historians traveling with Cortes and the Spanish conquistadors reported that at the time of their initial contact with the native peoples of the Central America, they were greeted not only as gods, but as returning gods - with Cortes representing the white, bearded god who had visited their people in their prehistory. Some of the Mesoamerican tribes also used the cross as a sacred symbol.
When other Spaniards first encountered the Hopi tribes of North America, there was already a legend of a Pahana - a lost "white brother" - connected with the East and embedded in their culture since time immemorial.
It's probably a coincidence. But fun to ponder, and certainly not impossible.
I found a book at the library years ago called "Columbus Was Last". It detailed visits to the "New World" by Europeans, Africans, and even Chinese. I went back to check it out again, and it was no longer in the system. But there are quite a few similar legends.
ReplyDeleteNice! Helped me a lot!
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