Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo
Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo (c. 1450 – 1505) was a Castilian author who arranged the modern version of the chivalric romance Amadís de Gaula, originally written in three books in the 14th century by an unknown author. Montalvo incorporated a fourth book in the original series, and followed it with a sequel, Las sergas de Esplandián. It is the sequel that Montalvo is most often noted for, mainly because within the book he coined the word California.
Quotes
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- Know that, on the right hand of the Indies, there is an island called California, very near to the Terrestrial Paradise, which was peopled with black women, without any men among them, because they were accustomed to live after the fashion of Amazons. They were of strong and hardened bodies, of ardent courage, and of great force. The island was the strongest in the world, from its steep rocks and great cliffs. Their arms were all of gold; and so were the caparisons of the wild beasts which they rode, after having tamed them: for in all the island there is no other metal. They lived in caves very well worked out; they had many ships, in which they sailed to other parts to carry on their forrays....In this island, called California, are many griffins, on account of the great savageness of the country, and the immense quantity of wild game to be found there....Now, in the time that those great men of the Pagans sailed [against Constantinople] with those great fleets of which I have told you, there reigned in this Island of California a queen, very large of body, very beautiful, in the prime of her years, desirous to achieve great things; strong, brave, eager, and of good courage, — more than any of those who had before this held her kingdom. And, hearing tell how the greater part of the world was moving against the Christians, not knowing what sort of thing the Christians were, and having no knowledge of other countries but those which were near her own; desiring to see the world and its various races; thinking that, with the great power which she and her people could bring, of all that they gained, she would, from her strength and rank, obtain the greater part, — she talked with all those who were skilful in war, and told them that it would be well, if, embarking in their greatest fleets, they followed in the way in which so many great princes and lords were following. Animating and encouraging them, she set before them the great honors and inducements which such a course offered them above all, showing them how much more fame they would gain through all the world than if they remained in this island, where, doing only what their grandmothers did, they were only buried alive, — living like those who were dead; passing their days, without fame or glory, as the brute beasts do.
- Las sergas de Esplandián (1510), ch. 157: extracts translated by Edward E. Hale, "The Name of California", Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society (April 30, 1862), p. 48; revised in The Atlantic Monthly (March, 1864), p. 266
External links
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Encyclopedic article on Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo on Wikipedia
