Oviedo on Columbus ed. by Jesús Carrillo (review)

REVIEWS Jesús Carrillo, ed., and Diane Avalle-Arce, trans., Oviedo on Columbus, Repertorium Columbianum 9 (Turnhout: Brepols 2000) 224 pp. Anthony Pagden states in his preface that Jesús Carrillo’s work will once again bring to light Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo’s body of work, long forgotten. Oviedo on Columbus delivers on that promise, compiling references to the conquest and to Christopher Columbus found in various texts by Oviedo, including De la Natural Historia de las Indias, Cathálogo Real e Imperial de Castilla, Historia General y Natural de las Yndias, the Diálogos on Alonso de Córdoba and Pedro González de Mendoza, and the Quinquágenas de los generosos e ilustres e no menos famosos reyes ... . The text selections are presented in both Spanish and English, thanks to Diane Avalle-Arce’s wonderful translation, and the work also includes of a series of maps and illustrations that make this volume complete. While many scholars are most familiar with Oviedo’s chronicles about the natural history of the Indies, Oviedo on Columbus demonstrates how powerful his work is with regards to interpreting the enterprise of the New World. In the introduction, Jesús Carrillo discusses Oviedo’s biography, his position within the royal court, the perception he had of Christopher Columbus and, finally, some background to each of the texts selected and presented in this volume. This introductory work is significant, providing scholars with vital details about Oviedo that allow for a better understanding of the factors that led Oviedo towards his numerous trips to the Indies as well as his contributions to the debate about the actions of the Spaniards during the era of “discovery” and conquest. Carrillo’s work expands the debate about the nature of the conquest and the presence of Spain in the Indies, and demonstrates why Oviedo’s works must be studied along with other chronicles of the era. A primary focus of Oviedo on Columbus is his portrayal of Christopher Columbus , a man he declares to have known while in the Indies. Oviedo provides a wealth of information about Columbus, from a biography to a rather detailed account of the first voyage in particular, even adding details about the indigenous groups that are strikingly similar to Columbus’s own descriptions in his “Letter to Luis de Sant’ Angel” and the Diarios of his voyages. Overall, his description of the four voyages tells the story of the early days of the conquest both on the vessels and in the royal court. As a royal insider, Oviedo relates the turn of events that saw Columbus obtain the money for his trips, act as governor in the Indies, and eventually be arrested and sent back to Spain. His portrayal adds details that other chronicles cannot, for lack of access to the courts. Carrillo states that rather than portray Columbus as a saintly figure, Oviedo instead chose to reiterate the historical relevance of his achievements: “As Pérez de Tudela once noted, in Oviedo’s opinion the importance of Columbus’s actions lay in the transcendence they had for the imperial destiny of the Spanish nation ...” (16). Columbus’s contributions are primarily important for the Spanish empire as well as the propagation of Christianity: “On Christopher Columbus, first discoverer of the Indies, islands, and mainland of the Ocean Sea to whom the Spaniards owe the most after Saint James who first brought the Christian faith to Spain, because by having discovered the Indies he was the REVIEWS 168 most useful to everybody” (41–22). Oviedo is grateful for his efforts, but this does not translate into the type of hero worship reminiscent of other chroniclers , such as Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas. He is capable of seeing Columbus as a man who is fallible. In recounting the deaths of Spaniards left behind on La Española by the Admiral to learn local customs and language, Oviedo mentions that Columbus left those he felt were “most careful and diligent” (59) when in reality they were not. Upon learning of their fates, the admiral is shown to be remorseful, a sign of his humanity. Of particular interest to scholars is Oviedo’s account of Columbus...