Did you know that Christopher Columbus got rid of death thanks to an eclipse?

As you know, Columbus "discovered" America in 1492, when he docked with his boats to an island northwest of Cuba to which he named San Salvador. But according to an incredible story published by Space.com, this wasn't the only time the Genoese ventured into these bands. Over 10 years after the discovery, the explorer made four other trips to the new world, and during the last of them, he found himself in the most trouble.

In May 1502, after leaving the port of Cadiz, Spain, with the vessels Gallega, Santiago de Palos, Vizcaine and Capitana heading for the Central American coast, Columbus was forced to abandon two of them along the way due to a termite infestation. -tame. The remaining ships eventually reached the northern coast of Jamaica in June 1503, and at first the castaways were well received by the natives.

Clueless Visitors

However, have you ever found yourself in the position of receiving those clueless visits that never go away? Then, after a few months, the natives began to tire of providing food and shelter in exchange for the trinkets foreigners used as currency, and it was only a matter of time before the situation became tense.

To make matters worse, Columbus's crew rebelled against the hosts and eventually robbed and killed some of the natives. Seeing that it would be dead end, the clever Genoese devised a plan. At that time, an indispensable item on any voyage - considered as important as maps and compass - was an almanac by Johannes Müller von Königsberg, a famous German astrologer, cosmographer, and mathematician, and no sailor left without him.

This blessed book contained detailed information about the moon, the sun, and the planets, as well as lists of major stars and constellations of interest to browsers. Most importantly for Columbus, the almanac bore tables covering the major astronomical events from 1475 to 1506. The admiral had evidently studied the contents of the publication carefully, and knew that in February 1504 a total eclipse of the moon would occur.

Putting the plan into action

With this precious information in hand, Columbus sought out the native chief three days before the eclipse. The discerning Genoese invented that his Christian God was very, very upset with the locals because they had decided not to provide foreigners with food and roof and that the almighty would show a sign of his fury!

According to Columbus, the “divine messenger”, in the three-day period the Most High would cause the moon to appear inflamed by wrath in the sky, and that this would be the prelude to a series of woes that would befall the natives. When the moon came up on the third day, it was clear that something very terrible was happening. After it appeared completely, it was not long before a small part disappeared from its lower extremity.

Darkness!

And you know what eclipses look like, don't you? For, luckily for Columbus, the natives did not know! Thus, just over an hour after dark, darkness fell upon the earth and the moon hovered as if it had been bathed in blood. According to one of the admiral's sons, Fernando, the locals were terrified and began bringing provisions and supplying the ships immediately, begging Columbus to intercede with his God.

In exchange for divine forgiveness and for the moon to return to normal, the natives promised to cooperate with foreigners. Columbus, for his part, still played the important thing, saying that he needed to withdraw to discuss the issue with the almighty. During this time, the admiral kept his eyes glued to an hourglass so as not to miss the unfolding eclipse and some time later announced that the natives had been spared.

And, miraculously, the moon began to return to normal gradually. The relieved natives kept their promise and kept the Columbus men stocked and sheltered until a caravel sent from Spain arrived and rescued the crew a few months later.