subtitled, "How did this myth about the Spanish explorer even get its start?"
Ponce de León's name wasn't tied to the Fountain of Youth until 14 years after his death. (The Granger Collection, NYC)
Posted on 05/25/2013 5:47:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
The real story goes something like this: In 1511, messy political squabbling forced Ponce to surrender the governorship of Puerto Rico, an appointment he had held since 1509. As a consolation prize, King Ferdinand offered him Bimini, assuming the stalwart conquistador could finance an expedition and actually find it.
J. Michael Francis, a historian at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg who has spent decades studying the Spanish colonies in the Americas , says no mention of a Fountain of Youth occurs in any known documents from Ponce’s lifetime, including contracts and other official correspondence with the Crown. In fact, Ponce’s name did not become connected with the Fountain of Youth until many years after his death, and then only thanks to a Spanish court chronicler out to discredit him.
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés disliked Ponce, contending that he was gullible, egocentric and dull-witted. The animosity probably had something to do with court politics: Oviedo aligned himself with Diego Columbus, who was the son of Christopher and the man who helped push Ponce out of Puerto Rico.
In Historia general y natural de las Indias, Oviedo’s account of the Spanish settling of the Americas, he relates a tale in which Ponce, deceived by Indians, goes tromping off on a futile hunt for the Fountain of Youth. It’s all a literary device intended to make Ponce appear foolish.
(Excerpt) Read more at smithsonianmag.com ...
Ponce de León's name wasn't tied to the Fountain of Youth until 14 years after his death. (The Granger Collection, NYC)
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Now this after getting my season pass for the St. Augustine tourist train! Dangit!
>> It’s all a literary device intended to make Ponce appear foolish.
Does this mean that all the elderly snowbirds in Florida can finally GO HOME?
Truth is they were cruising for chicks, but the fountain story sounded like good cover at the time.
I paid money to have a drink from the Fountain of Youth a few years ago. Was the purpose to make Ponce seem foolish or those of us who would part with their money seem foolish?
Interesting.
Just recently, I was pondering the topic of misinformation about groups of people and historical figures getting passed down through the ages by third parties.
Anyone who has ever been directly involved in an incident which is later reported on by the news media can attest to just how wrong they can get their facts.
They already think it.
There’s a book out called, Getting It Wrong, where the author, William Campbell, goes over some of the big media myths. It was good.
I heard that he had actually been trying to find a restroom.
Oh No...say it isn’t so. I was captivated by Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth in 5th grade. Now it turns out to be nothing but Cook County style dirty politics.
There is a sometimes funny, very adult comic on the Internet, that made several comics as parodies of Ponce De Leon’s supposed search. All of these Safe For Work, however.
It’s been moved a couple of times and now gets it’s water from the city water supply.
LOL! Without the tale no one would ever even think of him.
An effort to discredit backfires again. (”This so-called ‘Big Bang’ theory”...)
1515 Ponzi Square?
This isn’t a Ponzi scheme, it’s a Ponce-eeee scheme!
I bet he was looking for yoots!
Good points.
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