Colom... rara avis

Abstract

English Abstract: This is a paper on the problematic ancestry and identity of Christopher Columbus, and a discussion of some of the problems attending its determination, given the existing historical records, Columbus's own writings—and his unwillingness to disclose his background—and the social and political context of Spain in the late fifteenth century. The paper argues that a (convert) Jewish family background would help explain some of the mysteries surrounding the navigator's identity.

Spanish Abstract: Comentamos aquí la problemática ascendencia e identidad de Cristóbal Colón, y algunos de los problemas para su determinación, habida cuenta de los datos históricos existentes, de los escritos del propio Colón —y su renuencia a aclarar sus orígenes— y del contexto social y político de España a fines del siglo quince. Proponemos que un origen familiar judío (converso) ayudaría a explicar algunos de los misterios que rodean la identidad del navegante.

Note: Downloadable document is in Spanish.

Keywords: History, Christopher Columbus, Jews in Spain, Spanish history