COLUMBUS AND CROATIANS
By Adam S. Eterovich

Cristobal Colon

INTRODUCTION

A Croatian traveling west In Europe or to the New World from 1300-1700 could have been identified in documents as Hungarian, Venetian, Austrian, Turkish, Italian, Slavonian, Illyrian, Dalmatian or from the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). 

The merchant class and nobility in Croatian-Dalmatia used two versions of their name such as Florio-Cvjetkovich, Mladineo-Miadinich, Hetoreo-Eterovich; others were recorded as Mateo de Lesina (Hvar), Pero de Brazza (Brac), Bozo de Ragusa or as a Slavonian (Italian-Schiavoni), (Spanish-Esclavon). All Croatian geographical place names were in Italian, Hungarian or German. 

In 2002 to state or assume that Croatians participated in discovery of new lands and were with Columbus would not be believed and probably questioned in many circles. The 1400's-1650's were in fact a golden age for Croatia disporportionate to her size in territory and population, considering the Ottoman Turk invasion and conquest up to Croatian-Dalmatia and the Republic of Ragusa. 

Previous, during and after the discovery of America Croatians participated in mercantile and diplomatic activities in Spain, Portugal, England, France, Florence, Venice, Genoa and in India, America, Canada, Central and South America. 

Their presence in Spain at the time of discoverv was neither accidental nor luck. 

MAPS-CHARTS-PILOTS-SHIP CAPTAINS

All historians, mapmakers, cartographers admit to the unreliability of maps, charts, and commentary on the first explorations in the New World because of re-copying, transcribing and translation to and from Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and English. The Pilot Majors were in charge of all maps and the kings considered the information to be top secret. Harrisse in his Discovery of North America adequately states the above: 

"Whether they are the work of Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, or French cartographers, or even pilots, the new regions exhibit names that are plainly corruptions of words which belonged originally to one of the Latin languages, and must have been Intelligible on the prototypes. The ignorance or carelessness of copyists to whom the work was entrusted. It does not matter where or by whom, Is the principal cause of geographical errors and enigmas, which the critic cannot ever hope to solve entirely.” 

RAGUSA-RAGUSAN AS USED IN THE WEST

The Republic of Dubrovnik was known in the Middle Ages as the Republic of Ragusa. For the purpose of this study we will use Ragusa and Ragusan. Variations of Ragusa and Ragusan included: 

Rhagusi, Rhagusei, Arragosie, Raugia, Aragucesas, Aragose, Ragouze, Arragowze, Aragoso, Aragosee, Arause, Rogaoso, Aragujo, Araguz, Ragoza, Aranguren, Ragusee, Argosine, Rauseo, Ragusien, Arragosy, Ragason, Aragus, Ragus, Araguses, Ragusies, Ragusei, Aragosia, Arragouse, Sarragouse, Argosy, Argose, Argosie, Aragouse, Arguze, Ragusye, Arragouese, Ragozine, Rausa.

Shakespeare used Ragozine-Argosy in his plays. The above variations were found In many books published in the west during the 1500's-1600's. 

CROATIANS WITH COLUMBUS

Columbus’ Crew Lists
A comparison was made of the crew lists of historians Berwick, Gould and Fuson. The lists were compiled from ship lists, pay lists and testimony over a period of time. 
I eliminated all persons listed as of or from a place not in Croatia such as Juan de Sevilla, Juan do Xeres. Juan de Villar. I then identified all persons listed with no place names and obviously Spanish. 
The remainder I submit as being Croatian for the reasons outlined In the next several paragraphs. 
All researchers and historians acknowledge omissions, duplications, errors In transcription and corruption of names due to legibility and age of the original documents. In fact, some compilers of lists simply changed place names under the assumption that the place name should have been a Spanish place name as it was similar to the name recorded on the original document. 

Croatian scholars with a knowledge of Spanish, Italian and Croatian should review all original crew list documentation. I am convinced they will uncover new material pertaining to Croatians In the age of exploration. Attention should be paid to the pronounciation in Spanish of the letters G, J, H, and as they relate to Croatian and English. 

Croatians and Columbus
Stories for hundreds of years have persisted in Croatia of pilots and mariners with Columbus. The historian Appendini speculated that Martolosich was a pilot with Columbus. No documentation exists. 

Milan Savic in his study of Kaboga claimed that Columbus sailed to Ragusa in 1491 on Spanish state business. 

Columbus was born in Genoa. Ragusan merchants and mariners organized a chapel of Saint Vlaho in the Church of Santa Maria di Castello in Genoa in the 1400's. The Ragusan consul and merchants in Genoa also organized a cemetery for those that died. Ragusans organized and supported chapels and cemeteries in almost all communities where they regularly traded. Croatians were well known and accepted in Columbus' birthplace, Genoa, and other maritime communities. 

Identification of individuals was the problem. The most obvious would be from Ragusa or de Ragusa such as: 

Miguel de Aragoces 
de Ragusa-Venecia
Rio de La Plata, South America 1535,
New Spain, Central America 1537
Philippines 1556

Lucas Aragozes 
Guardian Capitana de Legazpi
Philippines 1565

Aragus 
Is. de Havana A Mexico 1536

Isabel Aragus 
New Spain 1536

or

Bozo de Araguz 
Native of Araguz in Hungary
Rio de La Plata, South America 1526

Lucas Ungaro 
Native of Hungary
Traitor with Pizarro
Peru, South America 1548

Joan Mateos 
Native of Hungary
Traitor with Pizarro
Peru 1548

Many records or entries would state a native of a place, but what was not generally understood was a Vecino of a place meant a person formally admitted to citizenship of a community. 

El Viscaino or the Biscayman was Juan de la Cosa, He was the owner and master of Columbus' flagship during his first voyage. 

The historian Mendoza-Tores in his commentary of El Viscaino and Columbus lists: 

Martin de Araguis 
Vecino-Citizen de Bilbao
Marinero Armada Vizcaina
Columbus 1492

Pedro de Arague 
Vecino-Citizen de Aratia
Marinero Armada Vizcaina
Columbus 1492

Both of these mariners were not listed in the crew lists of historians Berwick, Gould or Fuson. Gould lists Martin de Arcos-Pilot, but in other commentary questions "de Arcos". Martin de Arcos, was also not on the regular lists. Was Martin de Araguis and de Arcos one and the same? Is Arcos-Arcosy-Argosy?

Pedro de Arague, not listed In the crew lists, also appears with some probability as follows: 

Pedro de Arague 
Vecino-Citizen Aratia. 
Marinero Armada Vizcaina
Columbus 1492 

Pero Arraes 
Marinero
Columbus 1492

Pedro de Arcos 
Marinero
Columbus 1492

Pedro Arraez 
Marinero
Columbus 1492

The above four are probably one and the same. Gould questioned Arraes and de Arcos. Arraes appears on the Berwick and Gould lists. Pero is not Spanish or Italian. Pedro Arraez is listed by Gould as (de Palos?). Gould and Berwick also have: 

Juan Arraez
Marinero
Columbus 1492

Juan Arraes
Marinero
Columbus 1492


Berwick lists Juan Arraes as Juan Quintero. Gould lists Juan Quintero de Algrita, Contra Maestre de la Pinta. Fuson lists Juan Quintero from Palos.

Gould has listed and commentary:

Juan de Umbria
Marinero
Columbus- 1492

Harrisse has listed and commentary:

Juan de Umbria or de Ungria (Hungary)
Pilot
Jorge de Sosa 1495

De La Umbria or De Ungaria (Hungary)
Pilot
Cortes 1519

Umbria is in central Italy in the mountains. I believe we have a Ragusan from Ungria-Ungaria (Hungary). Dubrovnik-Ragusa was under Hungary at that time.

MATIAS MAFROLO--SLAVONIAN

Mafrolo was with Cabot on the Rio De La Plata in South America as a ship's officer. He was called Second Mate Matias which position he held on the ship Trinidad. Some individuals in the army said he was a Slavonian. John Cabot had him swear his loyalty in the Church of San Francisco Sanlucar de Barrameda and from the events that took place aboard ship, it can be established in reality that oath referred to the espionage in respect to Rojas, on whose side he was. He gossiped to Cabot about the comrnander under whose orders he was placed. Cabot did not err in this docision. 

It seems Mafrolo did not go back to Spain as his orders were to go into the interior on a mission of discovery and when the army returned to Castilla, he did not return. 
Ponce and others had difficulty with their wages and stated that Mafrolo was still up in the River of Solis (Rio de la Plata) . 
The footnote refers to Mafra who was with Columbus. Was Mafra Mafrolo or an error? 

The ship Trinidad was also on Magellan's Voyage of Circumnavigation, 1519-1522. Was our Slavonian (Croatian) also with Magellan as a ship's officer? 

Berwick and Gould list on the crew lists:

Juan de Mafra
Marinero
Columbus 1492

Harrisse has Mafra in commentary as follows and states he is a citizen of Palos: 

Juan de Mafra
Vecino de Palos
Pilot
Columbus 1498

Probable Croatians from Venetian - Dalmatia were: 

Juan Vecano-Venetian 
Marinero
Columbus 1492

Francisco de Levant 
Grumete
Columbus 1505

Estefano Veneciano 
Marinero
Columbus 1494

Bernardo Veneciano 
Marinero
Columbus 1495

COMMENTARY

The term Maestre or Contramaestre is normally a First or Second Mate on a ship. Juan Nino-Maestre de la Nina, Pero Nino-Pilot, Pero Alonso Nino-Piloto, Maestre Juan and Francisco Nino were all mentioned in Crew Lists but without commentary as of or from a place. Why ? All important positions such as Mates, Masters or Pilots were always elaborated upon in detail. 
Pedro Tegero also questioned (?) as maybe from Tejero-Terreros could have also been identified as was Jorge Gonzalez from Trigueros. Could this be from Trogir in Dalmatia ? A good example is Hernando de Araguz, Natural de Trigueros, New Spain, 1536. 

Anton Calabres was identified as from Calabria but in Dalmatia there is a well known Clan name of Calabrese. Antonio is used in Italy and Spain. Anton-Antun is used in Dalmatia. 

Reference:
Eterovich, Adam S.
Croatia in the New World: Columbus, the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) and Saint Vlaho (Saint Blaise) Patron Saint of Dubrovnik. 1992. Booklet. 60pp. SC. Illustrated. $8.00. 2527 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, CA 94070. USA