Real Clear Truth

Many have grown up believing that Christopher Columbus was vindicated in his discovery of the New World that proved the world was round and not flat. Ships do not fall off the edge of the world as many feared they would, and Columbus proved he was right and they were wrong.

Or did he?

Apparently, we have it all wrong. Apparently, the scientists of the day did know the world was a globe. Even still, they thought Columbus was misguided in his attempt to reach China by traveling West. Why?

Well, because they said the Earth was too large and that he would never make it. He argued for a smaller Earth saying that he could make it. It turns out that Columbus was absolutely wrong! The Earth is far bigger than he calculated, and he could never have made it to China. China is clearly too far from Europe.

Fortunately for him, the Earth is so large that there is something in the vast expanse between Europe and Asia. Something that when Columbus ran into, he didn’t even realize he had discovered it. He was so convinced he was right and that the world was small, that even on his fourth trip, he still thought he had reached Asia. So not only was he wrong about the size of the Earth, he was also wrong about what land he had discovered.

Even still, we celebrate his discovery. Isn’t that ironic?

The truth of the matter is, that even when we are completely wrong. Even when we make huge mistakes. If we are willing to believe in something and make an attempt, we may still discover something that is important, even if we don’t realize it at first. The lesson here is that trying something new may work even if for all the wrong reasons — if only because so few people are ever willing to even try.

Are you willing to try? Will you go where no man has gone before?

For more on the myth of the flat Earth, see this article here. As a side note, on his fourth voyage, Columbus lost all of his ships due to a wood eating worm. Stranded somewhere in what is now Jamaica in June of 1503, his crew quickly wore out their welcome with the local Indians who tired of giving them food. Just when things were about to become intolerable, Columbus pulled a trick on the Indians.

Columbus had in his possession an almanac that listed stellar events including lunar eclipses. Seeing that one would soon occur, he… well let me quote from this article here…

Armed with this knowledge, three days before the eclipse, Columbus asked for a meeting with the natives’ Cacique (”chief”) and announced to him that his Christian god was angry with his people for no longer supplying Columbus and his men with food. Therefore, he was about to provide a clear sign of his displeasure: Three nights hence, he would all but obliterate the rising full moon, making it appear “inflamed with wrath,” which would signify the evils that would soon be inflicted upon all of them.

On the appointed evening, as the sun set in the West and the moon started emerging from beyond the eastern horizon, it was plainly obvious to all that something was terribly wrong. By the time the moon appeared in full view, its lower edge was missing!

And, just over an hour later, as full darkness descended, the moon indeed exhibited an eerily inflamed and “bloody” appearance: In place of the normally brilliant late winter full moon there now hung a dim red ball in the eastern sky.

According to Columbus’ son, Ferdinand, the natives were terrified at this sight and “. . . with great howling and lamentation came running from every direction to the ships laden with provisions, praying to the Admiral to intercede with his god on their behalf.” They promised that they would gladly cooperate with Columbus and his men if only he would restore the moon back to its normal self. The great explorer told the natives that he would have to retire to confer privately with his god. He then shut himself in his cabin for about fifty minutes.

“His god” was a sandglass that Columbus turned every half hour to time the various stages of the eclipse, based on the calculations provided by Regiomontanus’ almanac.

Just moments before the end of the total phase Columbus reappeared, announcing to the natives that his god had pardoned them and would now allow the moon to gradually return. And at that moment, true to Columbus’ word, the moon slowly began to reappear and as it emerged from the Earth’s shadow, the grateful natives hurried away. They then kept Columbus and his men well supplied and well fed until a relief caravel from Hispaniola finally arrived on June 29, 1504. Columbus and his men returned to Spain on Nov. 7.

Columbus may have been wrong about some major things, but that doesn’t mean he was dumb.