Some of you may know I have a background in pre Columbian studies, and I have an interest in recorded early contact with indigenous peoples.

I've been aware for a while of the early activities of the Portuguese and Spanish crowns, in North Africa, and along the West African coast, but I have never had any opportunity to read of these efforts in any detail.

Recently, reading Keens' "Nobles, Knights and Men at Arms in the MIddle Ages, I became aware that apparently an early record exists of early 15th century exploration and conquest in the Canary Islands, and that two works are out there that deal with the subject - "Le Canarien", ed E. Serra Rafols and A. Cioranescu (Las Palmas, 1959-65), and "Le Conquete et les conquerants des Iles Canaries (Paris, 1896).

Has anybody on the board read either of these? I can read French (haltingly), but Spanish is beyond me. Is there anything regarding the subject in English? Is there any other works written on the subject?

Thanks in advance for any help.

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Unhappily is in Catalan language only but you can see that there were bishops in Canary islands BEFORE the oficial conquest ( !!! ).

There is a website on early Africa and America precolumbian explorations by the recently deceased Gukess of Medina Sidonia.
I will check and send the link...

In reading Volume two of an English translation, there had been mention of an image of the Virgin that had been adopted in 1396(?), and tended - I will try to struggle through the paper with a dictionary, as the topic is fascinating.

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Concerning the website and link by the Dukess of Medina-Sidonia :

"Africa versus América" http://americaversus.iespana.es

Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo , dukess of Medina-Sidonia , had the theory that Portugal, Spain ( Castile Kingdom ) and some Islamic kingdoms of North Africa knew America ( and travelled there, and
imported gold, goods and black slaves from that continent since XIII century at least.
I am not saying that this theory is one hundred percent correct. But it deserves some atention and study.
The dukess had the privilege to search in the private archives of the family - not completely censurated by the Inquisition - and some documents are amazing.

The website is not very easy to consult , even if one is fluent in Spanish.
For Canary Islands references you can check this page : http://americaversus.iespana.es/2parte/1leyenda/leyenda.htm

As the dukess died recently it will be interesting to know the destiny of the Medina-Sidonia Archives. Probably the "official" investigators won't show great interest in the revolutionary theory of the dukess.

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In the Catalan link I have read some interesting aspects of the "official" conquest by Jean de Bethencourt. I can try translating them for you. Not an easy task because I am not really fluent in English.
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My conclusions :
A fascinating topic ? Yes.
A misterious one ? Yes. More than is suposed to be. Very difficult to investigate. Even some Vatican Archives concerning America ( and Columbus ) are still forbidden.

Being a canary islander myself I have read a bit on the topic. I have read "Le Canarien" (Cioranescu edition) in Spanish but I got it from the library and I'm away from home for a few months anyway, so I don't even have access to my notes.
The best source of info in English is probably Felipe Fernandez Armesto's "Before Columbus". I have that and it explains a lot of the background to all the activity in the area.

The 14th c. bishop was a nominal one, since there was contact and some monks established a settlement, but they didn't make friends and didn't last long. Before the invasion of Bethencourt and La Salle (related in Le Canarien), most contact consisted of landing, getting food, water, lichens and such and capturing some natives to sell as slaves.
However, I've read that fig trees may have been introduced then, for example, so maybe all wasn't hit and run.

Also, I've heard that Gadifer de la Salle and Jean de Bethencourt quarrelled, so the chronicle could be a bit biased.
According to this article in Spanish wikipedia, one manuscript is more pro Gadifer, while the other's more pro-Bethencourt. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Canarien

A more recent edition of Le Canarien, also in Spanish but it'd appear to have lots of notes, is:
Le Canarien. Manuscritos, transcripción y traducción.
Aznar Vallejo, Eduardo. Pico, Berta. Corbella, Dolores( Manuscritos,transcripcción y traducción )
Instituto de Estudios Canarios, 2003
491 págs. ; cart.
ISBN: 84-88366-45-0

Alas, my budget doesn't stretch to that lately...

If I can help, with translation of shortish passages, for example, I'd be happy to help. E-mail me if you ask me about anything here and I don't respond within a couple of days, as sometimes I just don't have time to check boards much.

Cheers,

Marianne,
I am specially glad to hear from you.
Thank you very much for the information.
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Just three more references on the topic :

1.The Angelino Dulcet ( Dulcet ) portulano ( Majorca , 1339 )
http://www.mappinginteractivo.com/plantilla-ante.asp?id_articulo=1305

Entre los portulanos más conocidos que representan el Archipiélago, destaca el de
Angelino Dulcert, firmado en la ciudad de Mallorca en 1339, en el que aparecen sólo
tres islas, dos de las cuales ya están bautizadas como Lanzarotto y Forteventura.
Algo después, en el Atlas Catalán de Cresques Abraham, de 1375, ya figuran todas
ellas, excepto La Palma, que no aparece dibujada. En la mayor parte de los portulanos
del siglo XV, se reproduce el Archipiélago de forma total o parcial representándose en
casi todos ellos a Lanzarote con la cruz de Génova y a Tenerife con un círculo o
rosetón en su centro, y el resto de las islas con diferente colorido.
((( Some websites explain the Genoese cross as a Templar cross !!! More mystery )))

2.The Catalan Atlas ( year 1375 ) names five Canary islands. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalan_Atlas

3.There are many articles concerning Canary Islands by Professor Antonio Rumeu de Armas that can be consulted online.
http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/autor?codigo=55061

You will have to suscribe ( for free ) at Dialnet service.
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I wish I had the time and the capacity to search more on this fascinating topic.

Well, if you lot feel like doing any 14-16th c. reenactment in the Canary islands I'm more than happy to help and participate as far as I'm able.
I really wish I had a proper 15th group around...

Cheers!