The Lusiads by Luís de Camões
"The Lusiads," written by the Portuguese poet Luís de Camões in 1572, is an epic poem that celebrates the voyages of the explorer Vasco da Gama and the Age of Discovery. The work intertwines mythological elements with the historical journey of da Gama as he sails from Portugal around Africa to reach India. The poem features a dramatic council of gods on Olympus, where deities like Bacchus and Venus debate the merits of the Portuguese expedition, representing both divine favor and opposition.
As da Gama's fleet encounters various trials—including hostile locals and monstrous beings—the narrative explores themes of exploration, rivalry, and cultural encounters. The poem reflects the period's colonial attitudes while also incorporating the rich tapestry of Portuguese history and mythology. In addition to the challenges faced on the high seas, "The Lusiads" also touches on the evolution of European perspectives towards foreign lands and peoples. Through its blend of adventure, divine intervention, and patriotic sentiment, the epic holds a significant place in the canon of Western literature and serves as a reflection of Portugal's maritime legacy.
On this Page
The Lusiads by Luís de Camões
First published:Os Lusíadas, 1572 (English translation, 1655)
Type of work: Poetry
Type of plot: Epic
Time of plot: Fifteenth century
Locale: Africa, India, Oceana
Principal characters
Vasco da Gama ,Monsaide , an Indian MuslimKing of Calicut ,Venus , a goddess favoring the PortugueseBacchus , a god opposing the Portuguese
The Poem:
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama’s ships are off the coast of east Africa, while at a council of the gods on Olympus in Greece, Bacchus speaks against the Portuguese and Venus speaks for them. Mars intervenes passionately on Venus’s side. Jupiter states his support of the voyage. Bacchus, failing to persuade the gods, inspires the inhabitants of Mozambique to set a trap. The Muslim peoples there are easily defeated, and da Gama sails on to Mombasa, an island he has heard will be friendlier.
At Mombasa, Bacchus again inspires the locals to attempt a trap by taking da Gama’s ships, but Venus and her nymphs hold back his ships. Venus approaches Jupiter seductively and nearly naked to plead the Portuguese case. Jupiter reassures her and promises a great future for Portuguese exploration and conquest. She then sends Mercury to Malinda to arrange a friendlier welcome for da Gama. The king of Malinda visits da Gama on his ship and asks the explorer about his country.
Da Gama, before sailing to Africa, had set out from Portugal. His course takes his ships south past Morocco, Madeira, the Canaries, the Congo, and other points along the coast. The ships sail past unfamiliar sights: the Southern Cross, a huge waterspout, and St. Elmo’s fire. At the Cape of Good Hope, the ships are confronted by a huge and monstrous being that angrily predicts future storms and shipwrecks for any so bold as to pass the cape. The beast identifies itself as the titan Adamaster, led by his love of the Nereid Thetis to join the titans in their war against Jupiter.
Da Gama’s ships pass the cape in the face of hostile currents. The have several encounters with primitive peoples, as they anchor to scrape the ships’ keels. The crews have a bout with scurvy before arriving at Mozambique and Mombasa and finally at Malinda.
The Portuguese, after a lavish party, set off again. Bacchus visits Neptune’s underwater palace and convenes the gods and goddesses of the sea, then fires them up over the arrogance of the human trespassers in their realm. Neptune summons Aeolus, god of the winds. Meanwhile, the men on watch are entertained with the story of the Twelve of England, twelve Portuguese knights who go to England to defend the honor of twelve noble ladies. As he is finishing, Aeolus’s winds strike the fleet and nearly sink it. Venus arrives with her nymphs, who seduce the various winds. As day breaks, the sea is calm again, and India is within sight.
A geographical survey of India is ordered, and da Gama sends men ashore. They soon meet a Barbary Muslim, Monsaide, who speaks Spanish. He invites them to his home and tells them of the history and customs of India. The king of Calicut gives da Gama permission to come ashore. Da Gama visits the palace, disapproves to the idols, and admires a series of wall paintings telling of India’s history. Da Gama offers the king a commercial treaty, so the king visits da Gama’s ship.
Meanwhile, Bacchus in another form appears in a dream to a Muslim priest, who persuades other Muslim leaders to spread the word against the Portuguese. The king summons da Gama to answer their accusations, which he does successfully. The Muslims next refuse to let him return to his ship and try to lure his fleet into port so they can attack it. Da Gama, however, plays on their greed and finally manages to get back to his ship.
Da Gama learns from his Barbary friend, now converted to Christianity, that the Muslims want to keep the Portuguese ships in port until a large, well-armed fleet arrives from Mecca. Da Gama takes his factors and goods on board and sets sail for home. Venus, to reward their exploits, summons Cupid and creates an island paradise stocked with nymphs. The mariners stop to take on water, discover the nymphs, and have a day-long romp.
A lavish banquet is held on the island. One of the nymphs gives a detailed prophecy of Portugal’s future triumphs in India. Another nymph takes da Gama to an enchanted mountaintop and shows him a small and hovering model of the cosmos, explains its workings, points out the earth and its continents, and describes their various inhabitants. The fleet, nymphs and all, returns to Portugal, which has seen a decline of its warlike spirit. King Sebastian is exhorted to support explorers and colonizers and to listen only to the wise and experienced.
Bibliography
Bloom, Harold. Genius: A Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative Minds. New York: Warner Books, 2002. A major voice in contemporary criticism and critical theory evaluates The Lusiads and places the work in the context of the Western literary tradition.
Camões, Luis de. The Collected Lyric Poems of Luis de Camões. Translated by Landeg White. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2008. This collection, which gathers Camões’s lyric poems, provides another perspective on some of the poet’s characteristic preoccupations and themes, as well as the aesthetic tastes of his age.
Hart, Henry H. Luis de Camões and the Epic of “The Lusiads.” Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1962. This older but still-useful work contains the first full biography of Camões in English as well as a good discussion of the poem.
Montiero, George. The Presence of Camões: Influence on the Literature of England, America, and Southern Africa. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1996. This study covers a surprisingly large and divergent number of major writers from England, southern Africa, and the United States.
Rajan, Balachandra. Under Western Eyes: India From Milton to Macaulay. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1999. Although this work is focused more on the English than the Portuguese, it gives a good sense of the colonial context of the times, with some reference to da Gama and The Lusiads.