The 17th Chapter provides (unsourced) genealogical tree and a timeline:
Columbus Was Polish — A Genealogical #Book Review
Stanczyk’s readings have converged. I was reading the book in picture, by author (historian, researcher), Manuel Rosa. This topic has re-occurred, quite a few times. My blog articles on whether Columbus was Polish are here:
Christopher Columbus Discovers … He Is Polish [12/02/2010]
Wladislaw III, Father of Columbus? [12/27/2010]
Cristobal Colon Discoverer Formerly Known As Columbus is Noble Born Polish [3/26/2013]
Columbus’s Author Rediscovers America [12/18/2014]
Columbus is Polish, Who Knew? [4/7/2016]
There were a few other references in my blog beyond those. I even traded a few emails with the author too! So I guess I am obsessed with this topic.
Today’s blog originates because I was reading Manuel Rosa’s book and I was also looking a wikipedia article about early Poles in America. In the wikipedia was one Franciszek Warnadowicz who arrived 1492??? Warna as in Battle of Varna/Warna and owicz as in: of, from, or connected with. So we have Franciszek who is of/from/connected to Warna. Franciszek moved/lived in Cadiz, Spain. According to materials Franciszek or his son Franciszek/Francisco was enrolled as a member of Columbus/Colon’s crew in 1492. Franciszek Warnadowicz has the dubious distinction of being the first European to die in the Americas (at Hispanola).
So my book review ensues…
I was reading “Columbus: The Untold Story“, by Manuel Rosa. The book has 17 chapters & an Epilogue spanning 325 pages. It also has an appendix and a Notes Section that is 12 pages of very interesting citations/notes. So this is no fluff book. It has stretches that are a bit pedantic but over all the author conveys how he reached his conclusion that Christobal Colon was Polish and was in known as Wladyslaw IV a Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth noble (Jagiellonian Line).
Mr. Rosa is trying to overturn five centuries of misconceptions, with his thesis that Wladyslaw III, survived the Battle of Varna 1444. History built a tomb for Wladyslaw III and named him Wladyslaw Warnensi (or Warneńczyk). So when I saw that Christobal Colon had a Polish crewman named Franciszek WARNAdowicz with him in 1492. I had an Eureka moment. Suprisingly this historical footnote was missing from Manuel Rosa’s anecdotal arguments in the book, as I think this is another circumstantial argument that supports the author’s claim!
The book has lavish illustrations and pictures to accompany the author’s text. The narrative while not always exciting, is at least compelling. But as a genealogist, Chapter 17 (Son of The Hermit King) was all I really needed to see. Genealogy is History for this jester. I agree he needed to make the detailed and well researched arguments of the the first 16 Chapters and I understand as a Portuguese native these are the compelling part. I mean honestly how could the Polish family, under its pseudonym (double pseudonyms) have such privilege if Columbus were a commoner? He makes the excellent argument of the names (pseudonyms) and the secrecy required by both Wladyslaw III and his son(s) to remain safe. These were marriages of nobles, educated nobles. Poles, Portuguese, Spaniards. They were all royals!
Many Chapters are focused on Spain & Portugal and they too include genealogies and histories. So if you you are Spanish or Portuguese then these first 6 Chapters will be of interest (really the whole book). It is after all Portuguese-centric. The early books were in Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish. So this jester was glad they got around to an English translation. The book is filled with symbols and their decoding. It’s kind of like a real live, Dan Brown tale. There was also an argument about distances and the mathematics and I being an engineer loved that discussion. The double-swapped identity to protect Wladyslaw (III & IV) from the Ottomans or Muslim assassins was a bit beyond Occam’s Razor. I would have loved to see some work on Wladyslaw IV’s brothers and their genealogy. Also, with all of the Genetic Genealogy, why has no Jagiellonian DNA been tested against Christobal Colon? The book seems to rule out Italian ancestry via DNA, but what holds back the Polish confirmation.
Still I believe Christobal Colon was Polish and a noble. But belief is not proof. Manuel Rosa, get some Polish DNA to prove Christobal Colon was Polish. The Slavics have distinctive haplotypes. It should be easy to determine if he’s Polish/Lithuanian (as any Jagiellonian would be) and he has done enough to prove nobility from circumstantial evidence. I do so love the era of #Genetic #Genealogy!
P.S.
I am now reading a book on Colon’s last voyage (the Vizcaina), so I hope to get more info about Warnadowicz.
Ten Years A Blogger! Who knew? — #Musing
As of, January16th, 2019 , Stanczyk ‘s blog turned ten and I am celebrating its 10th anniversary!
So my birthday wish is for more readers such as you … you know who you are. Most of you are fans of genealogy, family history, Polish culture & history. Perhaps, you may be a bibliophile or a fan in general. Thank you all of you!
I also hope to solve a riddle about my second great-grandfather, Marcin Eliasz and his (or his father’s) barn in Pacanów.
Who knows what fancies 2019 will bring and inspire for a blog or two.
God willing, more good stories, news, info, & discoveries will find their way here. Finally, may God bless me with another decade of blogs and blog readers!
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