18
votes
Accepted
Chilli peppers in fifteenth-century India?
This is an error introduced by the translator. The original Portuguese text says:
Sabei que estais na Índia, onde se estende
Diverso povo, rico e prosperado
De ouro luzente e fina pedraria,
Cheiro ...
- 22.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Where is St. Lawrence island in Africa, mentioned in Os Lusíadas
São Lourenço, i.e., Saint Laurence or Lawrence, was the name given to Madagascar by the Portuguese. According to Wikipedia:
European contact began on August 10, 1500, when the Portuguese sea captain ...
- 22.1k
4
votes
Which passages in Manuel de Faria e Sousa's commentary on The Lusiads caused his temporary incarceration by the Inquisition?
tl;dr
Faria e Sousa was interrogated about the presence of pagan gods in the Lusíads.
Camões and the Pagan Gods
Following the footsteps of predecessors such as Homer and Virgil, Camões had chosen to ...
- 22.1k
3
votes
What is meant by "Nysa" in the Lusiads?
Nysa was a mythological region where Dionysus was said to have been raised. While it migrated a lot, a city in India -- probably Nagara -- told Alexander that it had been founded by Dionysus, and he ...
- 5,957
3
votes
Accepted
What's the significance of the "Invocation to the muses of the Tagus"?
Camões invokes the nymphs of the Tagus to be his muse. An invocation where the poet asks the muse to inspire his song is a standard component of epic poetry. Here are examples from the classics:
Homer,...
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3
votes
Accepted
On what sources did Camões base his Os Lusíadas?
Camões chief source for the details of Vasco da Gama's voyage was a diary kept by one of his crew members. The diary is anonymous, but is attributed to either Álvaro Velho or, according to recent ...
- 22.1k
2
votes
Accepted
What is meant by "Nysa" in the Lusiads?
The Roman god Bacchus and his Greek counterpart Dionysos have long been associated with Nysa. The names Dionysos and Nysa are said to be etymologically related, though the exact connection is unclear.
...
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