Spain
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Las Sergas de Esplandian was a chivalric romance written in the early sixteenth century as part of a series of novels titled “Amadis de Gaula” by the Castilian author Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo. The book tells of the mythical Island of California and its inhabitants, Black Amazonian warriors, who kept trained griffins to eradicate any man who set foot upon the isle. Their queen, Calafia, was a brave, ambitious fighter and a powerful leader who yearned to explore the world. The story describes – in almost cinematic detail – the isle of California, which many scholars believe is the true etymological source of the state’s name. Montalvo wrote:
Know then, that due east of the Indies there is an island called California, very near the locale called the Terrestrial Paradise. It was populated by black women, with no men among them, for they lived in the fashion of Amazons. They possessed strong and firm bodies of ardent courage and great strength. Their island was the strongest in all the world, with steep cliffs and rocky shores. Their arms were decorated with gold, as were the harnesses of the wild beasts they tamed and rode. Throughout the whole island there was no other metal but gold.
The story centers upon a great battle for Constantinople. Queen Calafia, her warrior women, and her menagerie of mythical beasts set sail to the city where she and her allies beat back the defending Christian forces. After releasing man-eating griffins to attack the enemy’s soldiers, Calafia gains the upper hand in the battle, only to realize that the creatures were also attacking her male allies – Montalvo’s metaphor for the destructive, godless disorder of her female power. The story ends with the Christians defeating the invaders, Calafia converting to Christianity, and being married to a Christian knight.
This narrative is Montalvo’s reaction to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. This event was a catalyst for the Age of Exploration and, ultimately, the colonization of the Americas and Africa. Although Montalvo would never set foot in the Americas, his myth would inspire Spanish conquistadores during their expeditions.