The nine Azores Islands range in size and character. The largest, Sao Miguel, is about 40 miles wide and 10 miles deep with boiling volcanic hot springs and is home to the capital city of Ponta Delgada, a bustling seaport. By contrast Pico, or "peak," is the tallest, with a majestic mountain rising straight up out of the sea and Corvo, the smallest, is just 4 1/2 miles wide by 3 miles deep with a population of 370 and no hotels or harbors.
Myths of Islands in the Middle of the Atlantic Ocean
The actual date of the discovery of the Azores is where they mystery begins. There are many mentions in early European history of islands that lie far out in the ocean. These could be references to the Azores, or to one of many other island groups, such as the Canary Islands or the Madeira group. A Medici map from 1351 shows 7 islands, divided up into 3 separate groups.
Even more interesting are stories and legends about islands that lead to other, larger lands and a story that this larger land sank during a time of earthquakes and floods, leaving only remnants behind. This has caused some to speculate that perhaps the Azores are all that is left of a former continent, maybe even the legendary Atlantis.
The Discovery of the Azores
Modern historians assign the actual discovery of the islands to the Portuguese explorer Diogo da Silves, who accidentally came upon the island of Santa Maria (the southernmost island in the archipelago) in 1427. Subsequent explorers who, like da Silves, were under the service of Prince Henry the Navigator, found Sao Miguel and then Terçeira, which mean "third" in Portuguese, so-named because it was the third island they found.
How the islands got their name is another matter that is mysterious to historians. Some say that the first explorers saw a lot of hawks and falcons there and decided to call the island Açores, after the word açor, which means "hawk" in Portuguese. Hawks, however, are not indigenous to these islands, so perhaps the explorers saw a bird that reminded them of hawks. Others suggest that because the birds on the islands were so tame, never having seen humans before, they came right up to the explorers the way falcons do.
There is no evidence that the island had ever been populated by humans up until the point of their discovery by the Portuguese. Again, there are various stories that Phoenician coins were found on one of the island along with a statue of a horse. Although sketches of the coins exist, no one knows where the artifacts disappeared to, if, in fact, they ever existed to begin with.
The First Settlers of the Azores
It is certain, though, that Prince Henry began to populate the islands with sheep, first, and then people from the Algarve and Alentejo regions of mainland Portugal by the end of the 1400's. Settlers from Flanders also began to arrive, due to the fact that Henry's sister, Isabel, was married to the Duke of Burgundy, of which Flanders was a part. Evidence of this exists today in the form of occasional blue eyes and lighter colored hair scattered amongst the normally darker island inhabitants.
The islands were seen as an important source of revenue for the mainland. LIvestock and crops were grown on the islands, and then, during the 16th and 17th centuries they became an increasingly important center of trade between Europe, the Americas and India. The islands began to provide service to ships traveling across the Atlantic and were also the sight of several naval battles against pirates in the area. Legend has it that even Columbus stopped over in the Azores on his way to the Americas, where he was mistaken for a pirate and held prisoner for a time.
Between the early days in the Azores' history and today, the islands have become involved in many important political battles. Their strategic position, almost halfway between Portugal and the United States, has caused them to become a staging ground for more than one important, world-changing event. It is their early history, though, which began in legend, that provides much of the magic and mystique of the rich stew the Azores have become.
For more information about the Azores and Portugal, read:
Portugal's Palace Hotel do Bussaco: A Magical and Macabre Experience for Both Families and Couples
Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil: The Only Man to be King of Portugal and Emperor of Brazil
Wendy Ponte - Wendy Ponte has been a freelance writer for 13 years and has written numerous articles on topics ranging from parenting and childbirth to ...
