Early Confusion: Lequios Misplaced in Ryukyu

In his earlier Asia map (Asia Nova Descriptio), Ortelius followed the emerging academic narrative of the time that mistakenly identified the Lequios with the Ryukyu Islands. The use of "Lequios" for Ryukyu here is aligned with Portuguese-origin maps that had already begun to insert this term above Taiwan. At this point, Ortelius may have still been working independently, drawing from generalized European interpretations.

Enter Spanish Patronage: A Return to Accuracy

After joining the Spanish crown’s publishing initiatives [about 1575], in the late 1580s, Ortelius released his updated Maris Pacifici (1589). Here we see a significant shift: he restores the name “Islas de Lucois” directly over Luzon and labels “Lequio Peguenno” over Batanes—clearly distinguishing these regions from the northern Ryukyu as the Lequios the Spanish always intended.

This was not a mistake, nor a simple substitution. In fact, it reflects a sophisticated alignment with Castilian Spanish phonetics. The term “Lucois” is the Spanish rendering of the Portuguese “Lequios”:

• Portuguese “qu” is often softened in Spanish to “c” or “ch” sounds.

• As seen in other examples: “frequente” (Portuguese) becomes “frecuente” (Spanish).

• Thus, “Lequios” ➝ “Lechios” or “Lucois” in early Castilian spellings.

• This same transformation is seen in the writings of Juan González de Mendoza, who uses “Lechios” in reference to the same region.
  

1570 Admission Leads to Ortellius' Correction in 1589

This poetic Latin excerpt from Ortelius’s Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570) appears on the map's decorative panel describing the wealth and grandeur of Asia. Here's a translation of the highlighted portion:

"You behold Asia on the right, splendid in the East.
All shines with gems, all is adorned with jewels.
This (land) displays in her hands a censer full of sweet-smelling incense,
spreading myrrh and fragrant frankincense."

This description aligns with traditional imagery of Asia—especially Southeast Asia—as the mystical and opulent source of gems, spices, incense, and wealth. It reads like a literary echo of biblical Ophir, Chryse (Golden Island), and even Ptolemy’s classical associations with resource-rich eastern lands which Magellan and Columbus corrected into the Philippines, as do the below maps.

The phrasing mirrors descriptions applied historically to the Philippines and surrounding islands (e.g., "Land of Gold," “Aurea Chersonesus,” and "the Isles of Spices"). Ortelius in 1570, as seen here, was still echoing that idealized and abundant eastern geography—but by 1589, he began realigning these names spatially, redistributing labels like "Lequios" and "Zipangu" in new ways under colonial influence.

“This correction is not incidental—it aligns with the broader Spanish geopolitical repositioning after successfully claiming the Philippines as their ‘Land of Gold.’”

Mapping Politics: A Shift in Colonial Agenda

Early Spanish conquest accounts (including those of Captain General Artieda, Captain Juan Pacheco Maldonado, and chronicler Antonio Pigafetta) consistently identify Luzon and the northern Philippines—including Batanes and the Babuyans—as part of the Lequios or Lucoes domain.

However, by the late 16th century, voices such as Fray Martin de Rada began recasting the Philippines as an impoverished, root-eating backwater in racist propaganda harmful to Filipinos despite it being masked as care. This was likely driven by a shift in colonial utility: while gold was initially a tool of justification and pride, continued exploitation demanded a portrayal of native peoples as needy and uncivilized, though untrue initially. This caused a list of 14 Spanish Captains and Officials to respond defining Rada's assault on the Filipino society in the 1574 Letter of Spanish Captain-General Guido de Lavezaris. They referred to Rada’s accounts as:

“written without having seen anything or set foot outside his convent, and were therefore based on gossip, hearsay, and the inventions of interested parties.”

This critique was part of their rebuttal to Rada’s portrayal of Filipinos as impoverished, uncivilized, and lacking social structure, which the Spanish leaders considered both false and harmful to justifying their colonial occupation. We view it as simply racist propaganda.

Ortelius’ Maris Pacifici captures this tension. It preserves the original naming and identity of Luzon and Batanes (Lucois and Lequio Peguenno) while subtly capitulating to external academic trends by retaining “Lequio Grande” in the Ryukyus—a clear transitional compromise. Ryukyu was never the Spanish "Lequios".

Final Notes: Ortelius Was Not Alone

The connection between Lequios and Luzon is reinforced by:

• Portuguese sources that used the term Lequios for the Philippines we have covered in detail

• Barbosa and Galvão, who identify Lucoes (Luzon natives) in gold and spice trade

• Columbus and Martyr associating gold-rich isles near 9°–20° N as Cipangu, Ophir or Chryse

• A large cache of maps we have covered that define Lequios as the Philippines over and over again [some examples below]

Conclusion:

Ortelius did not invent confusion—he mapped through it and eventually restored much of the original knowledge in a politically sensitive environment. His evolution as a mapmaker reflects a broader colonial debate over how to portray the Philippines: as Ophir and Chryse, or as something to be conquered and redefined. Maris Pacifici may be his quiet correction—a Smoking Quill revelation in plain sight.

Check out the entire Smoking Quill Series for a full exposé on Lequios propaganda, which is not a position of a sentence or one reference.  

Maps from our previous blogs to follow in support. Chart the progression for yourself. 

Yah Bless.

The God Culture Team

Textual Clues Confirm It:

• 🖋️Tomé Pires (1518): Describes islands far from India (Philippines route, not Japan), rich in gold, 200 leagues from China — fits Batanes/Luzon.

• 💎Gold Mines: Philippines had abundant gold — Ryukyu did not.

• 👤People Description: "White like Germans" — fits lighter-skinned Batanes/Ivatan people, not Okinawans.

• 🖋️Great Craftsmen and Armorers: Luzon’s tradition of fine metallurgy matches perfectly.

• 💡Gores and Igorots [Gorot]: Pires mentions "Gores," in relation to a tribe of the Lequios, but never supports that as leading to Ryukyu, because it does not. He even Suggests Mongolia in illiteracy as that is not an island group East of China.

• Ghūr in Arab Records and Tagalog Roots:
  Arab manuscripts from 1462 and 1489 mention an island called "Ghūr," linked by later Europeans to Lequios. However, in ancient Tagalog, "guro" means "teacher," and "guros" could mean a group of teachers or elders. This linguistic echo suggests a Philippine, not Ryukyuan, origin — aligning with Northern Luzon's strong oral traditions of leadership, wisdom, and craftsmanship.

⚡ The Colonial Shift

Early maps and explorer accounts consistently align Lequios with the Philippines — not Ryukyu — before colonial narrative rewrites emerged.

Early Evidence: Lequios clearly in the Philippines                               

Later Distortion: Ryukyu retrofitted by colonial narratives

Early Evidence: Maps align with Luzon                                                  

Later Distortion Luzon deliberately ignored

Early Evidence: Routes and geography point to SE Asia                     

Later Distortion History rewritten for a Japan-centered model

Early Evidence: Etymology points to Igorots                                         

Later Distortion Etymology distorted or ignored

🔍 Luzon vs. Ryukyu Criteria Match

Criteria                                                              

Latitude                                                             

Luzon/Northern Philippines: ✔️ Matches 17°-20°N                                                           

Ryukyu (Okinawa): ❌ 26°-27°N, far north

Abundant Gold                                                 

Luzon/Northern Philippines: ✔️ Extensively documented                                               

Ryukyu (Okinawa):  ❌ No significant gold resources

Light-Skinned Population                               

Luzon/Northern Philippines: ✔️ Ivatan/Batanes described as lighter-skinned.           

Ryukyu (Okinawa): ❌ Typical East Asian complexion

Great Craftsmanship (Weapons, Jewelry)    

Luzon/Northern Philippines: ✔️ Documented by early Spanish                                      

Ryukyu (Okinawa): ❌ Minimal compared to Luzon traditions

Direct Trade with China & Malacca               

Luzon/Northern Philippines: ✔️ Well-established networks                                            

Ryukyu (Okinawa): ✔️ (but minor compared to Luzon)

Etymology (Gores/Igorot/Guros)                  

Luzon/Northern Philippines: ✔️ Strong linguistic connection                                          

Ryukyu (Okinawa): ❌ No linguistic tie to Ryukyu

Geographical Proximity to India Route.      

Luzon/Northern Philippines: ✔️ Natural path from Malacca eastward                           

Ryukyu (Okinawa): ❌ Requires deviation from direct route

🔢 PHILIPPINES Lequios SCORE: 100%                           

🔢 RYUKYU Lequios SCORE: 14% EPIC FAIL!

🔫 The Smoking Quill Verdict:

🔢Lequios = Northern Philippines (Luzon, Batanes, Babuyan).
🔴Not Ryukyu (Okinawa).

Even Tomé Pires' own descriptions undermine the Ryukyu narrative. His words consistently point to Luzon, Batanes, Babuyan, and the Igorot people, a proud highland group with rich gold traditions, lighter complexions, and direct trade with China and Malacca. Ultimately, this entire area was populated even in that age by a people group called "Iloconos". They were likely called Lequios originally and altered by the Spanish to conceal the record. 

The colonial remapping is exposed for what it is: a post-facto invention ignoring overwhelming primary evidence.

Another pillar of colonial bias crumbles. The Philippines' ancient role as a major hub in global trade is once again restored to the light.

💬 Stay tuned for more revelations as The Smoking Quill exposes the truth hidden for centuries.

Yah Bless.

The God Culture Team

#SmokingQuill #Ophir #PhilippinesHistory #Lequios #ColonialBias #BiblicalGeography #HistoricalCorrection #Igorots #MapHistory

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