François Pyrard de Laval (; 1578 – ca. 1623) was a French navigator who is remembered for a personal written account of his adventures in the

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

Islands from 1602 to 1607, which was part of a ten-year sojourn (1601–1611) in

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...

, et al. He was a native of Laval, and was a cousin to

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Pierre Pyrard (1581–1667). On July 2, 1602, Pyrard and a handful of sailors were

shipwreck A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...

ed on South Maalhosmadulu Atoll of the Maldives. They were taken captive by the Maldivians and spent five years as "unwilling guests" on the islands, with most of the time spent on Malé. The sailors endured

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. ...

and sporadic cruel treatment during their captivity. Nevertheless, Pyrard took pains to learn the local

Dhivehi Dhivehi, also spelled Divehi, may refer to: *Dhivehi people, an ethnic group native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands. *Dhivehi language, an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Republic of Maldives ...

language and by doing so was able to achieve an insight into Maldivian society never before experienced by a European. He took extensive notes regarding

culture, customs and history.''European travellers in India'' Edward Farley Oaten p.123
/ref> In February 1607, the Frenchmen escaped from Malé by boat in the midst of chaos during a

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

raid. Shortly after his return to Laval in 1611, Pyrard published an account of his 1601–1611 sojourn.

Bibliography

* "The Voyage of François Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas, and Brazil". Translated into English from the Third French edition of 1619, and Edited, with Notes, by Albert Gray, formerly of the Ceylon Civil Service, assisted by

Harry Charles Purvis Bell Harry Charles Purvis Bell, CCS (21 September 1851 – 6 September 1937), more often known as HCP Bell, was a British civil servant and the first Commissioner of Archaeology in Ceylon. Early life Born in British India in 1851, he was sent to En ...

, of the Ceylon Civil Service. Volume I. 1887. Pages lviii, 452 + 1 map, 11 illustrations.

Notes

External links

Distant lands and diverse cultures
by Glenn Joseph Ames, Ronald S. Love
South Asia Visions
about: The voyage of Francois Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil, v.1] {{DEFAULTSORT:Pyrard, Francois History of the Maldives French explorers People from Mayenne 1570s births 1620s deaths

Bibliography

See also

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