Adamastor, gigantomachies, and the literature of exile in Camões' Lusíads.

Abstract

Canto 5 of Luis Vaz de Camoes' Portuguese epic poem Lusiads, tells the celebrated myth of Adamastor. This section of the poem describes a Portuguese voyage of exploration led by Vasco da Gama in 1497 down the west coast of Africa and around the "Cape of Storms," later renamed the "Cape of Good Hope." The narrative of their journey reveals a Renaissance preoccupation with new knowledge that surpasses that of ancient writers. Hilton discusses the Adamastor, Gigantomachies and the literature of exile in Camoes' Lusiads.