Jehuda Cresques facts for kids
Jehuda Cresques (born around 1360, died around 1410) was a very skilled mapmaker from Majorca. He was also known as Jafudà Cresques and Jaume Riba. People sometimes called him "Cresques the Jew." He lived in the early 1400s, a time when maps were becoming very important for exploring the world.
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A Family of Mapmakers
Jehuda was the son of Abraham Cresques, who was also a famous Jewish mapmaker. They lived in Majorca, an island that is now part of Spain. This area spoke a language called Majorcan-Catalan. Many people believe that Jehuda and his father worked together to create the famous Catalan Atlas in 1375. This atlas was a very detailed and beautiful collection of maps.
Jehuda Cresques' maps were highly valued. For example, in 1390, King John I of Aragon paid a lot of money (60 livres and 8 sous) for one of his maps. This shows how important and well-made his maps were.
A New Name and Nicknames
In 1391, there were difficult times for Jewish people in the Crown of Aragon. Jehuda was forced to change his religion to Christianity. At this time, he took a new name: Jaume Riba.
Even after this change, he stayed in Majorca for a long time. People there knew him by special nicknames. They called him "lo jueu buscoler" (the map Jew) or "el jueu de les bruixoles" (the compass Jew). These names show that people still remembered his Jewish background and his amazing skills with maps and compasses.
The Mystery of 'Mestre Jacome'
For a long time, many historians thought that Jehuda Cresques was the same person as 'Mestre Jacome'. This 'Mestre Jacome' was another mapmaker from Majorca. He was asked by the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator to move to Portugal in the 1420s. Prince Henry wanted Jacome to teach Portuguese mapmakers the special Majorcan way of creating maps.
Some stories even said that 'Jacome of Majorca' was in charge of Prince Henry's famous "school" at Sagres. This school was supposed to be a place where explorers and mapmakers learned their skills. However, many modern historians now believe that this "school" might not have existed as a formal place.
Who Was Mestre Jacome?
The idea that Jehuda Cresques was 'Mestre Jacome' was first suggested by a historian named Gonzalo de Reparaz in 1930. But more recent studies have found something different. They suggest that Jehuda Cresques likely died around 1410. This means he could not have been 'Mestre Jacome', who moved to Portugal in the 1420s.
So, the true identity of 'Mestre Jacome' is still a mystery today. Majorca had many talented Jewish mapmakers during that time. It is possible that 'Mestre Jacome' was another one of these skilled individuals.
See also
In Spanish: Jehuda Cresques para niños
