Podcast Summary: Todo Concostrina – "El inglés Paco Drake completa la vuelta al mundo… con 58 años de retraso"

Host: Nieves Concostrina
Co-host: (Unnamed in transcript, acts as conversational partner)
Date: September 26, 2023
Theme: Re-examining the legendary status of Sir Francis Drake, his circumnavigation of the globe, and why the English celebrate him despite the “58 year delay”—with characteristic wit, Nieves Concostrina compares Drake to Spanish counterparts and unpacks the myth versus the reality of corsairs, pirates, and national heroes.

Episode Overview

This episode playfully but sharply dissects the legacy of Sir Francis Drake—known in Spain, tongue-in-cheek, as "Paco Drake"—who famously completed the second circumnavigation of the globe, but long after the Spanish (specifically Juan Sebastián Elcano and the survivors of Magellan’s expedition) had already done so. Nieves and her co-host discuss why the English celebrate Drake despite arriving nearly 60 years late, what really differentiated him from pirates, and the double standards in British versus Spanish historical self-congratulation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is a "Corsario"?

• Definition and Irony:
  • The episode opens by establishing the difference (or lack thereof) between pirates and corsairs:

    "Corsario para quien no lo sepa es más o menos lo mismo que pirata... solo que con permiso del rey o de la reina." — [00:33]

  • The hosts mock the notion that a piece of paper and fancy clothes change a pirate into a "respectable" corsair or even a national hero.
• British Spin:
  • The English get credit for Drake’s voyage, conveniently overlooking Spain’s precedent-setting feat.

    "Los ingleses celebraron que uno de los suyos había dado la vuelta al mundo… como si hubieran sido los primeros." — Nieves [01:32]

2. Spain's Circumnavigation vs. Drake’s—Who Wins the Glory?

• Delayed Glory:

  • Drake gets a knighthood and national acclaim, while Elcano, the actual first to complete the circumnavigation, gets little more than an unpaid pension:

    “El hombre se murió sin cobrar la pensión porque no le pagaron.” — Nieves [05:32]

• British Double Standards:

  • The British find ways to downplay the Spanish feat:

    "Sacan pijotadas para decir 'vale, fulanito lo hizo pero el nuestro lo hizo como había que hacerlo…'" — Nieves [01:18]

  • English claim Drake was the first to complete the journey “knowing what he was doing,” ignoring Magellan’s actual objective and death en route, while Elcano was "only" a survivor, not the original leader.

• Myth of "La primera vuelta al mundo se dio en español":

  • Nieves corrects political misstatements (specifically referencing Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s nationalistic take):

    "Ningún día sin la chorradita yusera… en la expedición de Magallanes... iban veintiocho portugueses, veintisiete italianos, quince franceses..." — [03:52]

  • Highlights the multinational nature of Magellan’s expedition.

3. Drake: Hero or Thief?

• Professional Thief with a Patent:

  • Drake’s journey was motivated by sanctioned piracy—his real achievement was the massive theft of Spanish treasure:

    “Este no iba solo a dar la vuelta al mundo en plan mirad qué aventurero soy. Paco Drake iba a robar.” — Nieves [10:24]

• The Patent of Marque Explained:

  • **

    "El título de la columna de Pérez Reverte... robar al rival con permiso del rey o de la reina." — Nieves [07:55]

  • The document authorized attacks on enemy shipping—a formalization of "looting on behalf of the crown," with substantial rewards for the corsair and sovereign.

4. The Fruits of Piracy—Drake’s Social Mobility

• From Nobody to Knight:

  • Drake was not of noble birth, but piracy (and enriching the Queen) made him rich and knighted, though not always accepted by British aristocracy:

    “Una cosa es ser rico y caballero y otra cosa es que te admitan en el círculo de caballeros ricos.” — Nieves [12:04]

• Drake’s Motto:

  • Sic parvis magna – “De las cosas pequeñas se hacen las grandes."
  • Nieves, with characteristic humor, rephrases it:

    “Partiendo de la nada hemos alcanzado las más altas cimas de la miseria.” — Groucho Marx, quoted by Nieves [12:11]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the English Claiming First Place:

  "Tienen un morro que se lo vamos a aprovechar..." — Nieves [01:06]

• On Pirates vs. Corsairs:

  “Era un delincuente, solo que en vez de ir hecho un guarro con patapalo, llevaba calzoncillos de seda y chorreras en la camisa.” — Nieves [01:32]

• Elcano’s Unpaid Pension:

  “...te voy a conceder una pensión vitalicia… tú aún no lo sabes pero no la vas a cobrar en tu vida.” — Nieves [05:32]

• Who Was Really on the First Circumnavigation?

  “...en la expedición de Magallanes… iban veintiocho portugueses, veintisiete italianos, quince franceses, ocho griegos, cinco flamencos, tres alemanes, dos irlandeses, un inglés, un malayo…” — Nieves [03:52]

• On Patente de Corso (Patent of Marque):

  “Era como meter a los delincuentes en nómina… cuanto más pirateaba, más botín llevaban a la corona y más ricos se hacían los corsarios.” — Nieves [09:26]

• Drake’s Social Mobility and Peer Snubbing:

  “Un lord… se negó a aceptar lingotes de oro robados diciendo que su conciencia de lor le impedía aceptar oro robado… tú te lo pierdes.” — [12:04]

Memorable Segment Timestamps

• [00:33] – Defining corsarios vs. piratas
• [01:32] – British self-congratulation, Drake’s knighthood
• [03:52] – Multinational crew on Magellan’s first world voyage
• [05:32] – Elcano’s meager rewards vs. Drake’s honors
• [07:55] – Explaining the "patente de corso"
• [10:24] – Drake’s expedition as a crime spree
• [12:04] – Drake’s rise from humble birth, British class prejudices

Tone & Style

Nieves Concostrina narrates with her trademark irony and wit, exposing historical myths with sharp humor and memorable comparisons (e.g., equating Spanish political figures to modern corsairs, poking fun at both English and Spanish national pride).

Conclusion

A distinctly irreverent look at England’s elevation of Sir Francis Drake as a national hero, in contrast to Spain’s treatment of its own pioneering explorers. Nieves Concostrina uses history to illuminate how nations craft legends and how the reality—especially when it comes to pirates with royal paperwork—is often more complicated, self-serving, and comical than the myths suggest.