Taprobana was the historical name of an island in the Indian Ocean. It was first reported to Europeans by the Greek geographer Megasthenes around 290 BC, and was taken up by Ptolemy.[1] It may have referred to:
- Sri Lanka, as in Ptolemy's map and climes
- Sumatra, as in the birthplace of Henry the Black
- a phantom island
It is mentioned in the first strophe of the Portuguese epic poem Os Lusíadas by Luís de Camões. Taprobana might also be a hidden reference to Tribhuvana, the great Hindu Triad. This could mean that Luís de Camões was saying that the Portuguese were going beyond the Earth, the Atmosphere and the Sky, in their epic quest, Os Lusíadas, as noted by Dalila Pereira da Costa.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Suárez, Thomas. Early Mapping of Southeast Asia. Periplus Editions. p. 100. ISBN 962-593-470-7. http://books.google.ca/books?id=ZG7ZMAbv_jAC&pg=PA100&lpg=PA100&dq=Taprobana&source=bl&ots=x6jjp6OP0o&sig=MvCwZOXOI9060LXD1W8K4TXtZ6Q&hl=en&ei=zSBYStrHD5PWtgPEmeTWBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3.
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