Logbook of the Santiago

Logbook of the Santiago
Object information
Made	c. 1513
Owner(s)	Juan Ponce de León Spanish Castaway King Ferdinand The Spaniard
Affiliation	Santiago Fountain of Youth Profane Ritual
Behind the scenes
First appearance	On Stranger Tides
Latest appearance	On Stranger Tides

"Says he found Ponce de León's ship."
"Or sailed on it."
"No, I told you, Ponce de León died two hundred years ago."
"Aye, but he died searching for something, didn't he?"
"...The Fountain of Youth."

―Captain, Fisherman and King Ferdinand

The log of the Santiago, or the Santiago's logbook, was an ancient logbook for the Santiago, that told of explorer Juan Ponce de León's fabled discovery of the long-lost Fountain of Youth. After an old castaway was caught in a fishing net off the coast of Spain, found clutching the two-hundred-year-old book, he was rushed to King Ferdinand's royal palace. The Spaniard and his loyal crew used the ancient logbook in a quest for the Fountain.

History

At some point in the early 1500s, the logbook was used during the voyages of Juan Ponce de León's ship, the Santiago, including the discovery of the Fountain of Youth. The logbook became one of the very few items that had the route to the Fountain written, as well as the ritual of the Fountain. A sailor who once sailed with Ponce de León later had the logbook he was lost at sea.

In 1750, off the coast of Spain, the sailor was found with the logbook by fishermen. He was taken to King Ferdinand's royal palace in Cádiz. Upon arriving, Ferdinand took the book and read through it and, upon finding an archaic symbol, discovered that the myths surrounding the Fountain of Youth were true. Ferdinand gave the logbook to The Spaniard and sent him to find and destroy the Fountain. It is unknown what became of the logbook after the quest for the Fountain of Youth.

Appearance and design

King Ferdinand examines the logbook.

The Santiago's logbook was a log bounded with a black leather strap. During the 15th century, the logbook was written to chronicle the voyages of conquistador Juan Ponce de León. Information of the legendary Fountain of Youth was written into the logbook, including its location and how the Fountain worked through the Profane Ritual.

Behind the scenes

"So we were hoping, it would make us feel a whole lot better about our fortunes, to see that item you told us about. The gift from Calypso. To put an ease to the guilt, as it were."
"Ah. Feast your eyes, then, mateys!"
"It says Ponce de Leon, right there!"

―Pintel, Barbossa, and Ragetti

The ship's log of the Santiago is first referenced in Glenn Dakin's reference book Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide, identified as the "log of the Santiago", "Santiago's logbook", or simply the "ancient logbook" among other names. The ship's logbook first appeared in James Ponti's junior novelization of the 2011 film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The log book used in the film was handwritten by Heather Pollington.

In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's first screenplay draft of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Captain Barbossa starts to search for the Fountain of Youth, using the captain's journal of Ponce de León that he took from Tia Dalma who in turn received it from a mermaid.

While it wasn't confirmed in On Stranger Tides, it is quite possible that the Profane Ritual was written in the log of the Santiago. That would explain The Spaniard's interest in the Chalices of Cartagena, if only to destroy them along with the Fountain. In the film's visual guide, a page chronicling the ritual appears to be written in an old book, making the idea more possible.

Ponce de Leon's log book.

Part of the log, written in Spanish, could be seen at one point in the first scene of On Stranger Tides. Most of the known written content roughly translates to:

April 9, 1513

Strong winds tomorrow. We found a current so strong that we were forced to

A portion of the log also says The rigging needs repairing. Everything else written in the logbook is unknown.

In the non-canonical LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, the logbook was stolen from King Ferdinand by Angelica, who didn't realize the King tore from the book a map with the route to the Fountain and gave it to The Spaniard.

Appearances

• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization) (First appearance)
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide (First identified as log of the Santiago, the Santiago's logbook, and the ancient logbook)