Maldonada (Gulliver's Travels)
| Maldonada | |
|---|---|
|
Location of Maldonada in the realm of Balnibarbi (original map, Pt III, Gulliver's Travels) | |
| Gulliver's Travels location | |
| Created by | Jonathan Swift |
| Genre | Satire |
| Type | Port city |
| Notable characters | Gulliver's guide to Glubdubdrib, a "gentleman of distinction".[1] |
Maldonada is a fictional city from the book of Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. It was the main port of the kingdom of Balnibarbi.
Location
The location of Maldonada is illustrated in both the text and the maps in Part III of Gulliver's Travels, though they are not consistent with each other. Maldonada is described in the text as being 150 miles from the capital, Lagado, on the kingdom's Pacific coast (ie to the south) and that the island of Luggnagg, which is 100 leagues distant to the north-west.[2][3] and is said to be 5 leagues distant from the island of Glubdubdrib, to the southwest.[4] However the map at the beginning of Pt III[5] places Maldonada on the south-west coast of Luggnagg, with Glubdubdrib to the southwest of that island. A further map, of the kingdom of Balnibarbi[6] shows the port again, on the kingdoms south-east coast, but names it “Malonada”.
Description
Maldonada is described as being “a good port, with much commerce with the great kingdom of Luggnagg”. Gulliver tells us it is “about as large as Portsmouth”.[7] Maldonada was Gulliver's departure point for his visit to Glubdubdrib, and later, on his return, for his voyage to Luggnagg.
Notes
References
- Jonathan Swift: Guliver's Travels Oxford World Classics (1986, reprint 2008) introduction by Claude Rawson, explanatory notes by Ian Higgins