Artist: Oswald Walters Brierly [Public domain]
Genadius
The legend of the Archbishop Genadius and the Island of the Seven Cities is a folktale from the island of São Miguel in the Azores archipelago an autonomous region of Portugal. It tells a version of the legend of the Island of the Seven Cities of Antillia and presented here is a retelling of that folktale based on the source below. The story begins with a young man named Genadius who was born into a rich and powerful family in Portugal. He was greatly spoiled and allowed many indulgences by his father. When ever he could not get his own way he would fly into a tantrum.
Necromancy
Nevertheless, he was a young man who possessed great curiosity about everything and he was very adventurous. He experimented with many strange and unorthodox ideas and practices and one day discovered he could summon up the dead. This greatly excited him and he worked hard and learned all he could from books on the subject. He spent many hours in practice and became adept in the skills of necromancy and the black arts and even learnt how to call upon Satan. However he was a young man who soon tired of things and would move quickly from one project to another.
Christianity
He became disenchanted with necromancy and the black arts and gave himself to Christianity believing that it offered him the greater power. He became a priest and hermit and dedicated himself to God. Although he stopped using the black arts he combined his abilities as a necromancer to the duties of a Christian priest and performed many good and astounding feats. Eventually his feats came to the notice of the Supreme Pontiff who was impressed with what he heard and decided to promote and reward him and made him a bishop. Thanks to his powerful and influential family he was soon promoted to Archbishop of Porto.
A Baby Girl
One wet and cold night as he opened his cathedral door he discovered that a baby girl had been laid in a basket before it. There was no clue to who the baby girl’s parents were but she desperately needed a home and shelter so Genadius decided he would adopt her. Therefore, he took her in and brought her up in fine style giving her the education of a princess and loved her as a daughter.
Invasion
It so happened that the Iberian peninsula was invaded by hostile forces from North Africa who crossed the narrow straits intent on conquest and Portugal also came under attack. Realizing the danger Archbishop Genadius called his six bishops to him and gathered his family and friends together. He had a fleet of seven ships built that would allow them to escape before the marauding invaders arrived. He filled the ships with supplies, water and livestock and just as the enemy was closing in he gave the order to set sail.
The Voyage
Each of the clergy took command of one of the ships and the small fleet set sail into the setting sun across the wild Atlantic Ocean. Their great hope was to find a safe land they could settle in and build a new home for themselves and their families and live in their traditional ways.
Genadius had also taken the girl he had adopted and as many other citizens that the ships could safely carry. After many days sailing the fleet came across an unknown island that had a great central peak that sloped gently down to the sea on all sides. There was a good natural harbor where they anchored their ships. He sent out search parties to explore the island and make sure it was safe.
The Island
The reports from the search parties were all good saying the island was very beautiful and a veritable paradise. It was uninhabited by humans but abounded in plant and animal life. It was was safe and fertile with plenty of fresh water and could support all of their people with ease.
Therefore, he gave the order to disembark and unload the ships. He tasked some of the people to build a camp where they could live in reasonable comfort safe from the elements until more permanent shelter could be constructed.
The Seven Cities
When they were settled and comfortable he called a meeting of the bishops and the elders and told them he planned to build seven cities each with a cathedral. He and the six bishops would each rule one of the cities and he would rule over them all. After a brief rest from their sea voyage they all got to work and built seven cities each with their own cathedral situated around the island and the people were distributed between them.
After the cities and cathedrals were built the people lived in peace and happiness living in their traditional way unhindered. In that time the girl Genadius had adopted grew to become a beautiful young woman and began to draw the attention of many young men.
Having grown up mostly on the island she had only ever heard tales about her old home of Portugal faraway over the sea. As is often the case the stories were exaggerated and embellished and she began to wonder why the people had ever left. She ached to see all the wonders they told her of and began to yearn to return to Portugal.
Unwanted Attention
Genadius could also not help but notice the attention she was receiving from young men and began to worry that she would lose her purity. Although he knew it was natural for young men to be attracted to young women and vice-versa, he could not help but become increasingly concerned. The more he saw and the more he thought about it, the more obsessed he became, wrongly believing he was protecting her. Furthermore, her continued questioning of him about their old home in Portugal made him realize she wished to return.
He had grown to love her greatly and did not want to lose her. Therefore, he resorted to his powers of necromancy to hide the island away from any passing ships in case they should dock on the island by chance.
This worked for a while until one fine morning a caravel with the cross of Jesus emblazoned upon its sails and flying the flag of Portugal appeared on the horizon. It proceeded to the harbor where it intended to anchor.
The Black Arts
Genadius was both furious and fearful of its arrival and flew into a rage. He could not understand how his powers of necromancy had failed. As the caravel began to drop her anchor his rage erupted and in fury he resorted to his black arts and called upon Satan for help. As he did so the central peak of the island began spewing out smoke and fumes. Fire and molten rock rained down destroying everything around. Eventually there was a massive explosion and the island sank slowly into the sea.
A few survivors made it to the caravel who took them back home to Portugal, but of the island of the Seven Cities no trace afterwards could ever be found. Some said that it sank below the sea but other seafarers returned with reports of an island that was hidden by mists but would sink below the ocean when approached.
© 25/09/2019 zteve t evans
References, Attributions and Further Reading
Copyright September 25th, 2019 zteve t evans
Under the influence! 
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