Sir John Mandeville on Prester John, c.1366
- Created by: louisemeller
- Created on: 12-05-17 21:56
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- Sir John Mandeville on Prester John c.1366
- Thought of outside of John Mandeville- who else and where else?
- Russian text- 'The Tale of the Indian Kingdom'
- The geographical information of the Tianshan slopes is surprisingly accurate
- From 'Searches for an Imaginary Kingdom'
- Author was least of all interested in reality- mythical beasts
- From 'Searches for an Imaginary Kingdom'
- Author was least of all interested in reality- mythical beasts
- Describes an eastern Christian culture that was opposed to both Buddhism and Islam
- From 'Searches for an Imaginary Kingdom'
- From 'Searches for an Imaginary Kingdom'
- The geographical information of the Tianshan slopes is surprisingly accurate
- The legend itself can possibly be traced back to the writings of 'John the Elder' in the New Testament
- Russian text- 'The Tale of the Indian Kingdom'
- Who is Sir John Mandeville?
- Assumed to have written 'Voyages de Jehan de Mandeville Chevalier'
- 'Voyages' appeared anonymously in France c.1357- vernacular account of the known world
- Narrator claims he is Mandeville, from St. Albans.
- Claims he traveled the world, served Sultan of Cairo, visited Great Khan, and settled account 1357
- No historical corroboration of claims
- Claims he traveled the world, served Sultan of Cairo, visited Great Khan, and settled account 1357
- About the source
- Account is in two parts
- Description of the Holy Land and routes thither
- Description of Asia and other partes infidelium
- 9/10 of the source can be traced precisely to other sources e.g. Pliny and Vincent of Beauvais
- Includes itineraries of genuine travellers like William of Boldensele and Oderic of Pordenone
- Account is in two parts
- What can this fictional account of a fictional king by a fictional author tell us?
- Fction of the author as a genuine English knight- even listed in in Benedictine Thomas Walsingham's 'annales' among the worthies of St Albans
- Helped preserve myth of Mandeville
- Forged letter from Mandeville appeared at Cantebury Cathedral c.1450 to authenticate 'relics' he brought back from his travels
- Helped preserve myth of Mandeville
- Forged letter from Mandeville appeared at Cantebury Cathedral c.1450 to authenticate 'relics' he brought back from his travels
- French version of the text appeared in Liege
- Claimed that Mandeville wrote the text at the request of Jean de Bourgogne (author and physician)
- According to a Liege chronicler, Bourgogne claimed to be Mandeville on his deathbead
- Claimed that Mandeville wrote the text at the request of Jean de Bourgogne (author and physician)
- Fction of the author as a genuine English knight- even listed in in Benedictine Thomas Walsingham's 'annales' among the worthies of St Albans
- What does its popularity tell us about Europe at this time?
- There was a fashion for exotica that flourished in Paris c.1350- author most likely wanted to appeal to this
- Religious element- Christian king
- Christianity permitted in the east. Ye-lu Dashi- emperor of the Western Liao Dynasty- appeared to accept Christianity
- He avoided suspicion of paganism, did not become a Buddhist monk, and could not dream of accepting Islam as he was an enemy of the sultan
- Ye-Lu Dashi named his heir Elijah- crusaders in Palestine and Syria strongly believed their was a Christian kingdom east of Persia
- From 'Searches for an Imaginary Kingdom'
- Ye-Lu Dashi named his heir Elijah- crusaders in Palestine and Syria strongly believed their was a Christian kingdom east of Persia
- He avoided suspicion of paganism, did not become a Buddhist monk, and could not dream of accepting Islam as he was an enemy of the sultan
- Prester John believed to have been a Nestorian
- Christianity permitted in the east. Ye-lu Dashi- emperor of the Western Liao Dynasty- appeared to accept Christianity
- Why might the myth have started?
- C12th steppe= highly populated
- Rains had increased the moisture of the steppe- stimulated extension of pastures and increase in herds
- Population increase- more children survived due to the increase in food
- Could this have been misinterpreted as a kingdom? Previously nomadic tribes had entered stage of biocenosis
- From 'Searches for an Imaginary Kingdom'
- C12th steppe= highly populated
- How can we possibly use this as historical evidence?
- Names: Ind, Chan, Nyse, Isle of Pentexoire
- Some of the distant 'lands' mentioned are no longer recognisable in any source
- Names: Ind, Chan, Nyse, Isle of Pentexoire
- Thought of outside of John Mandeville- who else and where else?
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