Podcasts about century european

On today's episode, Jessica talks with Friar Francisco Nahoe and Mata'u Rapu about how a priest and a filmmaker got involved in repatriation efforts for Rapa Nui (Easter Island). We learn how 19th and 20th Century European sheepherding ventures circulated Polynesian crania from Rapa Nui across the world; how UNESCO recognition can harm indigenous communities; the close relationship between environmental protection, cultural heritage, and indigenous rights; and most of all how the Rapanui people themselves provide an outstanding example of resilience in the face of environmental precarity and Euro-American colonization. Finally, we explore the challenges of living up to the leadership and legacy of both ancient ancestors and living elders in the effort to find a collective, multi-generational Polynesian voice.Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/heritagevoices/91Links Heritage Voices on the APN Eating up Easter Eating up Easter on PBS (Amazon) Eating up Easter (PBS) British museum public access catalogue Moai: Contest Objects from the British Museum Collection Article about British Museum Employee who Stole Artifacts from Collection Another film made by another Rapanui documentary filmmaker, Leo Pakarati, about Hoa Haka Nana Ia. Smithsonian Moai Stone Figure Head and Shoulders Smithsonian to return ancestral remains to Indigenous Australians https://www.instagram.com/smrapu/ https://linktr.ee/smrapuContact JessicaJessica@livingheritageanthropology.org@livingheritageA@LivingHeritageResearchCouncilArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet Tee Public StoreAffiliates Motion

On today's episode, Jessica talks with Friar Francisco Nahoe and Mata'u Rapu about how a priest and a filmmaker got involved in repatriation efforts for Rapa Nui (Easter Island). We learn how 19th and 20th Century European sheepherding ventures circulated Polynesian crania from Rapa Nui across the world; how UNESCO recognition can harm indigenous communities; the close relationship between environmental protection, cultural heritage, and indigenous rights; and most of all how the Rapanui people themselves provide an outstanding example of resilience in the face of environmental precarity and Euro-American colonization. Finally, we explore the challenges of living up to the leadership and legacy of both ancient ancestors and living elders in the effort to find a collective, multi-generational Polynesian voice.Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/heritagevoices/91Links Heritage Voices on the APN Eating up Easter Eating up Easter on PBS (Amazon) Eating up Easter (PBS) British museum public access catalogue Moai: Contest Objects from the British Museum Collection Article about British Museum Employee who Stole Artifacts from Collection Another film made by another Rapanui documentary filmmaker, Leo Pakarati, about Hoa Haka Nana Ia. Smithsonian Moai Stone Figure Head and Shoulders Smithsonian to return ancestral remains to Indigenous Australians https://www.instagram.com/smrapu/ https://linktr.ee/smrapuContact JessicaJessica@livingheritageanthropology.org@livingheritageA@LivingHeritageResearchCouncilArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet Tee Public StoreAffiliates Motion

At the end of every episode I ask my guests their "food for the soul" - arts or other things that inspire them. In this episode I answer the question with some of my food for the soul. I start with guitars and specifically, my current favorite guitar, my Powers Electric.Then I talk about two groups of books that have influenced me - the great early 20th Century European novels and musicians biographies.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comMentioned in the episode:Powers Electric GuitarsLuigi Pirandello - Six Characters in Search of An AuthorsItalo Svevo The Conscience of ZenoMarcel Proust - In Search of Lost TimeJoe Jackson - A Cure for GravityBill Bruford - The Autobiography

Amazing conversation with the author of Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus: A Critical Introduction and Guide: https://a.co/d/gol2ajX Brent Adkins is Professor of Philosophy at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, USA. His primary interests are 19th and 20th Century European philosophy, Modern Philosophy, and politics. https://roanoke.academia.edu/BrentAdkins   ABOUT / CREDITS / LINKS Become a monthly TU Tier Subscriber to access to the TU HUB, which includes past, ongoing, and upcoming courses, special events, office hours, clubs, and critical feedback that will help you evolve your comprehension capacities and critical faculties, via the website here: https://theoryunderground.com/product/tu-subscription-tiers/ (Whatever tier you subscribe to in the month of March 2024 will be promoted to the privileges of the next one up (e.g. Tier 1 will have Tier 2 privileges, etc.!).)   Don't have time for that but want to help anyway? Consider supporting the patreon here: Welcome to Theory Underground. https://www.patreon.com/TheoryUnderground   Get TU books at a discount: https://theoryunderground.com/publications   Theory Underground is a lecture, research, and publishing platform by and for working class intellectuals, autodidacts, and academics who want to do more than they are able to within the confines of academia.   Think of Theory Underground like a Jiu Jitsu gym for your brain. Or like a post-political theory church. It doesn't matter. None of the analogies will do it justice. We're post-identity anyway. Just see if the vibe is right for you. We hope you get something out of it!   If you want to help me get setup sooner/faster in a totally gratuitous way, or support me but you don't care about the subscription or want to bother with the monthly stuff, here is a way to buy me something concrete and immediately useful, then you can buy me important equipment for my office on this list (these items will be automatically shipped to my address if you use the list here) https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2MAWFYUJQIM58?   Buy me some coffee: https://www.venmo.com/u/Theorypleeb https://paypal.me/theorypleeb   If Theory Underground has helped you see that text-to-speech technologies are a useful way of supplementing one's reading while living a busy life, if you want to be able to listen to PDFs for yourself, then Speechify is recommended. Use the link below and Theory Underground gets credit! https://share.speechify.com/mzwBHEB Follow Theory Underground on Duolingo: https://invite.duolingo.com/BDHTZTB5CWWKTP747NSNMAOYEI See Theory Underground memes here: https://www.instagram.com/theory_underground/ https://tiktok.com/@theory_underground   Missed a course at Theory Underground? Wrong! Courses at Theory Underground are available after the fact on demand. https://theoryunderground.com/courses   MUSIC CREDITS Logo sequence music by https://olliebeanz.com/music https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/legalcode Mike Chino, Demigods https://youtu.be/M6wruxDngOk            

Gunditjmara artist Hayley Millar Baker sets her latest film work at the witching hour, when the spirit world and physical overlap. Hayley previously worked in black and white photography, exploring the psychic scars of frontier violence and dispossession. Ghosts have always been present in Hayley's work – and in her life. She's part of the acclaimed new exhibition Shadow Spirit, on at at Melbourne's Flinders Street Station.Marc Chagall is the quintessential 20th Century European artist. Born into an orthodox Russian Jewish Family, Chagall found his way to Paris and became an Avant Garde artist with a romantic, humanist and deeply spiritual style all his own. Unusually, he ended up designing works for Christian churches. Chagall at the Jewish Museum of Australia looks at Chagall's printmaking, poetry and public art commissions through a Jewish lens. Rosa speaks with curator Jade Niklai.Enter the studio of nipaluna/Hobart-based artist Catherine Woo, whose textural landscape paintings using natural minerals and elemental forces, show nature from a completely different perspective. First broadcast August 2022.

Gunditjmara artist Hayley Millar Baker sets her latest film work at the witching hour, when the spirit world and physical overlap. Hayley previously worked in black and white photography, exploring the psychic scars of frontier violence and dispossession. Ghosts have always been present in Hayley's work – and in her life. She's part of the acclaimed new exhibition Shadow Spirit, on at at Melbourne's Flinders Street Station. Marc Chagall is the quintessential 20th Century European artist. Born into an orthodox Russian Jewish Family, Chagall found his way to Paris and became an Avant Garde artist with a romantic, humanist and deeply spiritual style all his own. Unusually, he ended up designing works for Christian churches. Chagall at the Jewish Museum of Australia looks at Chagall's printmaking, poetry and public art commissions through a Jewish lens. Rosa speaks with curator Jade Niklai. Enter the studio of nipaluna/Hobart-based artist Catherine Woo, whose textural landscape paintings using natural minerals and elemental forces, show nature from a completely different perspective. First broadcast August 2022.

This week Ed and Tom are joined once more by the wonderful Mr Peter Berry as we chat about Big Base Units and get all excited about Joy of Six 2023

Count Coudenhove-Kalergi was one of the most influential 20th Century European thinkers that you've never heard of. He was a pioneer of European integration, advocating for the free movement of people across European borders, a common currency and a single passport. Unsurprisingly, his ideas attracted the ire of right-wing thinkers across the continent; Hitler angrily denounced him in Mein Kampf, and even today he is the subject of a right-wing antisemitic conspiracy theory called 'The Kalergi Plan'. But how influential was his vision for Europe? In what ways did he help to shape the modern European Union? Dan is joined by the journalist Martyn Bond, author of Hitler's Cosmopolitan Bastard, to discuss his life and legacy.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe to History Hit today!Download the History Hit app from the Google Play store.Download the History Hit app from the Apple Store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In which 2 cases of possession and Satan's handwriting samples are discussed amid Cee Cee tricking Phineas into disparaging Italian Sorcerers until he has a breakdown, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Ida Pfeiffer's desire to see the world was like many childhood fantasies - destined to remain just that. And yet at the age of 44 once her sons had reached adulthood, she set off from her home in Vienna on a series of journeys that no woman of her time or background had contemplated. Beginning with a trip to the Middle East, Pfeiffer travelled mostly alone, documenting her voyages and collecting specimens that she later sold to help finance her adventures abroad. Budget travel was her mantra, as she was not a wealthy aristocrat like many travellers of that time. On her journeys Pfeiffer was attacked, kidnapped, robbed and almost drowned. She met head-hunters and endured extreme conditions to pursue her dream. Defying all convention, Pfeiffer became celebrated as the most travelled woman on the planet, circumnavigating the globe twice. But despite her trailblazing attitude, she was no feminist, believing that women should be either professionals or home-builders, not both. Rajan Datar discusses the life of this most unlikely traveller with the social and cultural anthropologist Hiltgund Jehle; Ulrike Brisson, whose research has focused on 19th and early 20th-Century European women's travel writing; and John van Wyhe, senior lecturer in the department of biological sciences at Tembusu College in Singapore, and author of Wanderlust: The Amazing Ida Pfeiffer, the first female tourist. Producer: Fiona Clampin (Image: Portrait of the Austrian traveller Ida Pfeiffer (1797-1858), from Il Giro del mondo (World Tour), Journal of geography, travel and costumes, Volume XVII, Issue 8, February 23, 1873. Credit: DEA /Biblioteca Ambrosiana/Getty Images)

In June 2020, The Cycling Europe Podcast dedicated the whole of episode 21 to the epic early 20th Century European cycle of the American Maximilian J. St. George. After discovering the podcast, Tim & George, both grandsons of Max got in touch, as did Juniper, great grandson of Max's travelling companion Varnum Parish. Varnum not only rode with Max for several months but wrote his own diary. The podcast talks to Tim, George and Juniper about their ancestors' travels in Europe. Plus: Simon Garland takes a comical look back on his EuroVelo 15 cycle along the route of The Rhine…

While the name of Pauline Viardot may be unfamiliar to many, in her lifetime she was one of the most celebrated performers in Europe. Her interpretation of Orpheus in a revival of Gluck's opera made the writer Charles Dickens weep, and the novelist George Sand said that whenever she heard Pauline Viardot sing, nothing else mattered. In addition to her vocal talents, Pauline Viardot dazzled in high society. She knew almost everybody who came to define 19th Century European culture, thanks to the regular salon she held with her husband in their Parisian townhouse. Acclaimed poets, musicians, composers, artists and even royalty would come to take tea, listen to music, network, perform and share ideas. Alas there are no recordings of her magnificent voice, even though her later years coincided with the beginning of the recording industry. But today Pauline Viardot's legacy is being rediscovered as a composer, with works that were performed at her salons reaching new audiences. Bridget Kendall is joined by Hilary Poriss, associate professor of music history at Northeastern University in Boston who is writing a monograph on Pauline Viardot to be published by the University of Chicago Press; Patrick Barbier, emeritus professor at the West Catholic University in Angers, and author of a biography of Pauline Viardot and her sister; and Richard Langham Smith, who has published widely on 19th and early 20th Century French music and is currently research professor at the Royal College of Music in London. Producer: Fiona Clampin

The House of Opportuniteez is back, bitches! Through a hateful combination of scheduling and salmonella, KOK has been held for a few weeks. But, apart from an enjoyable Snatch Game of Love episode, absolutely nothing has happened in RPDRAS5 that can’t be summed up in hour’s worth of chat masquerading as a podcast. So, prepare yourself for a whole new hour of reading RuPaul Charles for filth, stanning Shea Coulee and even more 19th Century European nobility references. Tip Reuben here (https://www.paypal.me/RRKEntertainment)! Tom Walker’s Bon Jovi bit here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1oC-EwlcAk) Donate to Trans Women of Colour Collective here (https://www.twocc.us/donate/)! Please subscribe to Big Diva Energy and never miss a fabulous episode. And do reach out and say hello on: Twitter @DivaEnergy Insta @bigdivaenergy Email bigdivaenergypod@gmail.com Support this podcast

Lickitey and Tuggie professional Mud Wrestlers come in and talk about the Bay Area Renaissance Festival.                  THY QUEEN WELCOMES THEE!   Queen Katherine Parr and her royal court invite one and all to his 16th Century European village featuring 12 stages of exciting entertainment. Over 80 artisans fill the Festival marketplace to display and sell their handcrafted wares for a truly unique shopping experience. Patrons can interact with hundreds of memorable characters roaming the village streets as well as view live armored jousting throughout the day. Come celebrate our newest season by visiting the Festival grounds in Tampa, FL. Huzzah!

Henry VIII is in peak condition, he’s 29, sporty, good looking, charming, musical, and possibly still in a loving relationship with Catherine of Aragon. They descend on one of their treasured homes, Leeds Castle, with a party of 5,000 to prepare for a landmark event in 16th Century European politics: the first momentous meeting between Henry and the equally dashing King of France, Francis 1st, at the Field of the Cloth of Gold near Calais. It’s a masterpiece in event planning by Henry’s Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.

In the fourth episode of the Revival History series, Jo & Scott talk about revival in Europe from the sixteenth century. They begin with the protestant reformation and the Moravian movement in Germany which led to the biggest missionary movement in the West until YWAM. Alongside this they explore the life of John and Charles Wesley and the impact that they had on the Church of England and to the nations of the world. Listen in and be inspired to holy living and seeing God at work in our world. Resources/Links mentioned in this episode or helpful for Going Deeper: Book: "2000 Years of Charismatic Church History" by Eddie Hyatt Book: "Flashpoints of Revival: History's Mighty Revivals" by Dr Geoff Waugh Book: "God's Generals" by Roberts Liardon" Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify.

Dr. Duncan Hay, currently a Research Associate at the Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, UCL, London, has an extensive experience at the intersection of linguistics and technology. He received his PhD in 2012 in in English Literature from Manchester University, where his thesis looked at the writing of the London-based writer Iain Sinclair in relationship to the theories of urban space developed by the 20th Century European avant-gardes. He is currently under contract with Manchester University Press to write a ‘detourned' cultural history of the relationship between Manchester, the birthplace of industrial capitalism, and ‘psychogeography', the revolutionary, utopian spatial practices developed by the Situationist International. He has also been working with digital since 2006 and he is skilled with a range of front- and back end technologies including html, CSS, JavaScript, PHP (WordPress is a speciality) and Python/Django. At the moment he is interested in exploring cities and culture using mapping technologies like leaflet.js. In today's episode we talk to Duncan about the definition and origin of the IoT (Internet of Things) concept, about Alexa and Amazon Echo and about what makes it difficult for people to understand how it operates data. We talk about security and trust around IoT in public urban spaces through an urban space project in East London. Duncan and the team he was a part of explored what happens to a conversational object (a 3D printed garden gnome) when you give it agency and how to make transparent to people the interconnectedness and communication between IoT objects. Lastly we talk about IoT governance and trust. Last week we released part 1 of this interview where we talked to Duncan about his work with the Survey of London, the White Chapel Initiative, a technological experiment in the creation and dissemination of urban history. Mentioned in Podcast: Bruce Sterling - IoT definition and traceable items Timothy Morton, Hyperobjects: https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/hyperobjects Donna J Haraway, The Cyborg Manifesto: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/undergraduate/modules/fictionnownarrativemediaandtheoryinthe21stcentury/manifestly_haraway_----a_cyborg_manifesto_science_technology_and_socialist-feminism_in_the....pdf Duncan's work: http://walled-city.net/ https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/casa/dr-duncan-hay Social media or other links: https://twitter.com/walled_city?lang=en

Dr. Duncan Hay, currently a Research Associate at the Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, UCL, London, has an extensive experience at the intersection of linguistics and technology. He received his PhD in 2012 in in English Literature from Manchester University, where his thesis looked at the writing of the London-based writer Iain Sinclair in relationship to the theories of urban space developed by the 20th Century European avant-gardes. He is currently under contract with Manchester University Press to write a ‘detourned' cultural history of the relationship between Manchester, the birthplace of industrial capitalism, and ‘psychogeography', the revolutionary, utopian spatial practices developed by the Situationist International. He has also been working with digital since 2006 and he is skilled with a range of front- and back end technologies including html, CSS, JavaScript, PHP (WordPress is a speciality) and Python/Django. At the moment he is interested in exploring cities and culture using mapping technologies like leaflet.js. We have split our conversation with Duncan into 2 separate episodes. In today's episode we talk to Duncan about his work with the Survey of London, the White Chapel Initiative, a technological experiment in the creation and dissemination of urban history. We talk about how digital technology can be used to increase access to historical data and the tensions and barriers between official and unofficial history. We cover inclusivity, diversity, citizenship and legitimacy of what constitutes data and what is the role of technology. Next week we will be releasing part 2 of this conversation which will be focused on Duncan's work in the space of IoT (Internet of Things). Mentioned in Podcast: Ian Sinclair - on place and history Walter Benjamin on the political use of the past inside the present https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/benjamin/ The Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, UCL, London https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/casa/ Survey of London https://surveyoflondon.org Eric Shorter, documented his childhood in White Chapel Shahed Selim on the British Mosque https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/13/the-british-mosque-architectural-social-history-shahed-saleem-review Duncan's work: http://walled-city.net/ https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/casa/dr-duncan-hay

This week we take a quick survey of the conditions in Europe during the 16th century. As the middle ages give way to the early modern period, a changing political environment spread throughout the continent. We will place our focus specifically on England during this era and will explore the reigns of both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. These two monarchs help create a modern England, and their decisions lay the groundwork for the English North American colonies of the 17th century.   Join us on social media!   Twitter: https://twitter.com/ushistpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USPoliticalpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uspoliticalpodcast/ Website: http://www.uspoliticalpodcast.com Bibliography: http://www.uspoliticalpodcast.com/bibliography/

Please join us on Monday, February 5 for the release of a new report, Enhanced Deterrence in the North: A 21st Century European Engagement Strategy. CSIS has concluded a year-long study that assesses Russia's military capabilities for the next decade; examines the existing "web" of bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral security and defense cooperation agreements stretching from the North Atlantic to the Barents and Baltic Seas; and outlines a new and more streamlined framework for enhancing deterrence in Northern Europe. Following keynote remarks from former SACEUR General Philip M. Breedlove (Ret.) on the need for greater enhanced security and defense measures in Northern Europe, our subsequent panel will discuss specific new measures to improve maritime and air power capabilities, as well as strengthen defense and security cooperation with non-NATO members Sweden and Finland. This conversation is made possible by support from Actagon. 

Yale history professor Timothy Snyder tells us what lessons can be learned from 20th Century European history in order for America to avoid fascist authoritarianism.  And Deborah Weinstein of the Coalition for Human Needs breaks down Trump's cruel budget plan.

15th Century European kingdoms were wracked by internal division as well as international war. By the end of the century, Rome was no more, Christendom was increasingly disunited and new monarchies were on the way. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The guys are back from paternity leave. In this week's episode: When is the best time to turn on the heat? What's worse – actual hell or staying overnight with children in hotel rooms? People who smoke in the car with kids are worse than fascist rulers of 20th Century European empires. The pumpkin farm racket.

European Paintings, Sculpture, Impressionism

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Penelope Wilton. Her first love is the theatre and she's been highly acclaimed for her stage work in plays by Ibsen, Shaw, Shakespeare, Beckett - she relishes and shines in the difficult roles. Yet as one of our leading classical actresses she has no qualms about turning her talents to TV and film - Calendar Girls, Shaun of the Dead and Dr Who are among her more recent on screen appearances. In-spite of being one of our best regarded actresses she is intensely private, intent upon disappearing into the lives of her characters. Penelope says that thing about being an actor is that you turn into other people, you have to hide yourself a bit in order to let that other person come out. People should see the character on the stage, not the actor. Penelope grew up the middle of three girls and says that her mother was frail and often ill - she says this taught her to be self contained: "I was always worried that I would hurt her by taking a different view so one was sort of being terribly amenable - well of course that's not in one's nature, I'm quite sharp and rather argumentative."Favourite track: The 2nd movement of String Quintet in C Major by Franz Schubert Book: An anthology of 20th Century European poetry Luxury: An open-air cinema with a selection of films

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Penelope Wilton. Her first love is the theatre and she's been highly acclaimed for her stage work in plays by Ibsen, Shaw, Shakespeare, Beckett - she relishes and shines in the difficult roles. Yet as one of our leading classical actresses she has no qualms about turning her talents to TV and film - Calendar Girls, Shaun of the Dead and Dr Who are among her more recent on screen appearances. In-spite of being one of our best regarded actresses she is intensely private, intent upon disappearing into the lives of her characters. Penelope says that thing about being an actor is that you turn into other people, you have to hide yourself a bit in order to let that other person come out. People should see the character on the stage, not the actor. Penelope grew up the middle of three girls and says that her mother was frail and often ill - she says this taught her to be self contained: "I was always worried that I would hurt her by taking a different view so one was sort of being terribly amenable - well of course that’s not in one's nature, I’m quite sharp and rather argumentative." Favourite track: The 2nd movement of String Quintet in C Major by Franz Schubert Book: An anthology of 20th Century European poetry Luxury: An open-air cinema with a selection of films

This episode continues our series on the remarkable Rabban Sauma with Part 3.In Part 1, we looked at the opening chapter in Sauma's life. By way of a quick recap . . .He was the treasured son of an Onggud noble family who from an early age showed a remarkable passion for pursuing the spiritual. Adept in his studies and excelling in piety, by the age 25 he was a member of the Nestorian clergy, a monk-priest. It was the year 1248.Choosing a life of isolation rather than a monastery, he retreated from the Mongol capital at Tai-tu [later – Beijing] to the Fang Mountains where he devoted himself to study. The isolation he yearned for was often interrupted by people who made pilgrimage to his humble hamlet, seeking a glimpse, maybe a word, from the holy man whose fame was spreading. Though he preferred a life of quiet contemplation, he met with all those who sought him out.That would have been his entire life and one we'd never have known of, were it not for one of those pilgrims, a fifteen-year-old young man named Markos. Markos didn't just want to spend a couple days with the holy man. He wanted a mentor, someone who'd teach him everything he had to share. Sauma tried to dissuade the young man, just as his parents and others had tried to dissuade him when he was young. It didn't take long before Sauma recognized in Markos the same zeal and dedication that burned in his soul. Three years later Marcos had proven himself devotionally sincere, academically capable and of equal spiritual mettle with his master, so he was ordained as a monk in the Nestorian church.After a decade together in their mountain fastness, Marcos' intellectual curiosity prompted a spiritual itch that saw the two men descend from the heights and embark on a journey of literally epic consequence. Marcos wanted to visit the scenes and sites where the Bible story had played out, as well as the birthplace and headquarters of the Nestorian church. In his studies, he read of Christians of other flavors and stripes and wanted to meet them. Nothing less than a journey to the far-reaches of the West could scratch that itch. Markos shared this dream with Bar Sauma, who was now more friend than master. It took a while, but eventually, the younger man's hunger to discover, breathed new life on the embers of Sauma's soul and the two decided to pursue their vision. It was 1275 when they began plans to set out, the same year Marco Polo arrived in China. They gave away what few possessions they had and headed to Tai-tu to hire guides and gather provisions. Because they'd taken vows of poverty, they had to ask the local Nestorian churches to support them. The Nestorian leaders scoffed at the undertaking. Such a venture was deemed both physically impossible and spiritually wasteful. There simply wasn't a safe, navigable route West. And what use was it visiting the Holy Land, they wondered, when the Bible said The Kingdom of God is within us?But by this time, both Bar Sauma & Markos were deft at waving aside objections about the arduousness of the journey. Since they already counted themselves dead and had mortified the flesh, death along the route was of little consequence. Their only ambition was to faithfully follow the path they were convinced God had set before them. Their steely-eyed focus won the Nestorian community over and they went from resistance to a hearty support for their venture of faith.The journey they proposed would be expensive since they'd need an entire caravan. They needed guides, camels, and since camels require considerable attention to stay healthy, camel-attendants, a highly specialized trade.Camels are able to carry between 4 and 500 lbs. Mules, their closest rival as a beast of burden can carry 250 lbs. But camels require far less water and feed. Their hooves are better suited to the sandy soil covering large swaths of the territory in Central Asia. Camels are also reputed to be able to predict sandstorms and can locate underground water. Their dung makes decent fuel for fires. But camels aren't prolific in the progeny department, so they're expensive. Their care & upkeep requires special training, so handlers fetch a tidy sum.Markos and Sauma also needed baggage-handlers, cooks, & several other assistants. To give you an idea of how large a group we're talking about, a 14th Century European handbook for merchants recommended a China-bound caravan have no less than 60 people. But Bar Sauma & Markos weren't transporting commercial goods, just themselves and some small items to give as gifts to Western Nestorian leaders.They might have joined a merchant caravan, but the two monks intended to spend considerably more time at places along the route than a commercial interest would be willing to.Adding to the cost was the sheer length of time the trip would take. Six months wasn't an unreasonable estimate. That meant buying provisions for their entire caravan, as well as paying the inevitable levies and passage fees from petty lords who fancied themselves strong enough to extort coin. Then there was the obvious need for a reserve fund, because who knew what might befall them on the way.So, once the Nestorian community got on board with the venture, they generously supplied the needed funds. When the Mongol Court saw the seriousness with which Markos & Sauma proceeded with their plans, they decided to hop on. This was during the reign of the famous Khubilai Khan. A pragmatic ruler, Khubilai wanted to cover all his religious bases and hoped to gain the Nestorian God's favor by supporting the monks' trip. He gave them financial support, provided them with the all-important letters-patents that allowed them to pass unmolested across all Asia. These letter-patents were called pai-tzu in Chinese and were the forerunner of our modern passports. They not only served as evidence of official sanction from Khubilai's throne, they were certain to provide a warm welcome among Khubilai's allies. Even those less than friendly to the Khan would be careful to treat his emissaries with respect. For mistreating a Mongol envoy was a sure way to a lot of pain.After Khubilai's successful contest with his brother for the khanate, he saw it as imperative to gain the favor of as many of his subjects as possible. Supporting Sauma's & Markos' trip seemed a good way to gain favor with the Nestorian leaders and to recruit their scholars into his burgeoning bureaucracy. According to one account, Khubilai gave a set of royal clothes to Sauma with instructions to baptize them in the Jordan River then place them over Jesus' burial place in Jerusalem.So, with both Church & State backing, Sauma & Markos set off on their great adventure. We're not sure of the exact date of their departure. It was sometime around 1276.The guides they hired in Tai-tu took them on the first leg of the journey, then were replaced with new guides familiar with the territory they were entering.Leaving Tai-tu, their first stop was in Marko's hometown where the locals assumed he'd returned for good. They were delighted at the prospect the two holy men would assume the mantle of leadership in their church. They were stunned by the news Bar Sauma & Markos were headed to Jerusalem.Their next stop was at the headquarters of two Onggud chieftains allied by marriage to the Mongol court. They also assumed their exalted position and promises of major favors would entice the monks to stay and become a part of their royal retinue. They likewise were surprised at their insistence to continue their journey. Why brave the hardships that most certainly lay ahead when a life of ease and comfort was being handed them on a gilded platter. Such appeals only offended the monks, who were affronted by the idea their devotion to God could be sold for an offer of worldly influence. At one point the Onggud chiefs were so set on retaining them, they plotted their capture. But the presence of Khubilai's passport worried them. They realized it would be unwise to interfere in the affairs of the Mongol ruler. It seems word reached Sauma and Markos of the rulers' earlier plans to hang on to them. So in an appeal to their mercy, they sought to load them up with exorbitant gifts of gold, silver, and precious rarities. When the monks refused, they prevailed on them to see it as a loan, and to pay it back by making a generous donation to the Nestorian Churches of the West.They followed the Yellow River southwest along the Alashan Mountains to Ning-hsia just South of the Gobi Desert.The route out of China was a fairly straight-forward affair since the Chinese had long before set up a system of postal stations spaced roughly every 20 miles apart along their frontier. These postal stations served a multitude of purposes. Officials stayed there in making inspection rounds. Merchants and traders were able to resupply at them. Troops stationed there kept a careful lookout on the frontier. Though there wasn't a highway from station to station, the trail between them was clear.That changed as the monks' caravan left China and entered Central Asia. Here the stations ended and the trail petered out. An occasional pole or rock cairn might be seen on the horizon, but as often as not, such landmarks were washed away by floods, avalanches, & storms.Leaving Ning-hsia, they followed the route of the Southern Silk Road just south of the dreaded Taklimakan Desert. Bar Sauma's account includes the terse comment that this was a “toilsome & fatiguing” part of their journey. Which, knowing how austere and arduous their prior lives had been, we might use terms like “brutal & soul-crushingly exhausting.” The Taklimakan Desert has 60-foot tall dunes frequently savaged by dust storms. Marco Polo reported that travelers in this region are often separated from their mates by the opaque winds. Once alone, the bleakness and heat cause hallucinations in which people think they are being called from over the top of this or that mountain of sand. But each peak they traverse only takes them further away from the proper course.Entering the Tarin Basin, they skirted the northern foothills of the Kun-lun Mts. To their South was India. Though Bar Sauma's account doesn't say so, they likely stopped for a time in the caravan center at Miran, a trade mecca that saw about as diverse a mix of cultures as to be found anywhere on the planet. Then following the Cherchen River, they embarked on a 500-mile long journey to their next major stop, the city of Khotan, one of the most renowned oases of Central Asia. It took two months for them to travel from Ning-hsia to Khotan and all during this time they only had 8 watering holes.Khotan was a center of the white & black jade prized by the Chinese. As a result, it had become a major center of trade and a meeting place for the Far East & Middle East. Lying north of India, it became a center for the dispersal of Buddhism. A 6th Century Chinese record attributed Khotan with a plethora of Buddhist temples, stupas, monks and nuns. Khotan was so important to Chinese interests, they established military garrisons there from the 7th thru 10th Cs.The residents of Khotan had long before used the nearby river to produce an elaborate irrigation system that produced an abundance of crops. This agricultural bonanza supported a healthy community of merchants and craftsmen who produced a plethora of goods highly prized far & wide. The bazaar boasted fine carpets, silk, and glass. Traders brought goods from Europe, China, & the Middle East, all headed in the opposite direction of their origin to be sold at steep rates due to their rarity in the market of their ultimate destination.Khotan hosted a mixed population, with Uyghurs, Mongols, Chinese, Persians, and locals all adding to the cosmopolitan feel. Finding a community of Nestorians with which they were able to share both their faith and language, Bar Sauma & Markos spent 6 months there. The extra time they spent in Khotan is likely due both to their need for recovery from the difficulty behind them AND to turmoil in the Mongol world that made the path West uncertain.Conflict between Khubilai and his cousin Khaidu had shattered the Pax Mongolica in the region. Khubilai's general charged with securing the area had been captured by Khaidu's forces, handing the Great Khan a major setback. While their letters-patent ought to have secured them safe passage, Khaidu's treachery was a cause for concern. So the two monks decided to cool their heels in Khotan to see if things would steel down. A side trip to the Nestorian See at Kashgar sounded like a good idea. After all, visiting the center of their Faith was the whole point of their expedition and Kashgar was the home of a beloved Metropolitan. But when they arrived, they were shocked to discover the recent inter-Mongolian conflicts had left the city ransacked and depopulated. Marco Polo had visited Kashgar just a few years earlier and described the city as flourishing and prosperous.We'll end this episode with Bar Sauma and Markos back in Khotan, readying to set out on their westward course once more. The route was no more secure, but they determined to trust themselves into God's hands and press ahead.