Podcasts about Prester John

When European explorers set off from Europe, many of them chased things that didn't exist. The Fountain of Youth, the City of El Dorado, and Prester John were all things they pursued but came up empty-handed.  However, there was one thing that these European explorers searched for that actually did exist, but not in the way they had hoped.  While it was never historically relevant, it could play a much bigger role in the future.  Learn more about the Northwest Passage, its discovery, and its future on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year plus $20 off your first order! Subscribe to the podcast!  https://link.chtbl.com/EverythingEverywhere?sid=ShowNotes -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Ben Long & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the past! Original description: This is part four of our five-part discussion of War in Heaven, Charles' Williams' modern take on the Holy Graal Quest.  In the chapters we discuss this week, Gregory Persimmons drives Barbara Rackstraw insane using "the ointment," in order to obtain both the Graal and Barbara and Lionel's son, Adrian.  The guardians of the Graal willingly trade the Graal for Barbara's sanity, only to have her cured by an unexpected visitor...who is somehow the Graal himself.  It's not who you think.  In this episode, Satanism meets pessimism, devotion to relics meets humanism, and everybody meets Prester John.    9/22: Happy Hobbit Day!  We're talking about Charles Williams, but we do mention the hobbits (with reference to homeliness and attachment to objects) in a few places.     Works referenced:   War in Heaven, by Charles Williams;   "Hermeticism and the Metaphysics of Goodness in the Novels of Charles Williams," by Scott McLaren (Mythlore);   The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend, by Alan Lupack;     Music:   "Venus," by Gustav Holst   "Lohengrin," by Richard Wagner   "Princes of the Universe" by Queen.    (Here's the intro that I parody.  Note: Inklings Variety Hour does not formally endorse the USA show "Highlander"--based on the movie of the same name--even if it was awesome.)   _Thank you_ to those of you who have left reviews and ratings on iTunes and elsewhere!  Please don't hesitate to drop us a line if you'd like--we'd love to know who you are and what you're interested in hearing us cover in the future!  Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. 

While this popular Medieval Hero seems a bit different when it comes to exploring The Black Madonna, the inspirations of Prester John are actually quite relevant not only to the subject of The Black Madonna but also for our current times. I hope you enjoy this week's Black Madonna Speaks, wherever you get your podcasts. Itinerary for The Black Madonna Tour of Northern Spain, October 3 - 17 2025 Transformative Darkness with The Black Madonna 2025 To receive updates on The Transformative Darkness with the Black Madonna 2025 Tour 2025 Tour Update Form To make a one time donation of any amount to support the podcast, please donate to https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BlackMadonnaHeartBecome a Patron for the channel at https://www.patreon.com/TheBlackMadonnaSpeaks To purchase Black Madonna Speaks extra content, please visit https://www.patreon.com/theblackmadonnaspeaks/shop #divinefeminine #sacredfeminine #virginmary #ourlady #blackmadonna #anthroposophy #spiritualjourney #camino #pilgrimage #mothermary #spirituality #PresterJohn --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stephanie-georgieff/support

You can't keep a good man down.  Last time we killed him off and yet he rises again.  This time we try to explain some of the beliefs that sent Columbus on his trip in the first place and we look at how he has been viewed throughout history and now.   Should he get Tudorlicious?  Please vote at Episode Information – Tudoriferous (wordpress.com)   If you'd like more information about Prester John, Gone Medieval has done an episode on him https://open.spotify.com/episode/4bm6KPghwwIpnDDf4URD3Q   Related Episodes Cameo 34 - 1492 And All That - Bartolomé de las Casas. | Tudoriferous (podbean.com) S1 - 007 - John Cabot | Tudoriferous (podbean.com)   Join our Patreon family for yet more episodes - Tudoriferous | creating a Podcast discussing the great, good and mad Tudor Era | Patreon

In the mid-12th century, a mysterious letter was circulating the courts of Christian Europe. Its supposed author was Prester John, a powerful, immortal Christian king who purported to rule a fantastical empire in India.Prester John was never real. But who wrote the letter and why? And why did Europeans spend centuries searching for him despite abundant evidence that the whole story was nonsense?To answer these questions, Olivia and Aran will set out on a globe-trotting adventure, from the yurt-strewn steppe of Central Asia, to Italy's city-republics, the highlands of East Africa, and even further afield. Along the way they'll meet befuddled Ethiopian diplomats, fearsome warrior-khans, and maybe even the real Prester John himself…Also discussed: Olivia's love of big cans, the things you learn at Unitarian Universalist Sunday school, and why we can't have cat-sized elephant friends.Further reading: The Letter of Prester John: http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/presterjohn.htmlDevin DeWeese, "The Influence of the Mongols on the Religious Consciousness of Thirteenth-century Europe." https://www.jstor.org/stable/43193054Matteo Salvatore, "The Ethiopian Age of Exploration: Prester John's Discovery of Europe, 1306-1458." https://www.jstor.org/stable/41060852Marianne O'Doherty, "Imperial Fantasies: Imagining Christian empire in three fourteenth-century versions of the Book of John Mandeville." https://www.jstor.org/stable/26396423?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contentsKarl F. Helliner, "Prester John's Letter: a Medieval Utopia." https://www.jstor.org/stable/1086970?read-now=1&seq=10#page_scan_tab_contentsSamantha Kelly: "Ewosṭateans at the Council of Florence (1441): Diplomatic Implications between Ethiopia, Europe, Jerusalem and Cairo." https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/1858#:~:text=The%20Council%20of%20Florence%20must,vociferous%20opponents%2C%20the%20Coptic%20patriarchs.

Our secret families said it's TIME FOR HER TO COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (2023), but first... Let's sing ... THEME: "Fuck You If You Don't Like Christmas," from Crudbump, by Drew Fairweather PART ONE  Welcome to the cumbersome title, b*tch ... Cocoa in camo ... Throwback movie ... Cast Rundown ... Episode titles greatest hits ... The Expositional Challenge ... Plot Mop-Up: Secret aunt, choir exercises ... Valid Wicker Man ... "A little 'Get Out'" ...      PART TWO   Spot the Angel: Susan and Pastor John ... Eat Your Heart Out: Oh my God dude; James Bond cocoa; pot-pie protocol; eggnog pancakes; off gluten; peppermint egg cream ...        PART THREE  The Hallmark Expanded Universe: We don't know where we are; Episode 78, Holiday Date? ... Overdetermined: Mom tells you to let go of your dreams, leave the eggnog carton ... Mom taunting ... Crossover: Safe callback; Glee ... Sports-triumph movies still exist ...               PART FOUR  The Hallmark Voight-Kampff Test: Matthew, android lead; Alice, choirbot ... Tyler, Kyler, Tyler ... Who's the Real Villain: This movie ... Incredible titles work here ... Rating: 2, throwback movie ...  PART FIVE The Leftovers: Executive Producer Blake Shelton ... Tim Allen and Robert Goulet ... "Accordion to Steve's Christmas Polka" ... Foxwoods theme song ... Blake Shelton kickbacks ... Good singers, bad performance ... Grace Leer and Allie Liebert Appreciation Station ... Bus weirdo ... LOT COP ... Prester John ... Merry Christmas!    All other music by Chris Collingwood of Look Park and Fountains of Wayne, except: "Orchestral Sports Theme" by Chris Collingwood and Rick Murnane and "We're Sending Our Love Down the Well" by The Simpsons. Buy our show artist Caitlin Fitz Gerald's excellent book: Here.

Read along: The Legend of Prester John https://unexpected-cosmology.nyc3.dig... Ministry and Widow Fund: https://gofund.me/14513e19 Website: The Unexpected Cosmology Link: https://theunexpectedcosmology.com/ Archives page: https://theunexpectedcosmology.com/ar... Patreon Support: https://www.patreon.com/noeljoshuahad... Contact: noelhadley@yahoo.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnexpecte...

On Thursday June 20th, 2024 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a dramatic reading of Chapters Eight and Nine of the magical adventure novel: The Tomb of Prester John. We will pick up the story in Thyatria home of the Biblical Jezebel, modern Akhisar in Turkey where Doc Roland and beautiful Sophie Eskandar have just recovered and translated the mysterious letter from Prester John. They are rescued from ibn Iblis the Terrorist by Turkish Colonel Renda and make plans with him to find Prester John's legendary Tomb and treasure. They are being stalked from satellites by a Globalist master mind who seeks the treasure for his own evil ends. This is an up to the minute Indiana Jones, James Bond high-tech magical adventure. Don't miss it.

In this week's episode of The Rabbit Hole Detectives, Cat, Richard, and Charles are back to uncover more killer facts and ephemera, in the hopes of convincing the Disembodied Voice to award them the win.  In this episode, Charles is in his element as he discusses Tyburn, Richard is taking his time as he covers the Ring Cycle, and Cat is delving into the mysterious Prester John.  Don't forget, if you'd like to put forward a topic then you can email us at: rabbitholedetectives@gmail.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Or John the Presbyter. Fascinating subject! Thank you for listening! Please leave a 5 star review, share and subscribe!

On Thursday February 3rd , 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a dramatic reading of the first two chapters of his magical adventure novel “The Tomb of Prester John.” This is the second broadcast of the novel, presenting the second chapter but also a re-written version of chapter one, so if you missed the first broadcast you will still be caught-up with the story. Prester John was a legendary Asian Christian Priest King with a vast treasure. He sent a letter to European leaders during the Crusades which Doc Roland and his beautiful lady archaeologist partner think is a code leading to his tomb and the treasure. But their quest is imperiled by terrorists and traitors within their own sponsoring organization. The Tomb of Prester John is a combination of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so if you like romantic adventure with an occult twist, tune in and enjoy high adventure.

On Thursday September 9th, 2021 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the vast Central Asian kingdom of Tartaria and the medieval legend of Prester John, the mysterious Christian monarch who was said to have ruled a huge empire West of China and to have written letters to the Pope and kings in Europe. Mentioned by Marco Polo and other European travelers to the Orient Prester John  was a political Holy Grail quest for Crusaders seeking allies against the Muslims. But John and his kingdom was never found -- and yet there may have been a Christian king and warlord in Central Asia in medieval times as new historical research and archeology are discovering. In Medieval times the boundaries of Tartaria stretched from China to Eastern Europe; an area defined by the conquests of Genghis Khan and his sons. Only recently have we come to realize that Europeans have been living in Central Asia for thousands of years. Many of the Central Asian tribes and even nations riding under Mongol banners in the middle ages were actually  Caucasian Christians descendants of the ancient Scythians, Armenians and Indo-Europeans. The real history of Central Asia has been suppressed and mistranslated. We will suggest who the real Prester John might have been. So put on your fedora, snap your bull whip and lets follow the Silk Road to adventure. 

Welcome back, irreverent infidels and skeptical scripture scrutinizers! It's your blasphemous podcasting duo here to dissect yet another episode of what has become our guiltiest of pleasures, the Sacrilegious Book Club. Buckle up, because in Episode 28, we dove headfirst into the swirling whirlpool of lore surrounding Israel's most infamous cardio workout – the trek of the Lost Tribes. You know, those ancient wanderers who supposedly lost their way so badly that not even Google Maps could save them.First off, let's give credit where it's due. The episode title, "Jewish Folklore episode 28: Sacrilegious Book Club," certainly packs a punch. If you weren't intrigued by lost tribes before, the promise of a mystery intertwined with some juicy prophecy might just be the carrot on a stick to lead you down the rabbit hole. Or should we say, the desert path of no return? But don't worry, it's just a metaphorical desert – we wouldn't want to leave the comfort of our armchairs.The podcast kicks off with a crash course on the Lost Tribes, delivered with the earnestness of a conspiracy theorist uncovering a cover-up about alien abductions. You've got your initial settlement in Canaan, the Assyrian party crashers, and the subsequent scattering that would make a game of 52-card pickup look like child's play. The hosts even toss in a claim by a group in India who say, "Surprise, we're it!" as if they've just won a round of cosmic hide and seek.But wait, there's more. Prophecies and messianic expectations are thrown into the mix like ingredients in a doomsday stew. Judah and Benjamin somehow get the survivor's edit while the rest of the tribes apparently didn't make the final cut. The hosts discuss this with the same tone you'd reserve for debating whether Han shot first. It's biblical fan fiction at its finest, and you're left wondering if there's a director's cut that clears things up.In a bold narrative twist, the episode shifts gears to recount tales from the likes of Eldad ben Mahli Ha-Dani to Prester John, who sound like characters straight out of a high fantasy novel. There's talk of mysterious rivers, rocks that take a day off on the Sabbath, and connections to other historical groups that may or may not have been on the guest list for the original Exodus.To wrap things up, the podcast promises more riveting discussions in future episodes. Because when you've got a good thing going with ancient narratives, why stop? It's like a TV series that's been renewed for another season purely because the fans can't get enough of the unresolved tension.So, dear listeners and readers, if you're into a blend of history, myth, and a healthy dose of irreverence, this is the podcast for you. Tune in, drop out, and maybe, just maybe, you'll find the Lost Tribes in the footnotes of a history book. Or perhaps at the back of your closet, next to that old pair of sneakers you thought you'd lost. Spoiler alert: they were just really good at hiding.P.S. If you've actually found the Lost Tribes, kindly redirect them to their nearest consulate. We're pretty sure there's some paperwork they've been neglecting for the last couple of millennia.Join us on DISCORD: https://discord.gg/8RwwMrb5zKOur Homepage: https://sacrilegiousdiscourse.com/Help support us by subscribing on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sacrilegiousdiscourse Join Acast+ to enjoy our podcast adfree! https://plus.acast.com/s/sacrilegiousiscourse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#260> Corporate sponsor of the series: GluckPlumbing.For all your service needs big or small in NJ with a full service division, from boiler change outs, main sewer line snake outs, camera-ing main lines, to a simple faucet leak, Gluck Plumbing Service Division has you covered. Give them a call -   732-523-1836 x 1.> Episode Sponsor: Mosaica PressCheck out their many titles including Reclaiming DignityGet your copy now at mosaicapress.com and use the code 'Chatter' for an exclusive 15% off!> Subscribe and read the new  SeforimChatter Substack:https://open.substack.com/pub/seforimchatter?r=91ow0&utm_medium=ios> To support the podcast or to sponsor an episode (including an individual episode in the series): https://seforimchatter.com/support-seforimchatter/ or email seforimchatter@gmail.com (Zelle/QP this email address)> To join the SeforimChatter WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZ3C2CjUeD9AGJvXeEODtK> We discussed Eldad and his impact, letters floating around in the 15th & 16th centuries that relate to TLT,  the role of messianism in TLT discourse, Prester John, Red Jews, Akdamus story, David Reuveni, Shlomo Molcho, and more. 

#258.> Corporate sponsor of the series: GluckPlumbing.For all your service needs big or small in NJ with a full service division, from boiler change outs, main sewer line snake outs, camera-ing main lines, to a simple faucet leak, Gluck Plumbing Service Division has you covered. Give them a call -   732-523-1836 x 1.> Subscribe and read the new  SeforimChatter Substack:https://open.substack.com/pub/seforimchatter?r=91ow0&utm_medium=ios> To support the podcast or to sponsor an episode (including an individual episode in the series): https://seforimchatter.com/support-seforimchatter/ or email seforimchatter@gmail.com (Zelle/QP this email address)> To join the SeforimChatter WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZ3C2CjUeD9AGJvXeEODtK> We discussed what "Red Jews" means, how ths title came to be associated with the Ten Lost Tribes, whyb the color red, why only in German and Yiddish literature, the story of Ma'aseh Akdamus and tracing it through history, Rav Meir Shatz, the Red Jews in later (modern) literature, and much more > We discussed Prester John and the legend: Who he allegedly was, how and when the legend began, the mythical land of Prester Joh, where he purportedly was located, the Ten Lost Tribes and Prester John, various actual kingdoms associated with Prester Joh, and much more.> To purchase the critical edition of the Prester John texts edited by Keagan Brewer:  https://amzn.to/3HV2E5L> Listen to the "Our Fake History" episode on Prester John: https://ourfakehistory.com/index.php/season-3/episode-57-was-there-a-real-prester-john/

On Thursday January 25th,2024 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will continue its periodic presentation of Poke Runyon's magical adventure novel: "The Tomb of Prester John" with a dramatic reading of Chapter's Seven and Eight: "The Revelations of Jezebel, and "The Subterranean World." This is a tale of magick, adventure and intrigue with archaeologists Marion 'Doc' Roland and Sophie Iskandar searching for the lost Tomb of Crusader era warrior-priest-king Prester John whose vast treasure could tip the balance of world finance. Doc and Sophie battle terrorists and satanic cultists in the underground cities of Turkey as they solve the mystery of the mysterious "Lamp of Truth." Tune in and enjoy old fashioned high adventure.

#251> Corporate sponsor of the series: Gluck Plumbing. For all your service needs big or small in NJ with a full service division, from boiler change outs, main sewer line snake outs, camera-ing main lines, to a simple faucet leak, Gluck Plumbing Service Division has you covered. Give them a call -   732-523-1836 x 1. > Episode Sponsor: Ten Ten Watches. 1135 East Veterans Hwy Jackson, New JerseyCall/WhatsApp:(732) 884-1010Email: sales@ten10watches.com> Subscribe and read the new connected post on SeforimChatter Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/seforimchatter/p/the-lost-tribes-a-new-podcast-series?r=91ow0&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post> To support the podcast or to sponsor an episode (including an individual episode in the series): https://seforimchatter.com/support-seforimchatter/ or email seforimchatter@gmail.com (Zelle/QP this email address)> To join the SeforimChatter WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZ3C2CjUeD9AGJvXeEODtK> We discussed a wide range of topics, and the episode functions as an overview of the entire series. Topics discussed include the origins of the legend in Tanach, the option of Rav Akiva in Tractate Sanhedrin (that the Lost Tribes are not coming back), Medrash, the legendary Sambatyon River, Eldad HaDani (9th century) & Rav Tzemach Gaon's letter, Prester John (the Christian parallel to the Lost Tribes), David Reuveni, Antonio de Montezinos (17th century) and Rabbi Menasseh ben Israel, Native Americans and the Lost Tribes, the Mormons, and much much more.> To purchase Prof. Ben-Dor Benite's “The Ten Lost Tribes:  A World History”: https://amzn.to/3Tqfsba

Die VF Plus in die Oos-Kaap sê die EFF se jongste veldtog vir die verwydering van alle koloniale standbeelde en gedenktekens in Nelson Mandelabaai is niks anders as politieke opportunisme nie. Bill Harrington van die party sê die EFF beplan om op die volgende raadsvergadering ‘n mosie in te dien om onder meer die Prester John-gedenkteken, die standbeeld van koningin Victoria, die Anglo-Boereoorlog-gedenkteken en die portrette van voormalige wit burgemeesters te verwyder.

When European explorers set off from Europe, many of them chased things that didn't exist. The Fountain of Youth, the City of El Dorado, and Prester John were all things they pursued but came up empty-handed.  However, there was one thing that these European explorers searched for that actually did exist, but not in the way they had hoped.  While it was never historically relevant, it could play a much bigger role in the future.  Learn more about the Northwest Passage, its discovery, and its future on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Draft Kings Step into the thrilling world of sports and entertainment with DraftKings, where every day is game day! Join the millions of fans who have already discovered the ultimate destination for fantasy sports and sports betting. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code EVERYTHING to score two hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five dollars! Newspapers.com Newspapers.com is like a time machine. Dive into their extensive online archives to explore history as it happened. With over 800 million digitized newspaper pages spanning three centuries, Newspapers.com provides an unparalleled gateway to the past, with papers from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and beyond. Use the code “EverythingEverywhere” at checkout to get 20% off a publisher extra subscription at newspapers.com. Noom  Noom is not just another diet or fitness app. It's a comprehensive lifestyle program designed to empower you to make lasting changes and achieve your health goals. With Noom, you'll embark on a personalized journey that considers your unique needs, preferences, and challenges. Their innovative approach combines cutting-edge technology with the support of a dedicated team of experts, including registered dietitians, nutritionists, and behavior change specialists. Noom's changing how the world thinks about weight loss. Go to noom.com to sign up for your trial today!   ButcherBox ButcherBox is the perfect solution for anyone looking to eat high-quality, sustainably sourced meat without the hassle of going to the grocery store. With ButcherBox, you can enjoy a variety of grass-fed beef, heritage pork, free-range chicken, and wild-caught seafood delivered straight to your door every month. ButcherBox.com/Daily  Subscribe to the podcast!  https://link.chtbl.com/EverythingEverywhere?sid=ShowNotes -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Peter Bennett & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the middle ages, a legend persisted among Europeans that there was a Christian ruler in Asia, or Africa, who would come to join with European Christians to help fight Muslims in the Crusades. The only problem was that this distant Christian ruler didn't exist. Yet, while the ruler was a fable, the story was actually based on some facts.  Learn more about the legendary Prester John and how Europeans pinned their hopes on him on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Noom  Noom is not just another diet or fitness app. It's a comprehensive lifestyle program designed to empower you to make lasting changes and achieve your health goals. With Noom, you'll embark on a personalized journey that considers your unique needs, preferences, and challenges. Their innovative approach combines cutting-edge technology with the support of a dedicated team of experts, including registered dietitians, nutritionists, and behavior change specialists. Noom's changing how the world thinks about weight loss. Go to noom.com to sign up for your trial today!   Rocket Money  Rocket Money is a personal finance app that finds and cancels your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps you lower your bills—all in one place. It will quickly and easily find your subscriptions for you –and for any you don't want to pay for anymore, just hit “cancel,” and Rocket Money will cancel it for you. It's that easy. Stop throwing your money away. Cancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to RocketMoney.com/daily Subscribe to the podcast!  https://link.chtbl.com/EverythingEverywhere?sid=ShowNotes -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Peter Bennett & Thor Thomsen   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pinto visits the "Land of Prester John," faces trouble on the Red Sea, and brushes up against the 1538 Siege of Diu. He takes part in combat along the Indian coast, grumbles as to his lot in life, and is whisked about by boat to Massawa, Mokha, Qeshm, Chaul, Goa, Honnavar, and Diu, before heading further east. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: The Travels of Mendes Pinto, edited and translated by Rebecca D. Catz. University of Chicago Press, 1989. Casale, Giancarlo. The Ottoman Age of Exploration. Oxford University Press, 2010. Pearson, N.M. The Portuguese in India. Cambridge University Press, 2006. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fernão Mendes Pinto, respected by many of his contemporaries for the expertise knowledge which he'd gained through his travels, absolutely synonymous for others with lies and exaggerations.  From humble beginnings and vaguely unfortunate events in his early life, Pinto would find a place for himself in the 16th-century world of colonial Portugal, would write himself into it if necessary. He was, he said, “13 times a prisoner and 17 a slave.” As Rebecca Catz writes, he served as a “soldier, merchant, pirate, ambassador, missionary, doctor—the list is not complete.” He ran afoul of pirates, was shipwrecked, and robbed royal tombs. The characters in his story included a saint, an Indonesian ruler, the mother of Prester John, a Japanese lord, and someone who may or may not have been the Dalai Lama. He claimed to be among the very first Europeans to set foot in Japan, but then he claimed to be a lot of things. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. 3 Things: Article on the history of the mango and a Portuguese connection. Article about the discovery of a shipwreck, thought to have come from Vasco da Gama's armada. The story of the rhino of Lisbon. Sources: The Travels of Mendes Pinto, edited and translated by Rebecca D. Catz. University of Chicago Press, 1989. The Portuguese in West Africa, 1415–1670: A Documentary History, edited by Malyn Newitt. Cambridge University Press, 2010. Pearson, N.M. The Portuguese in India. Cambridge University Press, 2006.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once upon a time in a land far, far away there was a king. He was not only a great king but also a committed Christian. His name was Prester John, and he reigned over 72 countries. The lands that he ruled were rich with gold and silver and overflowing with fantastic creatures. King Prester wrote to many popes in Rome to declare his faithfulness to the Catholic Church. He also described, in his letters many beasts that were unknown in the Western world; men with three eyes and horns on their foreheads, unicorns, female warriors who fought on horseback and men who lived to be 200 years old.Of course, it's easy to dismiss the story as a fairy-tale but there is evidence to support the legend actually having its roots firmly planted in historical fact. And his name crops up again and again during the Middle Ages. So, just who was Prester John really and where did he come from? Welcome to Medieval Madness. 

Aká legenda motivovala plavby vo veku objavov? Šlo Kolumbovi o zlato? Čo iné ste sa ešte o Kolumbovi nedozvedeli v škole?  ----more---- Súvisiace dávky PD#282 Kresťanstvo a vedecká revolúcia https://bit.ly/davka282podbean PD#222 Zmarila teológia stredovekú vedu? https://bit.ly/davka222  Použitá a odporúčaná literatúra  Brewer, Prester John, 2015. Crosby, The Columbian Exchange, 2003. Fernández-Armesto, Columbus, 1991. Fernández-Armesto, Pathfinders, 2006. Markham, The Journal of Christopher Columbus, 2010. Phillips, Phillips, The Worlds of Christopher Columbus, 1991. *** Baví ťa s nami rozmýšľať? ❤️ Podpor našu tvorbu ľubovoľným darom, https://bit.ly/PDdar, alebo cez Patreon, https://bit.ly/PDtreon

As a child Avram would send me his lecture prep cassettes. As we countdown to 100, I wanted to share his voice with friends & fans. 100% Avram. Please feel free to share and invite fans to follow us. While not complete - grab a cup of tea and enjoy Prester John. This was the foundation for Adventures in Unhistory.   Originally published in Amra V2n71, July 1982.   Sorry it's not complete. 

Matt Lewis continues his Mystery Month on Gone Medieval with another tantalising enigma of the Middle Ages - the legendary figure of Prester John.There's a long history to the myth that “out there” in the east, a pious and noble Christian king ruled over a mighty kingdom — filled with strange beasts, fabulous wealth, and colossal buildings — who was prepared to lead his army to the defence of Christendom. But Prester John never showed up to help. Did he even exist? Matt examines the facts with Medieval era historian Dr. Nicholas Morton.This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.If you're enjoying this podcast and are looking for more fascinating Medieval content then subscribe to our Medieval Monday newsletter here >If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android > or Apple store > Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Thursday January 5th, 2023 the Hermetic Hour with Host Poke Runyon will present a sequential Review of the original new shows presented in 2022. Regular listeners should keeo their notebooks and pencils ready to jot down the one's they missed so that they can search for them in the archives. We started off the year with"Aliester Crowley the Gourmet Chef" on January 13th. We did the first two chapters of "The Tomb of Prester John" on February 3rd and more Prester John on February 24th and March 10th. On February 27th we presented "The Fort Worth Masons interview your host Poke Runyon." On Thursday May 26th Poke and Max (Fraters Thabion and SithMeth) did a review of Lovecraft's "Charles Dexter Ward" the book and the films. Which Max turned into a video that you can watch on-line. In August we presented a reprise of our "Hermetic Yoga lecture" given at the Mount Shasta Hermetic Mysteries Conclave. This again was redone as a video which can be viewed on the Ordo Templi Astartes You Tube Channel. On August 17 we reviewed "Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. And we finished the year by Presenting our "Hermetic Yoga for the Golden Dawn" and a preview of our forthcoming "Second Edition of The Book of Solomon's Magick." So, if you want to catch up on the good stuff you may have missed tune in and we'll fill you in.

This is part one of a series of discussions on the symbolism of the far east with Richard Rohlin, as part of our Universal History series. Today's discussion will set a foundation for the upcoming episodes about the mongols, Prester John and other medieval legends. Original video: https://youtu.be/OoKxq9QFx2c Full Universal History playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVX4HUUPrIY_M2uZP3yW6EEiod3fGD6FD Richard Rohlin's work: - Richard Rohlin's article on The Symbolic World blog: https://thesymbolicworld.com/articles/folk-stories-traditions/the-symbolism-of-st-dionysius-the-areopagite/ - Amon Sûl podcast (Exploring the Tolkien Legendarium with the Christian Faith): https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amonsul =============== Books mentioned: - Inconceivable Beasts: The Wonders of the East: https://www.amazon.com/Inconceivable-Beasts-Wonders-MEDIEVAL-STUDIES/dp/086698481X - The Life of Alexander the Great (Modern Library Classics) by Plutarch (Author): https://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Great-Modern-Library-Classics/dp/0812971337 - The Histories: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) by Herodotus: https://www.amazon.com/Histories-Penguin-Classics-Deluxe/dp/0143107542 - Apocalypse. An Alexandrian World Chronicle (Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library) by Pseudo-Methodius (Author), Benjamin Garstad (Translator): https://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Alexandrian-Chronicle-Dumbarton-Medieval/dp/0674053079 - The Cave of Treasures by St. Ephrem the Syrian: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cave-of-treasures-st-ephrem-the-syrian/1130257867 Homework: - The Travels of Bar Sauma In Asia and Europe (free pdf): https://robcanobbio.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/9th_124d.-rabban-sauma.pdf Podcast mentioned: The Lord of Spirits: Blessings and Curses: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/lordofspirits/blessings_and_curses Relevant episodes of Universal History mentioned: - Universal History: The Deep Symbolism of Groundhog Day | with Richard Rohlin: https://youtu.be/dX6PZBS1Q9Q Series on Ethiopia: - Universal History: the Mystery of Ethiopia | with Richard Rohlin (Ethiopia #1): https://youtu.be/czy7MnDXOO0 - Universal History: From Alexander the Great to Ethiopia | with Richard Rohlin (Ethiopia #2): https://youtu.be/AkXcay54e6Q ====================== - The Symbolic World website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com - Merch: http://www.thesymbolicworld.store - Language of Creation, by Matthieu Pageau: https://www.amazon.com/Language-Creation-Cosmic-Symbolism-Genesis-ebook/dp/B07D738HD8 Support this podcast: - Website: https://thesymbolicworld.com/support/ - Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/pageauvideos - Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/jonathan-pageau - Paypal: http://www.paypal.me/JonathanPageau Join the conversation: - Unofficial Facebook discussion group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1989208418065298/ - The Symbolic World Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheSymbolicWorld/ Social media links: - Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheSymbolicWorld - Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pageaujonathan - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.pageau My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson. My website designers, Anomalist Design: https://www.anomalistdesign.com/

On Thursday May 12th, 2022, the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will continue with a dramatc reading of Poke's Magical adventure novel The Tomb of Prester John reading Chapters Five,Six and Seven. This sequence is one of the most exciting and revealing episodes in the story. We follow Sophie and Doc in their exploration of the eerie catacombs under the Biblical Christian Church of Thyatria in Akhisar Turkey. From the museum where they meet Graduate Anthropology student Ioanna Erzan who guides them to the catacombs. They find the Tomb of Theodas Jezebel's bishop and Sophie is entranced by his mummified body. They find a huge gallery with a skylight that floods the vault with moonlight. Doc sets up the Lamp of Truth and Sophie Draws Down the Moon and performs her sacred dance in the nude with the Lamp of Truth illuminating the chakras tattooed on her body. At the climax of her dance she collapses in Doc's arms. And they hear applause from From Khalil ibn Iblis and his terrorists who have been watching the performance. They are holding Iaonna Erzan as a hostage. But before they can capture Doc and Sophie, a Flash Bang grenade announces the arrival of Colonel Renda and Turkish Special Forces rappeling down through the skylight. Using Ioanna Erzan as a hostage shield Khalil and his men escape.But Renda says "We fed her a cookie, so they won't get far." Unfortunately Khalil detects the cookie and Ioanna is murdered. Doc and Sophie return to their hotel to spend the rest of the night under guard, where Doc has to hypnotize her to recover the secrets she learned from Channeling Jezebel. They learn the real secret of Christ's crucifixion and the origin of Prester John's treasure. And Doc discovers the Secret of the Lamp of Truth. So join us for high adventure and some amazing revelations.

After several weeks of diving down one rabbit hole after another I am talking today with fellow tribesman Joshua on the mystery and conspiracy about giants roaming the earth and the evidence found and stories told over 1000's of years! This is going to a multiple part podcast because there is so much we can talk about and so many rabbit holes connected to this one! But for now, sit back and enjoy this drop in the giant bucket that is the mystery of giants. Where you can find Joshua: Minds: https://www.minds.com/childofash420/ GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/childofash420 Telegram: t.me/ChildOfAsh420 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChildOfAsh420 Support the Greyhorn Pagans on Kofi and Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/Greyhornpagans https://ko-fi.com/greyhornpagans BUY OUR MERCH: https://greyhornpagans.creator-spring.com Where to find the Tribe of the Greyhorn Pagans: https://linktr.ee/greyhornpagans https://t.me/greyhornpagans https://www.minds.com/groups/profile/1208543461422645248/feed https://anchor.fm/greyhornpagans Everywhere you can find me: https://linktr.ee/jarlfawkes t.me/stijnfawkes https://www.minds.com/StijnFawkes/ https://twitter.com/StijnFawkes Other links: Book: Fingerpints of the Gods by Graham Hancock - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerprints_of_the_Gods Videos: Man Accidentally Found Real Evidence That Giants Exist - https://youtu.be/syaQgrx68hM The Secretly Guarded Fossil Records... Strange Giants Existed! - https://youtu.be/WdAjC1fWgHg THE AMERICAN NEPHILIM - NEWSPAPER ARTICLES OF GIANTS IN AMERICA - https://youtu.be/A2iAkugl5T4 SMITHSONIAN COVERUP - 1000's of Reports of Giant Skeletons Found - https://youtu.be/_kaUyGdUw-s Native Mounds & Giants of New York! Who Were They/ Giants Buried in New York Burial Mound! - https://youtu.be/l24H-Ei3OfU Lovelock Cave: Red-Haired Giants of Ancient Nevada - DOCUMENTARY (Part 1) - https://youtu.be/Jsil4Pvtt4k MYSTERIES of the LONGYOU CAVES - China - https://youtu.be/uSWIn927qL0 Six Ancient Maps That Should Not Exist - https://youtu.be/RgJ5A-SDL94 Greeks Knew About America / Atlantis, The Three Indians, Western Ethiopians, Euphrates, Prester John - https://youtu.be/7kqZyKB6pXg How Doggerland Sank Beneath The Waves (500,000-4000 BC) // Prehistoric Europe Documentary - https://youtu.be/DECwfQQqRzo --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/greyhornpagans/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/greyhornpagans/support

On Thursday April 21st, The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a dramatic reading of Chapters Five and Six of the magical adventure novel.  In these chapters we will follow Doc Roland and his beautiful lady archaeologist partner Sophie Iskandar as they continue their quest for the vast treasure of of the legendary Priest King. In these episodes they visit the museum in Akhisar, modern city of biblical Thyatria, and then explore the catacombs under the ruins of Jezebel's church. With the ancient magick lantern called the Lamp of Truth, Sophie dances under the full moon to channel Jezebel's spirit -- revealing her incredible secret. In the process Doc discovers the secret of the Lamp of Truth. They return to their hotel and again meet Colonel Renda of Turkish Security forces who informs them they are involved in the gruesome murder of a female Turkish college student. This is a magical tale on the James Bond and Indiana Jones model. Join us for High Adventure.

Did history stress you out in high school? Not really your favorite subject? Well today we break down history in a fun, comedic way, and then at the end we test you and give you a grade that decides your whole future! Plus, Kellen wants you to know that not all of California is covered in feces, and Dave introduces his new best friend, Prester John.(Also, stick around for the end song for a final correction of a vegetable fact.)*TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com*Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com*David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

On Thursday March 10th, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with Host Poke Runyon will present a dramatic reading of Chapters Four and Five of his magical adventure novel The Tomb of Prester John. This will be of particular interest to those seeking to understand the origins of the Gnostic Mass and its roots in Valentinian and Simonic Gnostic traditions. Doc Roland's Lady archaeologist partner, a belly dancing former Scarlet Woman, channels both the spirits of Jesus's Mary Magdalene and Simon's Helen in their quest to find the Tomb of the medieval warrior priest king, while being stalked by her former lover Khalil Ibn Iblis, the Gnostic priest turned terrorist assassin. The Tomb of Prester John is a novel that delivers magical secrets in fiction form. In this episode you will discover that Gurdjieff's enneagram is the entrance to the Ninth Gate, that Jehovah is Popeye, and that The Gnostic Mass was originally Christian. So come with us on a quest for the Tomb of Prester John.

On Thursday February 24, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with Host Poke Runyon will continue reading his magical adventure novel "The Tomb of Prester John". Thus far we have followed archaeologists Doc Roland and Sophie Iskandar, working for the CIA think tank Myth Tech searching for the legendary Tomb of Prester John and the fabulous treasure it holds. In these new episodes they fly to Berlin to discover the coded secrets in Prester John's letter to Frederick Barbarossa. Then off to Turkey where they team up with Nuri Renda an agent of the Turkish MIT and are stalked by Sophie's sinister terrorist boyfriend Khlil ibn Iblis. So tune in for cloak and dagger thrills.

It's the end of the Prester John story, or at least the end for now. The priest-king pops up in Tibet and dives into the world of fiction and comics, and the Dalai Lama makes an appearance. The History of Sport podcast which I mention can be found here and on all the other usual podcast platforms. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Ames, Richard. The Jacobite Conventicle. R. Stafford, 1692. Rachewiltz, Igor de. Prester John and Europe's Discovery of East Asia. Australian National University Press, 1972. Salvadore, Matteo. The African Prester John and the Birth of Ethiopian-European Relations, 1402-1555. Taylor & Francis, 2016. Shakespeare, William. Much Ado about Nothing. Penguin, 2005. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Michael, Eli and Eric look at new music from some indie rock titans. There's a new song from Kurt Vile, and new albums from Beach House and Animal Collective, and we're here to discuss it all. Plus, Eric is a Pennsylvanian now and Michael got Wilco tickets.  Preorder our zine here: https://endlessscroll.bigcartel.com/product/where-those-two-things-intersect-issue-1

Noah Lennox, also known as Panda Bear, is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who aside from his solowork creates and performs alongside musicians Avey Tare, Geologist and Deakin in the experimental pop band Animal Collective. The band made a name for themselves with their 2007 outing 'Strawberry Jam' and the 2009 follow-up 'Merriweather Post Pavillion', which is their most successful album to date. We spoke with Lennox about the new album 'Time Skiffs', injuring his hand, how the collective got started, his creative process, working in service of the songs, being guarded about lyrics, the song Prester John, a crossroads in the music industry, and a lot more! Interview by: Robin HignellSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/FaceCulture)

On Thursday February 3rd , 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a dramatic reading of the first two chapters of his magical adventure novel “The Tomb of Prester John.” This is the second broadcast of the novel, presenting the second chapter but also a re-written version of chapter one, so if you missed the first broadcast you will still be caught-up with the story. Prester John was a legendary Asian Christian Priest King with a vast treasure. He sent a letter to European leaders during the Crusades which Doc Roland and his beautiful lady archaeologist partner think is a code leading to his tomb and the treasure. But their quest is imperiled by terrorists and traitors within their own sponsoring organization. The Tomb of Prester John is a combination of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so if you like romantic adventure with an occult twist, tune in and enjoy high adventure.

What happens to a mythical priest-king when you get too close to him? Does he just disappear? If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Ray, John. A Collection of Curious Travels & Voyages. 1693. Salvadore, Matteo. The African Prester John and the Birth of Ethiopian-European Relations, 1402-1555. Taylor & Francis, 2016. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early years of the 16th-century, Ethiopia's regent, Eleni, sent an ambassador to Portugal to propose an alliance. She sent a man named Mateus. Unfortunately for Mateus, almost nobody believed him. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. The Commentaries of the Great Afonso Dalboquerque, Second Viceroy of India. Hakluyt Society, 1875.  Alvares, Francisco. Narrative of the Portuguese embassy to Abyssinia during the years 1520-1527. Hakluyt Society, 1881. Baldridge, Cates. Prisoners of Prester John: The Portuguese Mission to Ethiopia in Search of the Mythical King, 1520-1526. McFarland, 2012. Diffie, Bailey Wallys & Winius, George Davison. Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415-1580. University of Minnesota Press, 1977. Eliav-Feldon, Miriam. Renaissance Impostors and Proofs of Identity. Palgrave-Macmillan, 2012. Knobler, Adam. Mythology and Diplomacy in the Age of Exploration. Brill, 2016. Krebs, Verena. Medieval Ethiopian Kingship, Craft, and Diplomacy with Latin Europe. Springer International, 2021. Rogers, Francis Millet. The Quest for Eastern Christians: Travels and Rumor in the Age of Discovery. University of Minnesota Press, 1962. Salvadore, Matteo. The African Prester John and the Birth of Ethiopian-European Relations, 1402-1555. Taylor & Francis, 2016. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I finished this episode before Christmas and uploaded it to Patreon, only to completely forget to upload it anywhere else. So if you're wondering why I'm on here talking (very unnecessarily!) about how I won't have another episode out before Christmas, etc., that's why! That aside, this episode is not any kind of a Christmas special anyways. It's the continuation of my Prester John story, on the trip to Prester John's Ethiopia, and on the Portuguese crown's pursuit of the priest-king and how that story was connected to the developing ones of exploration and colonialism. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Sources: A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco Da Gama, 1497-1499, translated by Ernst Georg Ravenstein. The Hakluyt Society, 1898 Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Ferreira, Susannah. The Crown, the Court and the Casa Da Índia Political Centralization in Portugal 1479-1521. Brill, 2015. Knobler, Adam. Mythology and Diplomacy in the Age of Exploration. Brill, 2016. Krebs, Verena. Medieval Ethiopian Kingship, Craft, and Diplomacy with Latin Europe. Springer International, 2021. Krebs, Verena. "Re-examining Foresti's Supplementum Chronicarum and the 'Ethiopian' embassy to Europe of 1306," in Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Volume 82, Issue 3 (October 2019) . Kurt, Andrew. "The search for Prester John, a projected crusade and the eroding prestige of Ethiopian kings, c .1200 – c .1540," in Journal of Medieval History, 39.3 (September 2013). Salvadore, Matteo. The African Prester John and the Birth of Ethiopian-European Relations, 1402-1555. Taylor & Francis, 2016. Salvadore, Matteo. "The Ethiopian Age of Exploration: Prester John's Discovery of Europe, 1306-1458," in Journal of World History, Vol. 21, No. 4 (December 2010). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the first of two episodes on the next jump in the Prester John narrative, as the story pivots to Ethiopia and as Ethiopian envoys and pilgrims travel in 15th-century Italy and Spain. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Knobler, Adam. Mythology and Diplomacy in the Age of Exploration. Brill, 2016. Krebs, Verena. Medieval Ethiopian Kingship, Craft, and Diplomacy with Latin Europe. Springer International, 2021. Krebs, Verena. "Re-examining Foresti's Supplementum Chronicarum and the 'Ethiopian' embassy to Europe of 1306," in Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Volume 82, Issue 3 (October 2019) . Kurt, Andrew. "The search for Prester John, a projected crusade and the eroding prestige of Ethiopian kings, c .1200 – c .1540," in Journal of Medieval History, 39.3 (September 2013). Salvadore, Matteo. The African Prester John and the Birth of Ethiopian-European Relations, 1402-1555. Taylor & Francis, 2016. Salvadore, Matteo. "The Ethiopian Age of Exploration: Prester John's Discovery of Europe, 1306-1458," in Journal of World History, Vol. 21, No. 4 (December 2010). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the 208th episode of Audioface:REVIEWS: "Blue Banisters" by Lana Del Rey, "to hell with it" by PinkPantheress, and "LP!" by JPEGMAFIA.New Singles: "Prester John" by Animal Collective, and "Psalm 102" by Semler. Young Thug opens up about his Mac Miller collab, and is suing an apartment building for losing his bag of unreleased tracks. The Blue Banisters review. Spotify, Amazon, and Pandora propose even lower streaming royalty rates. The to hell with it review. Adult Swim comes in clutch with an upcoming free live music festival and a collection of electronic music.  The LP! review. Megan Thee Stallion teams up with Popeyes. On No Chill Island 20: Youngboy NBA is free for a few minutes. Boosie Badazz flips out on Lil Nas X, and TikTok cancels a planned NFT with the rising rapper. Lil Xan is accused of rocking fake watches, Toronto rapper Top5 is arrested in LA, Tory Lanez disses 2021 music, Drake is revealed to have had problems with his Degrassi character, DMX's alleged 15th child comes forward, and R. Kelly's mental health after his guilty verdict is not great.  ---SUPPORT AUDIOFACE!Subscribe to this podcast (or Follow on Spotify) so you don't miss new episodes every week. Tell some friends about this show to keep it growing! We appreciate it, and you.Keep up with Audioface's 2021 Playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Gm0rc9gByK4idEhZw6oRu?si=a28c212ddf014641Reach out to us: https://twitter.com/audiofacepod/https://intsagram.com/audiofacepod/https://www.youtube.com/audiofacepod?sub_confirmation=1For advertising opportunities, email info (at) syndicate23 (dot) co

The Mongols, their conquests, and the travellers who went to see them were all going to necessitate some changes to the Prester John narrative. This episode is all about those changes. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Sir John Mandeville: The Book of Marvels and Travels, translated by Anthony Bale. Oxford University Press, 2012. Aigle, Denise. The Mongol Empire Between Myth and Reality. Brill, 2014. Jackson, Peter. The Mongols and the West: 1221-1410. Routledge, 2018. Rachewiltz, Igor de. Prester John and Europe's Discovery of East Asia. Australian National University Press, 1972. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Hermetic Hour for Thursday October 7th, 2021 -- will feature a dramatic reading of the first chapter of "The Tomb of Prester John" a new magical adventure novel by Hermetic Hour host Poke Runyon. The protagonist of the story is the same Indiana Jonesish anthropologist Poke created and portrayed in his film "Beyond Lemuria" where we saw Doc Roland exploring the ruined city of Nan Modal. In this new adventure Roland and his beautiful belly-dancing lady archaeologist Sophie Nasrani, go in search of the fabulous tomb of the legendary medieval priest-king Prester John. They have a 12th century letter written by Prester John to emperor Frederick Barbarossa and an antique magic lantern to decode the script. They know the tomb is located somewhere east of Samarkand but Sophie must evoke the prophetess Jezebel in a full moon ritual dance. Throughout their adventure they are stalked by Sophie's former lover Khalil ibn Iblis, a terrorist who believes he is the reincarnation of Hassan Sabbah and has revived the cult of the Assassins. As the tale progresses we will air it chapter by chapter on the Hermetic Hour, so if you want to get in at the beginning, tune in tonight and get ready for High Adventure.

After their success at Damietta, the participants in the Fifth Crusade decide what to do next, and they wait for a certain someone... If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Crusade and Christendom: Annotated Documents in Translation from Innocent III to the Fall of Acre, 1187-1291. Edited by Jessalynn Bird, et al. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013. The Fifth Crusade in Context: The Crusading Movement in the Early Thirteenth Century. Edited by E.J. Mylod, et al. Routledge, 2016. Brownworth, Lars. In Distant Lands: A Short History of the Crusades. Crux Publishing Ltd, 2017. Cassidy-Welch, Megan. War and Memory at the Time of the Fifth Crusade. Penn State University Press, 2019. Madden, Thomas F. The New Concise History of the Crusades. Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. Powell, James M. Anatomy of a Crusade, 1213-1221. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986. Powell, James M. Innocent III: Vicar of Christ Or Lord of the World? Catholic University of America Press, 1994. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Thursday September 9th, 2021 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the vast Central Asian kingdom of Tartaria and the medieval legend of Prester John, the mysterious Christian monarch who was said to have ruled a huge empire West of China and to have written letters to the Pope and kings in Europe. Mentioned by Marco Polo and other European travelers to the Orient Prester John  was a political Holy Grail quest for Crusaders seeking allies against the Muslims. But John and his kingdom was never found -- and yet there may have been a Christian king and warlord in Central Asia in medieval times as new historical research and archeology are discovering. In Medieval times the boundaries of Tartaria stretched from China to Eastern Europe; an area defined by the conquests of Genghis Khan and his sons. Only recently have we come to realize that Europeans have been living in Central Asia for thousands of years. Many of the Central Asian tribes and even nations riding under Mongol banners in the middle ages were actually  Caucasian Christians descendants of the ancient Scythians, Armenians and Indo-Europeans. The real history of Central Asia has been suppressed and mistranslated. We will suggest who the real Prester John might have been. So put on your fedora, snap your bullwhip and lets follow the Silk Road to adventure.

The crusaders make their way first to Acre and then to Damietta. Perhaps someone would be along to help them soon? If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Crusade and Christendom: Annotated Documents in Translation from Innocent III to the Fall of Acre, 1187-1291. Edited by Jessalynn Bird, et al. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013. The Fifth Crusade in Context: The Crusading Movement in the Early Thirteenth Century. Edited by E.J. Mylod, et al. Routledge, 2016. Brownworth, Lars. In Distant Lands: A Short History of the Crusades. Crux Publishing Ltd, 2017. Cassidy-Welch, Megan. War and Memory at the Time of the Fifth Crusade. Penn State University Press, 2019. Madden, Thomas F. The New Concise History of the Crusades. Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. Powell, James M. Anatomy of a Crusade, 1213-1221. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986. Powell, James M. Innocent III: Vicar of Christ Or Lord of the World? Catholic University of America Press, 1994. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A shorter episode, on a letter from Pope Alexander III to Prester John. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Pope Alexander III (1159–81): The Art of Survival. Taylor & Francis, 2016. Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Stanford University Press, 1971. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the many fantastic additions to the Letter of Prester John (Dragons! Strange Bakeries! Etc!), and on the theories around it. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble at https://www.redbubble.com/people/humancircus. Sources: Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Nowell, Charles E. "The Historical Prester John." Speculum 28, no. 3 (1953). Romm, James S. The Edges of the Earth in Ancient Thought Geography, Exploration, and Fiction. Princeton University Press, 2019. Wang, I-Chun. "Alexander the Great, Prester John, Strabo of Amasia, and Wonders of the East." CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 14.5 (2012). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A version of this essay was published by swarajyamag.com at https://swarajyamag.com/world/lessons-for-india-from-south-africa-beware-of-those-bearing-gifts. Please listen to the podcast (click the ‘play’ button above), and give me feedback. It takes a lot of work to put the podcast together, and I would like to hear what you guys think of it, and your suggestions on how it can be improved. As I write this, there are riots in South Africa over a court order to jail former President Jacob Zuma on corruption charges. It may escalate to a quasi-civil war. It was startling to hear that model-minority Indian-origin South Africans are facing threats to their lives and livelihoods, and that some of them are defending themselves with firearms. As a teenager I read several novels by the Afrikaner author Laurens van der Post about the days of apartheid, and I was struck by the trisanku nature of the Indians there: disrespected by both blacks and whites, living a tenuous and uncertain existence. We saw what happened to Indians in Idi Amin’s Uganda, and we saw how the Chettiars were ejected from Burma. A big reason for the assaults is the certainty that Indians are soft targets: that they do not fight back and they often have assets because they are diligent and save whatever they can. Indian businesses are being torched, and their very lives are in jeopardy.It is important to pay attention to this because India’s future is entwined with the Indian Ocean Rim, and with the fast-growing (at least till the pandemic struck) economies of that huge and relatively empty continent. The Chinese have made massive inroads there, but there is also a backlash. India needs to have an Africa strategy. India, meanwhile, merely gets second-hand information about Africa from the Anglosphere. This has to change. There are serious commercial opportunities. For example, Indian digitization and payment options may be attractive to African nations: UPI, RuPay, Aadhar, Cowin, India Stack etc., along with a bridge between UPI and Kenya’s mPESA. More to the point, there are lessons for us from the African encounter with the West. The net result has been the impoverishment and suffering of the African, including arbitrary lines drawn across the continent tearing apart traditional ethnic identities, leading to endless wars and displacement and ethnic cleansing. That must sound familiar to subcontinentals: the legacy of European empire.I shall confine myself to three examples: Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Sudan. RwandaThere are two ethnic groups in Rwanda, the ‘tall, fair’ Tutsis and the ‘short, dark’ Hutus. Well, that’s the theory, but to the impartial observer, they seem identical: they are very close genetically, and they had generally lived peacefully with each other for centuries. Christian missionaries arriving in Rwanda ‘discovered’ that the minority Tutsi were lording it over the Hutu. I don’t remember if they ‘discovered’ that the Tutsi were also migrants who had defeated and now oppressed the Hutus. In any case, under the missionaries, cleavages in society were manufactured or at least dramatically magnified. In the end, there was a horrific genocide. The Hutus attempted to wipe out the Tutsis, with the collusion of the church. If you get away from the gruesome killings, this might sound vaguely familiar to Indians: yes, it is the ‘Aryan’ Invasion Fairytale in a slightly different form. But the intent was the same: divide et impera. The goal was to maintain white control by fomenting fratricide and civil war.It was the late N S Rajaram who had the insight that what happened in Rwanda was the template for the ‘Aryan’-‘Dravidian’ divide that missionaries created in India. One Bishop Caldwell, and later, his ideological descendants such as EV Ramaswamy Naicker, created exactly the same kind of unscientific and unsubstantiated division between the allegedly ‘Aryan’ Tamil Brahmins and the allegedly ‘Dravidian’ middle castes.We have to assume that the intent in India was also (in addition to divide and rule) continuous fratricidal warfare, bhedam, and thus easy pickings for the imperialists. The funny thing is that Tamil Brahmins are genetically identical to the allegedly ‘Dravidian’ middle castes, but then, there is no reason to let science stand in the way of a good narrative. The fact that this whole thing didn’t lead to genocide in India, a la Rwanda, is miraculous, because it could easily have done so. Perhaps some vestige of civilizational tolerance meant only exile, not physical liquidation.In Rwanda, after the horrific genocide, Tutsis led by Robert Kagame, who had honed fighting skills in neighboring countries, came to power. They have maintained the peace, and led to some level of development, although there are murmurs about autocracy. Interestingly enough, a deep dive into Kagame’s Rwanda brings up a lot of not-so-flattering comparisons to everybody’s poster-child du jour, Bangladesh, but that’s a story for another time. EthiopiaThis is an ancient Christian country with roots going back to the days around the Council of Nicae, 325 CE, that codified Christian dogma. Some seafaring European adventurers who ended up in India were looking for the fabled lost kingdom of ‘Prester John’, supposedly the king of Ethiopia. That didn’t save the country from going through a brutal civil war in the 20th century. The province of Eritrea rebelled, and after a 20-year-long war, which took the lives of an estimated 100,000 people on both sides put together, Eritrea formally became a new nation. In the past year, another rebellion in the province of Tigray has become a serious military problem. It appears as though the Tigrayans, whose fighters had earlier allied with different factions in the Ethiopia-Eritrea war, are now on the verge of defeating combined Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, and are now threatening to take the war into neighboring states. Just like Yugoslavia a while ago, Ethiopia has fallen apart.Why is this relevant to India? Because the West is pushing for the balkanization of India, under the new and sexy name of “sub-national diplomacy”. Thanks to Abhinav Agarwal for pointing out the following article and a pithy quote from it: “Subnational diplomacy should be a crucial tool of Biden’s India strategy... "And, putting their money where their mouth is, Americans are following up by ‘canceling’ the word ‘India’. It is either ‘South Asia’ (which, to quote that war-criminal Churchill, is “about as tangible as the equator”), or it is sub-national. It appears the West is reaching out to West Bengal and also to Tamil Nadu (see the ecstasy with which they received the appointment of Esther Duflo and Jean Dreze to an economic affairs panel there).So it’s never “Indian-American”, but “Bengali-American”, or “South Asian American”, as far as US communiques are concerned. It took them 48 hours, and a lot of noise on social media, to issue a half-hearted retraction to the following. The funny thing is that Samir Banerjee’s father is not even Bengali, he’s Assamese! But hey, anything in the cause of bhedam. Chanakya, I am sure, would approve. Creating divisions where they don’t exist: now where have we seen this before?South SudanThis country was created exactly ten years ago, as a refuge for Christians who, it seems, were being oppressed by North Sudan’s Muslim majority. That is also a story we have heard elsewhere: partition on ideological or especially on religious grounds, courtesy the West. East Timor, for instance. Intriguingly, though, when a European country was divided (Germany) it was quickly reunited. I doubt the same will be true for other countries divided by the West. In 2011, there were hopeful predictions about an egalitarian and prosperous South Sudan, especially because it has oil. But the reality is far from it: the country is desperately poor, and there are accusations of gross human rights violations and oppression based on ethnicity. Child marriage is rife, child soldiers are common, and rape is used widely as a war tactic.The creation of South Sudan has not led to any great improvement in the lives of the people.Of the various ‘splittist’ (to use Chinese vocabulary for a minute) groups in India, the most virulent are the ‘Dravidian’ parties of Tamil Nadu, which nurse fond hopes for something they call ‘United States of South India’. India has also seen that widespread Christian conversion leads to secession and demands for separate homelands: as in much of the Northeast. As conversion increases in Andhra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu (there are already substantial numbers in Kerala), the urge to secede will likely increase. South Sudan’s case is salutary: creating a new nation based on religion is not exactly the most sensible course of action. Fortunately, in India’s case, apart from a few hard-core Tamils, most people in South India have no particular interest in anything ‘Dravidian’. But the ‘subnational diplomacy’ specialists from the Biden administration will likely create trouble. As an example, the closure of the Sterlite copper plant -- precisely when copper prices and demand are set to go through the roof -- must rank as one of the most brain-dead, malicious acts of recent times. It is quite likely that the famed sub-national diplomacy spoken of by CSIS is being applied to the cause of ‘Dravida Nadu’. In this, there will be other eager partners: Pakistan, China and various busybodies such as the Scandinavians who like to fish in troubled waters.African LessonsInterestingly, I have been seeing at least on social media that ordinary Africans are far more cognizant of the malfeasance of ex-colonials than Indians are. Their leaders are aware, too. Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, who died recently, was one. So was whoever it is who said, pithily, “When the missionaries came, they had the book and we had the land. They taught us to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened our eyes, they had the land, and we had the book”. Indians, and our leaders, are still bedazzled, and mouth platitudes such as vasudhaiva kutumbakam and athithi devo bhava out of context. It is time we learned something from the Africans. 1600 words, 14 Jul 2021 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com

For more than 500 years, Europeans believed a Christian king ruled over a vast empire somewhere in the wilds of Africa, India or the Far East. The mysterious king claimed to serve as “supreme ruler of the three Indies” and all its 72 kingdoms. He described his realm as a utopia rich in gold, filled with milk and honey and populated by exotic races of giants and horned men. 

Subscribe to the podcast!https://podfollow.com/everythingeverywhere/ In the middle ages, a legend persisted among Europeans that there was a Christian ruler in Asia, or Africa, who would come to join with European Christians to help fight Moslems.  The only problem was, the distant Christian ruler didn't exist. Yet, while the ruler was a fable, the story was actually based on some facts.  Learn more about the legendary Prester John, and how Europeans pinned their hopes on him, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. https://athleticbrewing.com/ -------------------------------- Associate Producer Thor Thomsen   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere   Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/EEDailyPodcast/ Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/

The legend in its early forms: the arrival in Rome of a patriarch from the east, the chronicles of Otto of Freising, and that famous "letter." If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble at https://www.redbubble.com/people/humancircus. Sources: Otto of Freising, Chronicon, ed. G.H. Pertz, MGH SSRG (Hanover: Hahn, 1867), VII, 33, (pp. 334-35), translated by James Brundage, The Crusades: A Documentary History, (Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press, 1962). Accessed at Fordham University Internet Medieval Sourcebook. Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019. Baring-Gould, Sabine. Curious Myths of the Middle Ages. Roberts Brothers, 1867. Heng, Geraldine. The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages. Cambridge University Press, 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ponce De Leon never searched for the Fountain of Youth but the search for it extends thousands of years and even multiple countries. What is the true history of the Fountain of Youth? And what does Mean Girls have to do with Ponce De Leon and his name being tied to it?Find out on today's episode of Facts-Chology!*You definitely won't live foreverSourceshttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Herodotus-Greek-historianhttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-the-Great#ref59260https://www.greekboston.com/culture/mythology/fountain-of-youth/https://www.history.com/news/the-myth-of-ponce-de-leon-and-the-fountain-of-youthhttps://www.legendsofamerica.com/fl-fountainyouth/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/ponce-de-leon-never-searched-for-the-fountain-of-youth-72629888/https://www.grunge.com/236799/the-tragic-history-of-the-search-for-the-fountain-of-youth/https://www.dma12.org/the-fountain-of-youth-myth-or-reality/https://www.theroot.com/did-a-black-man-discover-the-fountain-of-youth-1790899464Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Factschology)

Who the hell is Prester John, does he have anything to do with Isabella of Castile, and why are we talking about Comics and Coffee? Listen to find out... Cheers!Patreon Link - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=34398347&fan_landing=trueHuge thanks to Podcorn for sponsoring this episode. Explore sponsorship opportunities and start monetizing your podcast by signing up here: https://podcorn.com/podcasters/Be sure to follow me on Facebook at "Drinks with Great Minds in History" & Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter @dgmh_historypodcastMusic:Hall of the Mountain King by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3845-hall-of-the-mountain-kingLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Artwork by @Tali Rose... Check it out!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=34398347&fan_landing=true)

A look at Presbyter Johannes, or Prester John, a legendary Christian king of a faraway land filled with wonders. Who authored the hoax that propagated his legend, and how valid are the various theories of his historical identity?  If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services.    Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "daemones," "Smoldering," "Global Warming," "Marée," "daedalus," "Plague," "Comatose," and "Behind Your Window" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is part four of our five-part discussion of War in Heaven, Charles' Williams' modern take on the Holy Graal Quest.  In the chapters we discuss this week, Gregory Persimmons drives Barbara Rackstraw insane using "the ointment," in order to obtain both the Graal and Barbara and Lionel's son, Adrian.  The guardians of the Graal willingly trade the Graal for Barbara's sanity, only to have her cured by an unexpected visitor...who is somehow the Graal himself.  It's not who you think.  In this episode, Satanism meets pessimism, devotion to relics meets humanism, and everybody meets Prester John.    9/22: Happy Hobbit Day!  We're talking about Charles Williams, but we do mention the hobbits (with reference to homeliness and attachment to objects) in a few places.     Works referenced:   War in Heaven, by Charles Williams;   "Hermeticism and the Metaphysics of Goodness in the Novels of Charles Williams," by Scott McLaren (Mythlore);   The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend, by Alan Lupack;     Music:   "Venus," by Gustav Holst   "Lohengrin," by Richard Wagner   "Princes of the Universe" by Queen.    (Here's the intro that I parody.  Note: Inklings Variety Hour does not formally endorse the USA show "Highlander"--based on the movie of the same name--even if it was awesome.)   _Thank you_ to those of you who have left reviews and ratings on iTunes and elsewhere!  Please don't hesitate to drop us a line if you'd like--we'd love to know who you are and what you're interested in hearing us cover in the future!  Our email is InklingsVarietyHour@gmail.com. 

Pull on your worst sweater and get ready to save the day again as we play "The Game"!New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente returns to the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that gives the Wesley Crusher we didn't know we wanted. A new pleasure-inducing video game is quickly becoming everyone's favorite shipboard pastime. But when the game is revealed to be a sinister plot to take over the Federation, Wesley and Robin will have to outwit the adults take back the ship!Wesley Crusher may be everyone's favorite Trek punching bag, but in reality he's one of the franchise's most interesting characters. For a show that's all about going boldly, we meet him at an age of uncertainty and fear and we see him grow into a character with his own self-created sense of moral integrity. He's someone with all the gifts of the Federation's best citizens, and yet he bravely rejects the path that he seems destined to take, military service for an organization whose values he questions.. I mean, how many genius Trek characters drop out of college to cruise the galaxy with their laid-back alien mentor? On this episode, we talk about what's behind Wesley hate, the way Wesley bridged the gap between child and adult viewers in TNG's early days, the idea of Wesley as Gene's avatar in Trek, the strangely Puritan morals on display in the episode, the way that Trek tries to push against Roddenberry's original mission statement, and the joy that is Robin Lefler.We also discuss dealing with your problematic faves, putting video games on trial, LESLIE Crusher, the "big gets" for early TNG, a gamut of "O faces", synthaheroin, magical realism, being horny for chocolate, the persistence of Sadie Hawkins, "Stay dorky, stay alive", fooling the censors with sci-fi, Trek's obsession with having a 9/11, post-bang levels of intimacy, some Picard talk, some Pike talk, a Eurovision update, the Hugos controversy 2020 edition, somehow even MORE Mass Effect talk, and Prester John, too!Thanks to Cat's Star Trek-loving brother for choosing this episode!Follow Cat on Twitter and watch her Prester John video!http://www.twitter.com/catvalentehttps://www.patreon.com/catvalentehttp://www.catherynnemvalente.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8lu_A72N10Learn the story behind your favorite Trek stories with Backtrekking!http://www.twitter.com/backtrekkingBliss out with us on Facebook and Twitter and the Just Enough Trope Discord!http://www.facebook.com/eistpodhttp://www.twitter.com/eistpodhttps://discord.gg/UeytGNPGive us a roll of quarters on Patreon and Ko-Fi!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodhttps://ko-fi.com/E1E01M2UASubscribe to the show on iTunes!https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/enterprising-individuals/id1113165661?mt=2

Pull on your worst sweater and get ready to save the day again as we play "The Game"!New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente returns to the show this week to discuss an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that gives the Wesley Crusher we didn't know we wanted. A new pleasure-inducing video game is quickly becoming everyone's favorite shipboard pastime. But when the game is revealed to be a sinister plot to take over the Federation, Wesley and Robin will have to outwit the adults take back the ship!Wesley Crusher may be everyone's favorite Trek punching bag, but in reality he's one of the franchise's most interesting characters. For a show that's all about going boldly, we meet him at an age of uncertainty and fear and we see him grow into a character with his own self-created sense of moral integrity. He's someone with all the gifts of the Federation's best citizens, and yet he bravely rejects the path that he seems destined to take, military service for an organization whose values he questions.. I mean, how many genius Trek characters drop out of college to cruise the galaxy with their laid-back alien mentor? On this episode, we talk about what's behind Wesley hate, the way Wesley bridged the gap between child and adult viewers in TNG's early days, the idea of Wesley as Gene's avatar in Trek, the strangely Puritan morals on display in the episode, the way that Trek tries to push against Roddenberry's original mission statement, and the joy that is Robin Lefler.We also discuss dealing with your problematic faves, putting video games on trial, LESLIE Crusher, the "big gets" for early TNG, a gamut of "O faces", synthaheroin, magical realism, being horny for chocolate, the persistence of Sadie Hawkins, "Stay dorky, stay alive", fooling the censors with sci-fi, Trek's obsession with having a 9/11, post-bang levels of intimacy, some Picard talk, some Pike talk, a Eurovision update, the Hugos controversy 2020 edition, somehow even MORE Mass Effect talk, and Prester John, too!Thanks to Cat's Star Trek-loving brother for choosing this episode!Follow Cat on Twitter and watch her Prester John video!http://www.twitter.com/catvalentehttps://www.patreon.com/catvalentehttp://www.catherynnemvalente.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8lu_A72N10Learn the story behind your favorite Trek stories with Backtrekking!http://www.twitter.com/backtrekkingBliss out with us on Facebook and Twitter and the Just Enough Trope Discord!http://www.facebook.com/eistpodhttp://www.twitter.com/eistpodhttps://discord.gg/UeytGNPGive us a roll of quarters on Patreon and Ko-Fi!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodhttps://ko-fi.com/E1E01M2UASubscribe to the show on iTunes!https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/enterprising-individuals/id1113165661?mt=2

Subscribe today to get access to the full episode along with all previous bonus episodes and content our patreon (https://www.patreon.com/DumbandAwful) Come to Discord (https://discord.gg/ghv2dSW) do you think a depressed person could record this?? 00:50 shut up queen victoria 4:41 some questions about the DNC 6:22 colin powell and the iraq war 9:32 clarence thomas 10:37 joe rogan 12:25 new american gothic 14:50 florida man cuomo 17:56 embodying politics 20:00 warcrime buddies 24:00 uncanny aesthetics 26:01 Prester John and the Dog-people 27:27 one weird trick for getting on cnn 28:50 Legacies and Slavic Fatalism 33:12 the value of defeat 35:07 antediluvian party people 39:15 gaslighting brett 54:45 dont look at the climate Subscribe and rate us on itunes, it helps tremendously! Thanks to the Comrades on Patreon: dumb bitch media, lucky, surpluscornbread, thebrilliantdrfly, devin, brittany, reverend lawn gnome, nicole, gabriel, james, danisaintdani, nathan, louis, zekumedo, formerlyquincy, david, rob, mathilda, ian, david, lizzy, psychic dolphin garage, boxian, barfolemew, anthony, evan, cucumbers, ari, ayana, scott, mando, daniel, paul, AJ, evan, how long, karen, phil, kasey, potatorican, spides, justin, scott, dunning, phil, dan, erin, sarah, christian, DJ, alexander, eric, antigrav, melissa, charlie, eduardo, addison, bcbuttz, kevin, icedender, chubbygoomba, phusion, johnnyka, shadi, christop, eddy, adam, alexandria, matthew, alex, jacob, colin, kino, yeetyeet, joe, phusion, max, krothotkin, salamander dan, marissa, scott, brendan, trainofunicorns, liam, james, krothotkin, zmcd, and stephanie music by Aylo Beats

Especially in modern textbooks and broad historical surveys, the Mongol withdrawal from Europe in 1242 is presented as the Mongols ‘disappearing into the mists of the east,’ as far as the Europeans were concerned. But in the immediate wake of the 1242 withdrawal, Europeans needed to know more about this new foe. Rather than a ‘Mongol disappearance’ from the European mind, European diplomats and representatives made the trip to the Mongol Empire on behalf of Kings and Popes- even to distant Mongolia. A number of these travellers wrote down accounts of their journeys, providing us yet another viewpoint to events within the Mongol Empire. In this episode, we will discuss three of these accounts from the 1240s and 1250s- that of John de Plano Carpini, Simon of St. Quentin and William of Rubruck. I’m your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.   Our first journey is that of John of Plano Carpini, or Giovanni da Pian del Carpine. Like today’s other accounts, Plano Carpini was a member of a religious order, in this case the Franciscans, an influential group of Christian mendicants founded in the early 13th century by St. Francis of Assisi. Known for their rejections of wealth, simple brown habits, or robes, and often going about barefoot, since the lifetime of St. Francis they had worked closely with the Catholic Church in Rome. John of Plano Carpini was a leading figure among the Franciscans, having been at the forefront of their expansion into Germany. The impetus for Plano Carpini’s journey could not have come from a higher authority, that of Pope Innocent IV. This Pope had in 1245 organized the First Council of Lyons, one of those great ecclesiatical gatherings held every few years in the High Middle Ages to determine church doctrine and how to react to temporal matters. At Lyons in 1245, the biggest topics on the menu were two great foes of the Pope: Frederick II Hohenstaufen, the Holy Roman Emperor and the Mongols. While Innocent’s main concern was the Kaiser, there was great worry over the mysterious horsemen. On the initiative to learn more about them and establish diplomatic ties to avert a repeat of the horrors in Hungary, Pope Innocent sent the 65 year old John of Plano Carpini on the long road east in late 1245.   Aided along the way by the King of Bohemia and the High Duke of Poland, Carpini soon reached the Prince of Volhynia, Vasilko. Vasilko and his brother, Daniel of Galicia, were the westernmost princes of Rus’, and who escaped most of the destruction suffered by the other Rus’ principalities. With Vasilko, Carpini was provided the most up-to-date information on the Mongols one could have in Europe. Passing the ruins of Kiev and an emptied countryside, only at Kaniv did Carpini reach territory under direct Mongol rule. As official envoys of the monarch the Mongols dubbed “the great Pope,” Carpini and his small company were provided escorts and use of the yam system, the great continental messenger route.     Once on the yam, Carpini’s route picked up speed. They rode day and night over the steppe, changing horses three or four times a day as they reached yam stations. By April 4th 1246, they were in the camp of Batu. Batu did not return to Mongolia after the invasion of Europe, instead setting up his camp in the great swath of grassland along the Volga River which made up the middle of his territory, where he held immense power.  Carpini saw that Batu used King Bela IV’s linen tents as his own, taken as booty after the victory at Mohi. At Batu’s camp their letters from the Pope were translated into Russian, Persian and Mongolian, and then they were sent on their way. This stage of the journey is one Carpini had little love for. They rode their horses day and night, sometimes eating nothing except millet with water and salt, or only drinking snow melted in kettles.  They passed the ruins of the cities of the Khwarezmian Empire, the names of which Carpini had no chance to learn before they had moved on.    By July 1246, they were in Mongolia. The hard ride had a purpose, for Carpini arrived in in time for the election of the new Great Khan, Guyuk. As messengers of the Pope they were treated well, provided their own tent and provisions. Carpini gives a fantastic description of Guyuk’s enthronement and the accompanying ceremonies- one detail is a sudden hailstorm postponing Guyuk’s official enthronement until August 24th.  He noticed representatives of powers from across Asia: the Rus’ Prince Yaroslav of Suzdal’, Chinese and Korean representatives, princes from the Kingdom of Georgia and the ambassador of the Caliph of Baghdad, among many others. Carpini’s embassy spent little time with the new Great Khan, offering only a brief description of him: quote, “The present Emperor may be forty or forty-five years old or more; he is of medium height, very intelligent and extremely shrewd, and most serious and grave in his manner. He is never seen to laugh for a slight cause nor to indulge in any frivolity, so we were told by the Christians who are constantly with him.”   On the matter of Chrisitianity, Carpini shares rumours that Guyuk was on the verge of converting. Guyuk did have affinity for the religion, as some of his closest advisers were Christians of the Nestorian flavour. No such baptism for Guyuk was forthcoming, however. As for Carpini’s actual mission to Guyuk, it proved less successful. Guyuk explained that the slaughter wrought in Hungary and Poland was due to the failure of the Europeans to submit to Heaven’s will and Mongol authority. Further, more would come, and when Carpini departed Guyuk’s camp for Europe in November 1246, he left utterly convinced that Guyuk was intent on marching on Europe.    With this fear in mind, Carpini tailored his work as a manual to prepare for the Mongol return. He wrote a very accurate description of the appearance of the Mongols, their culture and society, to detailed descriptions of their armour, tactics, and strategy. He follows this with recommendations on how they should be countered. His solution is that European armies needed to copy the organization of the Mongols and their discipline: literally, they should adopt the decimal organization system and instil the same punishment for desertion or failure to advance. The importance of crossbows were emphasized; the need to not allow themselves to be flanked and to watch for feigned retreats; maintain reserve units to assist the line and always have the army covered by scouts to alert to Mongol movements. If relying on fortifications, they needed to be built in places inaccessible to siege weapons. Care should be shown to captured prisoners: using the descriptions he provides, he argues that Europeans needed to learn to identify the Mongols from those subject peoples forced to fight for the Khan. These peoples, Carpini says, would fight against the Mongols if provided the chance.   When Carpini is describing things he did not directly observe, he falls easily into accepting myths and rumours. In his account Jesus Christ and the scriptures are honoured in China (which he never visited), there are literal monsters under Mongol control, and the Mongols were repulsed from Greater India by its Christian King, Prester John. However, he provides a keen eye at Mongol politics at the start of Guyuk’s reign, listing the top chiefs and mentions Mongke and his mother Sorqaqtani, who he says “among the Tartars this lady is the most renowned, with the exception of the Emperor’s mother [Torogene], and more powerful than anyone else except Batu.”  On his return journey, Carpini remet with Vasilko of Volhynia and Daniel of Galicia, who sent with Carpini letters and envoys to Pope Innocent for cooperation, leading to Pope Innocent crowning Daniel King of Ruthenia, or Galicia-Volhynia, a brief flirtation of Orthodox and Catholic unity. Innocent provided no support for the newly independent monarch beyond this, and Daniel saw his autonomy crushed at the end of the 1250s with a major Mongol attack.   Carpini’s account, written on his return to Europe, was hugely disseminated through Carpini’s own efforts and its inclusion in one of the most popular medieval encyclopedias, Vincent of Beauvais’ Speculum Historiale. It's clear, detailed descriptions of the Mongols, based entirely on observation, was hugely influential on the writings of other travellers. Some have even argued it spurned the beginnings to more analytic, scientific descriptions of the world, in part as it brought a detailed presentation on a world outside of Europe. It was not exactly a friendly world, mind you. Carpini returned with a letter from Guyuk demanding the submission of the Pope and all the monarchs of Europe, immediately, and in person- with the direct threat of horrific consequences if they failed to do so.   As Carpini returned from the Mongol Empire in 1247, another embassy reached the Mongols in what is now Armenia. Pope Innocent ordered a party of Dominican friars from the Crusader states to bear a letter to the Mongols, opening a second diplomatic front in the event Plano Carpini did not return. The Dominicans were another mendicant order founded in the 13th century, famous both as preachers and inquisitors, and visually distinctive in their black cloaks over white habits.  This group of Dominicans was led by a Friar Ascelin, but the account was written by another member of the embassy, Friar Simon of St. Quentin. An online translation has been made accessible online by our friend of the podcast Dr. Stephen Pow- check out www.simonofstquentin.org to read the full account, with maps!    The Dominican embassy arrived in the camp of the Mongol commander of the Caucasus- Baiju Noyan, on the 24th May, 1247. Learning of their arrival, Baiju sent a representative to enquire as to their purpose, and things immediately got off to a poor start. Upon being asked who they were the representatives of, Friar Ascelin replied, “I am the envoy of the Lord Pope, who among Christians is considered superior in dignity to all men and to whom they show reverence as to their father and lord.”   To which Baiju’s representative became immediately annoyed and responded, “How, speaking with such proud words, do you say that your lord pope is the greatest of all men? Does he not know that Khan is the son of God and that Baiju Noyan and Batu are his princes and thus their names are made known and exalted everywhere?” To which Friar Ascelin replied that the Pope knew none of these names, and that they were simply instructed to find the nearest Mongol army -wherever that might be- and to present a letter from the Pope urging a cessation to the slaughter of Christians.   From here, the meeting devolved. The representative returned to Baiju with the message, and returning in a new set of clothes, asked what gifts the Pope had sent for Baiju. The embassy had failed to provide any, stating that in fact, people sent gifts to the Pope! When he returned from Baiju, again in a new set of clothes, he scolded them for failing to show up with gifts- then inquired if they were at the head of any European armies being sent into Syria.  Before allowing the embassy to meet Baiju, they were then ordered to genuflect before him- which the Friars refused to do, fearing it was idolatry. One in their party who had some experience with Mongol customs informed them it wasn’t idolatry they were asking for- just a sign of the submission of the Pope and Catholic Church to the Khan. On this, the Friars proudly stated they’d rather be decapitated than imply the submission of the Church. They would genuflect and even kiss the soles of Baiju’s feet on the condition that he became a Christian. The response was… not ideal.   “You advise us that we become Christians and be dogs like you. Isn’t your pope a dog and aren’t all you Christians dogs?” the Mongols shouted at the party, and upon learning of this insolence Baiju ordered them all to be killed. Baiju’s advisers urged mercy- don’t kill all four of the friars, only two! Another suggested it would be better to skin the lead friar and send him back to Rome stuffed with straw. Or, have two of them beaten by sticks by the whole Mongol army! Another voice said the wisest course was to place them at the front of the army during a siege, and allow them to be killed by enemy missiles. Murder was only abandoned when one of Baiju’s wives talked him down from it- reminding him quite rightly it was poor conduct to kill envoys, and it would bring him into trouble with the imperial court.    Brought back from the brink- and this was still only the first day, mind you- Baiju’s representative inquired what would be an appropriate way for them to worship Baiju. No solution could be reached. The Mongols could not understand the stubbornness of the Christians in this regard: from their point of view, the Christians worshipped wood crosses and stone churches, and could not comprehend why the same respect could not be shown to Baiju, chosen by the Great Khan who was chosen by Heaven itself! The Friars’ explanations turned to theology, how St. Peter granted the keys to the Pope and so on. Lost in translation, the arguments went nowhere, until it was decided that Acelin would hand over the Pope’s letters but not appear before Baiju. The letter then needed to be translated for Baiju, which required Friar Ascelin explaining it word by word to Greek and Turk translators, who then explained it to Persian translators, who then translated it into Mongol, who then read it out for Baiju.   Annoyed by the initial proceedings, Baiju showed them disrespect after that. Left waiting in the hot sun, they were initially told they would be allowed to leave on the 12th of June, 1247, but this was rescinded when Baiju learned of the approach of Eljigidei to be his new superior. Eljigidei was a close ally of Great Khan Guyuk, sent west to resume military operations in the region.  Given only minimal bread and water, they could only wait. And wait. And wait. With no sign of Eljigidei and Ascelin fretting over continued delay, he finally got a councillor to plead on their behalf with promises of gifts. Baiju prepared a letter to send to the Pope, and things looked just about ready for the Dominicans to depart… when Eljigidei finally arrived. Then followed 7 straight days of feasting, drinking and celebrating before finally, some nine weeks after their initial arrival, on the 25th of July 1247 the Friars left Baiju’s camp.    Like Plano Carpini, Ascelin returned with a letter from the Mongols, this time from Baiju, and within it were only the strictest of demands. The Pope was to come himself, in person, and submit to the Mongols. Failure to do so meant he was an enemy to the Great Khan, and only one fate awaited the enemies of the Great Khan. By the end of the 1240s Pope Innocent IV had at least two letters from top Mongol leaders- one of them the Great Khan, Guyuk- demanding his immediate submission.  That’s a fairly strong indication that the Mongol high command was intent on the subjugation of Europe. Much like Carpini, Ascelin’s colleague Simon recorded considerable detail on the customs, habits and warfare of the Mongols, with information on the strategies and tactics they used in their expansion over Iran, the Caucasus and Anatolia- much of it from first hand sources. As much as they were failed conversion and diplomatic efforts, they were valuable sources of intelligence on a foe they had frustratingly little information on. The impression garnered over the 1240s was of an immensely antagonistic power interested in nothing less than mastery of the world.   Our final traveller for today is William of Rubruck, a Franciscan friar who also made the long trip to Mongolia carrying a letter from the King of France Louis IX- though insisting the entire time he was not a diplomat, merely holding the letter for a friend.  Rubruck’s mission both in structure and situation differed from his predecessors. There is no indication he ever met John de Plano Carpini: he was familiar with his work, but not enough that he could get Carpini’s name correct in his own account, referring to him as John of Policarpo. Rubruck provides one detail about himself in his own account: that he was rather on the large side. Stationed in the Holy Land, he joined  the crusading King Louis IX in Cyprus in winter 1248, and went with him on his disastrous Egyptian campaign of 1250- the Seventh Crusade. This campaign was a catalyst to the usurpation of the Mamluks in Egypt over the Ayyubids, something to have major consequences for the Mongols in a few years. Rubruck’s accounts do not indicate he was among them during the debacles further down the Nile in 1250, during which Louis was captured by the Mamluks, held for ransom and released. The following years the French King spent restoring local fortifications in Palestine, humbled and penitent. It seems in this period Rubruck spent quite some time with the King and Queen. Louis had already been in contact with the Mongols, having sent the Dominican friar Andrew of Longjumeau to the Great Khan’s court in the 1240s, and received envoys from Eljigidei in early 1249. This led to nothing: Guyuk was dead before the Dominican reached his court, and Eljigidei, as a close ally of Guyuk, was soon to follow him on Mongke’s orders.   Rubruck, as a good Fransciscan, was keen to spread the word of God among the heathens and had learned from Andrew of Longjumeau’s report of German miners carried east as slaves by the Chagatai prince Buri during the invasion of Hungary.  Keen to bring salvation to the Mongols, and peace to these slaves, it was Rubruck’s own initiative to travel to the Mongol Empire in 1253. Before he left King Louis provided Rubruck a letter to the Khan, as a sort of “while you’re going that way,” rather than an official embassy.. Learning that a Jochid prince, Sartaq son of Batu, was a Christian, Rubruck decided to make a stop at his court first, perhaps hoping to seek his assistance for the long trek. Taking his leave of King Louis likely at Jaffa, Rubruck set out north and reached Constantinople in April 1253, there getting a chance to preach in St. Sophia, the modern Hagia Sofia; he spoke with other men who had gone as envoys to the Mongols; and there picked up a companion, another Franciscan named Bartholomew of Cremona. Sailing across the Black Sea to Crimea, he travelled north into the steppes to the camp of Sartaq.    Sartaq was the first of many disappointments for Rubruck. His Chrisitanity Rubruck found lacking, and his secretaries admonished Rubruck for calling him a Christian, telling him “Do not say that our master is a Christian. He is not a Christian; he is a Mongol.” The customary gift giving resulted in much of his possessions being taken or outright stolen. In the four days they were there, they were not even provided food, only airag, fermented mare’s milk, though Rubruck took a liking to it. Rubruck stressed he was not an envoy, merely carrying a letter of friendly intent from King Louis. This made a real mess. This was not an area in Mongol diplomacy their world view accounted for. To quote historian Peter Jackson in his translation of Rubruck’s account, “the Mongols were in fact unable to comprehend why representatives of independent peoples should trouble to visit the imperial court if not to bring submission.” Sartaq, not understanding the purpose of Rubruck’s letter, decided this was a matter for his father Batu to settle. So Rubruck, at this time in his mid forties and trying to travel barefoot as in Franciscan tradition, was forced to follow Plano Carpini’s route over the Volga Steppe to the court of Batu.   He was amazed at the size of Batu’s camp, comparing it to a large city. Taken before the tent of Batu, he gazed upon the second most powerful man in Asia. Sitting upon a golden throne with a wife at his side, Rubruck provides us our only physical description of Batu Khan: “He regarded us with a keen gaze, as we did him. He struck me as being of the same build as the lord John of Beaumont, and his face was covered at this time with reddish blotches.” As numerous commentators have stated, it is a deep shame that we do not know what build John of Beaumont was. Through his interpreter, Rubruck spoke to Batu and the audience, in which he urged Batu to be baptized. Batu gave a slight smile, and the audience began laughing at Rubruck.    Batu interrogated Rubruck, having learned through spies of King Louis’ military expedition to Egypt. Telling the Khan that the purpose was to recapture Jerusalem, Rubruck was given airag and sent to the side. Batu decided it was best to send this representative of the French King right to the highest authority: Mongke Khaan, quite without Rubruck’s consent and with no choice in the matter. “There is no counting the times we were famished, thirsty, frozen and exhausted,” Rubruck says of the lengthy voyage in winter 1253 over Central Asia to Mongolia. Rubruck’s account, unlike that of Carpini, is full of personal opinions on matters: mainly in the form of how much he hated everything. Their hygiene and personal habits, such as relieving themselves in the middle of the open steppe right beside him he found ‘excessively tiresome.’   By the end of December 1253 William of Rubruck was in the camp of Mongke Khaan, some ten days journey from Karakorum. Unlike with Ascelin and Baiju, Rubruck was asked how he would like to make his obeisance to the Khan, per European custom or Mongolian. Rubruck would sing praises to God, then do as Mongke wished. Inside a tent Rubruck describes as covered in gold, the friar provides a brief description of Mongke. The Khan was seated on a golden couch with a wife, dressed in spotted fur, snub nosed, of medium build and about 45 years old. One of Mongke’s daughters was seated on the steps before him: Rubruck says she was very ugly. The initial meeting did not go very far. Alcohol was offered, and Rubruck’s interpreter helped himself. After Mongke’s first statement, “Just as the sun spreads its rays in all directions, so my power and that of Batu are spread to every quarter,” Rubruck’s interpreter was too drunk to translate, and the friar was quickly pushed to the side.   Rubruck did not have a good time in the Mongol court. Provided lodging and food, he found himself interrogated and often mistreated. The Mongols sought information on Europe, on what and how many goods and animals the French possessed, and if the Pope was really 500 years old. Rubruck had gone to convert the heathens and bring salvation to the captured German miners: he succeeded in converting only six people during his stay and learned the Germans were beyond his reach in Central Asia. Rubruck was stuck with Nestorian and Greek Orthodox Christians which he did not take a great liking too, there only to enrich themselves. The priests, among many others, were convinced Mongke was on the verge of converting to their creed. Rubruck saw that the Khan didn’t care for any of them, content to utilize all their prayers. Spending several months in Mongke’s camp and Karakorum, the imperial capital, Rubruck met persons from all over Asia. From ambassadors from the Nicaean Empire, the Delhi Sultanate, Baghdad and China to Europeans brought as captives to Mongolia. He met Hungarians, Germans, Russians and French. One was William Buchier of Paris, a goldsmith highly prized by the Mongols. He designed and built the famous silver tree of Karakorum: literally, a tree made from silver with conduits running through it, at the base through four silver lions and higher up coming down as spouts shaped as snakes. From the lions came airag, fermented mare’s milk; from the gilded mouths of four snakes poured grape wine; qaraqumiss, refined mare’s milk; bal, a honey drink, and a rice wine. At the top of the tree was a silver angel with a trumpet. On command, a man inside the tree would sound the trumpet, alerting stewards in another room to feed the alcoholic beverages through their respectives conduits. Below each animal was a vessel to collect the drinks, and when filled they were carried to the cheery guests, applauding at the show. Aside from this and the Khan’s palace in Karakorum, Rubruck found the city terribly unimpressive, likening it to a small town in France but with a very diverse population.    Rubruck endured a number of almost sitcom-like vignettes during his time there. On one occasion he joined with a Nestorian priest to ‘save’ one of Mongke’s sickly wives through a decoction of rhubarb and holy water. Most notable was a religious debate he took part in, sparked by a conflict between Rubruck and the Buddhist priests at Karakorum. While Rubruck gives a detailed and accurate description of the Buddhist customs he saw, he had little care for the Buddhists themselves. This spat turned into the Mongols hosting a religious debate- on one side, Rubruck representing the Catholic Church, with Nestorian Christians, Greek Orthodox Christians and Muslims, and on the other Buddhists lamas. Three umpires - a Buddhist, Christian and Muslim- judged. Mongke, in typical fashion, called for a respectful debate forbidding insulting remarks to opponents, on pain of death.   Rubruck’s version is that he was the star player, deftly disarming the arguments of the Buddhists while his own teammates proved incompetent. We lack any other accounts of this debate, so we should perhaps take it with a grain of salt. He does remark that even though his arguments were like, totally 100% awesome and really effective, no one was convinced to become a Christian because of it, and the debate ended with everyone drinking heavily with half his team singing loudly and presumably, off-key.    The most interesting portion of Rubruck’s narrative is his brief interview with Mongke Khaan, albeit through an interpreter. In this discussion, Mongke provides a fascinating explanation for his religious view:   “We Mongols believe that there is only one God, through whom we have life and through whom we die, and towards him we direct our hearts. But just as God has given the hand several fingers, so he has given mankind several paths. To you God has given the Scriptures and you Christians do not observe them. You do not find in the scriptures, that one man ought to abuse another, do you? And likewise you do not find that a man ought to deviate from the path of justice for financial gain. So, then, God has given you the Scriptures, and you do not observe them; whereas to us he has given soothsayers, and we do as they tell us and live in peace.”   After this, Rubruck was instructed to return to the west with a letter for King Louis, upon which he lamented he had no chance to attempt to convert the Khan. Mongke’s letter to Louis is preserved in Rubruck’s account, and it’s somewhat more cordial compared to the demands of Guyuk. I mean, it still has demands that the Kings of Europe come and submit to him, and that it would be foolish to trust in distance and mountains to protect them.  But it offered something of an apology- well, not quite an apology-  for inconsistent messaging by the envoys of Eljigidei, and for Andrew of Longjumeau’s journey which met not Guyuk Khan, but his widow Oghul Qaimish. On Oghul Qaimish, Mongke stated his opinion on her rather bluntly in his letter: “But as for knowing the business of war and the affairs of peace, subduing the wide world and discerning how to act for the best- what could that worthless woman, lower than a bitch, have known of this?” That he would so openly write this in an official channel- a letter to another monarch- is indicative of the malice he felt to her, and partially explains some of the violence Mongke ordered against the house of Ogedai.   Alas for William of Rubruck, but well for us, was that he was unable to return to King Louis to deliver the message in person. Believing Louis had remained in the Crusader States, after reaching the court of Batu in the Volga steppe, Rubruck cut south through the Caucasus- briefly staying in Baiju Noyan’s camp, where he heard of the approach of Hulegu, Mongke’s younger brother, and a massive army marching through Iran. Learning that Louis had returned to France, Rubruck’s Franciscan superiors ordered him to remain in Acre, forced to send Mongke’s letters alongside a written account of his journey, which luckily for us survives. Unlike Carpini’s account, Rubruck writes little on the warfare of the Mongols, spending more time on their customs and character, with remarkably astute, though not compassionate, descriptions of the cultures and religions he saw throughout his journey. It’s also a detailed geographical and observational survey, challenging views set out by ancient writers. For instance, noting that the Caspian Sea was not an ocean but a lake;  noting the proper courses of the Don and Volga Rivers; connecting the Chinese to the Seres mentioned in antiquity; noted linguistic connections between various groups and, upon finding no evidence for popular medieval monsters like the dog-headed people, argued against their existence. One of the few people to read Rubruck’s account in the 13th century was the English Franciscan Roger Bacon, who met Rubruck in Paris in 1257. Bacon was the first European to record the mixture for gunpowder in 1267. It’s sometimes suggested that Rubruck provided it to Bacon, but as Rubruck mentions nothing of the sort in his account, this is unlikely.    And that is a brief overview of three early European journeys to the Mongol Empire. Not as famous as the slightly later journey of one Messer Marco Polo, but fascinating nonetheless. Our next episode will be an overview of the reign of Great Khan Mongke, so be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals podcast and to continue helping us bring you more outstanding content, please visit our patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. Thank you for listening, I am your host David and we will catch you on the next one!

Explore a world of myth and imagination at the very fringes of the multiverse. Prester John reigns over a realm that shifts and changes and is filled with monsters dreamed in another world. You will journey through this world and uncover its mysteries on your quest to meet the illusive king. This scifi/fantasy fiction story is an alternate history where you are the adventurer in the style of RPG campaign, game book or first person video game. Podcaster: Devon Field from the Human Circus podcast (https://humancircuspodcast.com/)

Prester John, a legendary Christian king, endured in the imaginations of many medieval crusade theorists and geographers. Thought to be a savior who would assist the forces of Christendom to defeat Islam in a final crusade to take Jerusalem, Prester John occupied an important place in the minds of those who hoped for a successful crusade. In this episode, join newcomer Josh as he takes you on a whirlwind tour of Asia and Africa in search of this mythical figure.Podcaster: Josh

In 1165, copies of a strange letter began to circulate throughout Europe. It spoke of a fantastical realm, containing the Tower of Babel and the Fountain of Youth— all ruled over by the letter's mysterious author: Prester John. Who was this powerful ruler, and was he even real? Matteo Salvadore shares the legend of a mythical king who impacted the decisions of European leaders for 400 years. [Directed by Anna Nowakowska, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Cam Misirlioglu / WORKPLAYWORK].

Beyond the Black Forest, in the fairytale village of Heidelberg, an unspeakable evil has taken root. One by one, Heidelberg's citizens have fallen into trances, awakening under the control of a dark master, the mythical Christian king Prester John

Sir John Mandeville, a 14th-century figure who travelled/maybe travelled/almost definitely didn't travel from England to Jerusalem and its holy places, to the court of the sultan in Egypt, to the realms of the Mongol khan, and to the long sought lands of Prester John. With this episode, we start the journey. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, my website is www.humancircuspodcast.com, and I have some things on Redbubble at https://www.redbubble.com/people/humancircus. Sources: Sir John Mandeville: The Book of Marvels and Travels, translated by Anthony Bale. Oxford University Press, 2012. The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, translated by Charles Moseley. Penguin, 2005. Clark, James G. A Monastic Renaissance at St Albans: Thomas Walsingham and his Circle c.1350-1440. Clarendon Press, 2004.  Greenblatt, Stephen. Marvellous Possessions: The Wonder of the New World. University of Chicago Press, 1991.  Higgins, Iain Macleod. Writing East: The "Travels" of Sir John Mandeville. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997. Tzanaki, Rosemary. Mandeville's Medieval Audiences: A Study on the Reception of the Book of Sir John Mandeville (1371-1550). Taylor & Francis, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Truth Uncompromeyezed-If you're not listening to them already, you should. B. Judah update on indigenous coming into the knowledge of who they really are. The Drop: Prester John is King David. The four sinless men Jesus is probably based on. Introduction to Star Wars, light sabers and King Arthur, Prester John connections --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Kingdrop Radio continues the Prester John aka King David series. Following up on DAVID'S father Jessie. Are modified names and pronunciation changes obscuring the identities of Biblical figures? Very compelling evidence regarding JESSIE FATHER OF DAVID, ANCESTOR OF JESUS. MORE ON THE DRAGONS...ARE THEY HIDING OUT IN OUR NATIONAL PARKS? THE SAME PARKS THAT HAVE BECOME SO PRIVATE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS LITTLE OR NO ACCESS?

The Fountain of Youth is a spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus (5th century BC), the Alexander romance (3rd century AD), and the stories of Prester John (early Crusades, 11th/12th centuries AD). Stories of similar waters were also evidently prominent among the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean during the Age of Exploration (early 16th century), who spoke of the restorative powers of the water in the mythical land of Bimini. The legend became particularly prominent in the 16th century, when it was attached to the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, first Governor of Puerto Rico. According to an apocryphal combination of New World and Eurasian elements, Ponce de León was searching for the Fountain of Youth when he traveled to what is now Florida in 1513. The legend says that Ponce de León was told by Native Americans that the Fountain of Youth was in Bimini and it could restore youth to anyone.

The Fountain of Youth is a spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus (5th century BC), the Alexander romance (3rd century AD), and the stories of Prester John (early Crusades, 11th/12th centuries AD). Stories of similar waters were also evidently prominent among the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean during the Age of Exploration (early 16th century), who spoke of the restorative powers of the water in the mythical land of Bimini. The legend became particularly prominent in the 16th century, when it was attached to the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, first Governor of Puerto Rico. According to an apocryphal combination of New World and Eurasian elements, Ponce de León was searching for the Fountain of Youth when he traveled to what is now Florida in 1513. The legend says that Ponce de León was told by Native Americans that the Fountain of Youth was in Bimini and it could restore youth to anyone.

Rolled Spine Podcasts' Illegal Machine joins Siskoid to cover Marvel Two-in-One #12's team-up between the Thing and Iron Man as they (the heroes, not the podcasters) stumble on Prester John in the Israeli desert. It's a Bill Mantlo script, folks. It gets a little crazy. Listen to the Team-Up below, or subscribe to FW Team-Up on iTunes! Relevant images and further credits at: FW Team-Up Supplemental This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK! Visit our WEBSITE: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/ Follow us on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FWPodcasts Like our FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts Subscribe via iTunes as part of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK. And thanks for leaving a comment!

Oh h*ck yeah! Your hosts done done it again, y'all: we goofed around and talked a whole lot about the Gospel of John. You'd think after going through this stuff four times, we'd be a little more efficient, but no. It turns out that there have been centuries of debate focused entirely on John 1:1, and it goes like you'd expect from there. Join us on the first part of our journey through the final canonical gospel (and by far the weirdest) as we meet a new and unknowable Jesus who is known by His first sign: turning Purple Stuff into Sunny D. Plus, we meet like eight Johns who might actually be one John, because who even knows anymore. You, uh, might want to familiarize yourself with Grant Morrison before you listen to this one, because we go deep. Topics of discussion: John 3:16, Austin 3:16, the Invisibles, the Matrix, Dark City, They Live, and other pop cultural touchstones, Gothy Magic Stuff, God's Fiction Suit, Benito's extremely bad joke, John the Baptist, John the Apostle, John the Presbyter, John the Revelator, Prester John, the Beloved Disciple, Homer and Chris's incredible disillusionment with the ancient world, John's virulent anti-semitism, dunking on Moses, 009, HaShem, the Word (aka the Discourse aka the Tiger Force), Desiderius Erasmus, the Heresy of Sabellianism, the Arian Heresy, Adoptionism, the Great Baptism Fight, Nathaniel the Secret Apostle, Simon Peter "The Rock" Johnson, Jesus being really mean to Mary for no discernible reason like what the h*ck, Jesus's good good wine, Jesus's whip and how the Castlevania franchise dropped the ball hard, Nicodemus and the most ridiculous question in the entire Bible, Samaritans explained at last, Jesus's Secret Food, the angel jacuzzi, boataportation, Undercover Jesus. Happy Hanukkah, everybody! If you liked the show, why not head over to ko-fi.com/apocrypals to give us a love offering?

Acoustic guitar instrumental music pushed to the edges.

In the 10th century a letter started circulating that had been allegedly written to the Byzantine Emperor by a mysterious eastern King. The King identified himself as Prester John and claimed that he was marching to relieve the crusaders in the holy land. He also claimed that his kingdom was filled with wonders including a fountain of youth, eagles that deliver magical gems, and a menagerie of monsters. Was Prester John an elaborate hoax or was there a real figure who inspired the story? Tune in and find out how Jesus' twin brother, lady ogres, and a very confused Ethiopian King all play a role in the story.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the 10th century a letter started circulating that had been allegedly written to the Byzantine Emperor by a mysterious eastern King. The King identified himself as Prester John and claimed that he was marching to relieve the crusaders in the holy land. He also claimed that his kingdom was filled with wonders including a fountain of youth, eagles that deliver magical gems, and a menagerie of monsters. Was Prester John an elaborate hoax or was there a real figure who inspired the story? Tune in and find out how Jesus' twin brother, lady ogres, and a very confused Ethiopian King all play a role in the story. 

Edward Webbe was, maybe, a 16th-Century adventurer who moved in and out of captivity and other forms of trouble. His troubles took him from Elizabethan England to Muscovy, Crimea, Constantinople, Italy, and possibly to Persia and the lands of Prester John. On the way, there will be slavery, warfare, unicorns, and one man's quest for gainful employment. Thanks for listening!  Website: humancircuspodcast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/circus_human Email: HumanCircusPod@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/humancircuspod/ Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/A7071B1K Shop: www.redbubble.com/people/HumanCircus  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John and Tara get together on Labor Day to reflect on the first week of the Fall Semester and talk about how we approach our students to start a term. Along the way we talk about specific approaches to early classes, a little bit of history of the Labor Day holiday, and the mythical medieval ruler Prester John. We also talk a little bit about the history of North Korea to give some context to recent events.

The Fountain of Youth is a spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus (5th century BCE), the Alexander romance (3rd century CE), and the stories of Prester John (early Crusades, 11th/12th centuries CE). But could a Fountain of Youth exist, out there hidden somewhere in the world? Or does it reside deep inside our cells? And if so, can the historical evidence of a myth bring it to Life?

Why did medieval Christians think the Mongols were Christians coming to team up with their Crusader bros to kick some Muslim butt? Well, it had to do with a fake news story about a certain legendary king called Prester John... Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod!

On this episode we're combining legend, religion, and history with just a dash of exotic travel as we go in search of the legendary realm of Prester John!

Welcome back to Baxter Building, the podcast reading through the first 416 issues of the Fantastic Four! Today, Graeme McMillan and Jeff Lester talk about issues 54-60 of the Fantastic Four, as well as Annual 4, all by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Klaw in your pantry! Prester John on his space toilet! The Inhumans in their city! And, most importantly, Doom on a cosmic surfboard! It's silver-age insanity as only we can overanalyze it! Show notes eagerly await you at waitwhatpodcast.com, we welcome your comments and questions at WaitWhatPodcast@gmail.com, and we invite you to look out for us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Patreon!

In the Middle Ages, Prester John was seen as the great hope for Crusaders struggling to hold on to, then regain, Jerusalem. He was thought to rule a lost Christian kingdom somewhere in the East and was ready to attack Muslim opponents with his enormous armies. There was apparent proof of Prester John's existence, in letters purportedly from him and in stories from travelers who claimed they had met, if not him, then people who had news of him. Most pointed to a home in the earthly paradise in the Indies, outside Eden, with fantastical animals and unimaginable riches. Later, Portuguese explorers thought they had found him in Ethiopia, despite the mystified denials of people there. Melvyn Bragg asks why the legend was so strongly believed for so long, and what facts helped sustain the myths. With Marianne O'Doherty Associate Professor in English at the University of Southampton Martin Palmer Director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and Culture And Amanda Power Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Sheffield. Producer: Simon Tillotson.

In the Middle Ages, Prester John was seen as the great hope for Crusaders struggling to hold on to, then regain, Jerusalem. He was thought to rule a lost Christian kingdom somewhere in the East and was ready to attack Muslim opponents with his enormous armies. There was apparent proof of Prester John's existence, in letters purportedly from him and in stories from travelers who claimed they had met, if not him, then people who had news of him. Most pointed to a home in the earthly paradise in the Indies, outside Eden, with fantastical animals and unimaginable riches. Later, Portuguese explorers thought they had found him in Ethiopia, despite the mystified denials of people there. Melvyn Bragg asks why the legend was so strongly believed for so long, and what facts helped sustain the myths. With Marianne O'Doherty Associate Professor in English at the University of Southampton Martin Palmer Director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and Culture And Amanda Power Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Sheffield. Producer: Simon Tillotson.

In the Middle Ages, Prester John was seen as the great hope for Crusaders struggling to hold on to, then regain, Jerusalem. He was thought to rule a lost Christian kingdom somewhere in the East and was ready to attack Muslim opponents with his enormous armies. There was apparent proof of Prester John's existence, in letters purportedly from him and in stories from travelers who claimed they had met, if not him, then people who had news of him. Most pointed to a home in the earthly paradise in the Indies, outside Eden, with fantastical animals and unimaginable riches. Later, Portuguese explorers thought they had found him in Ethiopia, despite the mystified denials of people there. Melvyn Bragg asks why the legend was so strongly believed for so long, and what facts helped sustain the myths. With Marianne O'Doherty Associate Professor in English at the University of Southampton Martin Palmer Director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and Culture And Amanda Power Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Sheffield. Producer: Simon Tillotson.

One of the most persistent myths of the Middle Ages was that of Prester John, a mythical Christian king whose supposed domain was located beyond the eastern Muslim regions. Probably the most vivid portion of the myth is a letter […]

Anthony Bale‘s new translation of Sir John Mandeville's classic account is an exciting and engaging text that's accessible to a wide range of readers. The Book of Marvels and Travels (Oxford University Press, 2012) recounts a fourteenth-century journey across the medieval world, albeit one that was likely written as the result of a voyage through libraries and bookshops. Mandeville (whomever he was – and we talk about this issue in the course of our conversation) offers extended discussions of the “Great Khan” of Cathay and of Prester John's kingdom in India, peppering his tales with stories of dragons, descriptions of man-eating creatures that were half-hippopotamus and half-human, images of foreign alphabets, and many, many others. Bale's translation is both fluidly rendered in an easily readable modern English prose, and supported by helpful annotations that situate Mandeville's stories within a wider historical context, and explain Bale's choices as a translator in terms of the broad range of printed and manuscript editions of Mandeville's text. Over the course of our conversation we spoke about some especially memorable moments in the book, as well as Bale's approach to rendering this fascinating but challenging work. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Bale‘s new translation of Sir John Mandeville’s classic account is an exciting and engaging text that’s accessible to a wide range of readers. The Book of Marvels and Travels (Oxford University Press, 2012) recounts a fourteenth-century journey across the medieval world, albeit one that was likely written as the result of a voyage through libraries and bookshops. Mandeville (whomever he was – and we talk about this issue in the course of our conversation) offers extended discussions of the “Great Khan” of Cathay and of Prester John’s kingdom in India, peppering his tales with stories of dragons, descriptions of man-eating creatures that were half-hippopotamus and half-human, images of foreign alphabets, and many, many others. Bale’s translation is both fluidly rendered in an easily readable modern English prose, and supported by helpful annotations that situate Mandeville’s stories within a wider historical context, and explain Bale’s choices as a translator in terms of the broad range of printed and manuscript editions of Mandeville’s text. Over the course of our conversation we spoke about some especially memorable moments in the book, as well as Bale’s approach to rendering this fascinating but challenging work. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Bale‘s new translation of Sir John Mandeville’s classic account is an exciting and engaging text that’s accessible to a wide range of readers. The Book of Marvels and Travels (Oxford University Press, 2012) recounts a fourteenth-century journey across the medieval world, albeit one that was likely written as the result of a voyage through libraries and bookshops. Mandeville (whomever he was – and we talk about this issue in the course of our conversation) offers extended discussions of the “Great Khan” of Cathay and of Prester John’s kingdom in India, peppering his tales with stories of dragons, descriptions of man-eating creatures that were half-hippopotamus and half-human, images of foreign alphabets, and many, many others. Bale’s translation is both fluidly rendered in an easily readable modern English prose, and supported by helpful annotations that situate Mandeville’s stories within a wider historical context, and explain Bale’s choices as a translator in terms of the broad range of printed and manuscript editions of Mandeville’s text. Over the course of our conversation we spoke about some especially memorable moments in the book, as well as Bale’s approach to rendering this fascinating but challenging work. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Bale‘s new translation of Sir John Mandeville's classic account is an exciting and engaging text that's accessible to a wide range of readers. The Book of Marvels and Travels (Oxford University Press, 2012) recounts a fourteenth-century journey across the medieval world, albeit one that was likely written as the result of a voyage through libraries and bookshops. Mandeville (whomever he was – and we talk about this issue in the course of our conversation) offers extended discussions of the “Great Khan” of Cathay and of Prester John's kingdom in India, peppering his tales with stories of dragons, descriptions of man-eating creatures that were half-hippopotamus and half-human, images of foreign alphabets, and many, many others. Bale's translation is both fluidly rendered in an easily readable modern English prose, and supported by helpful annotations that situate Mandeville's stories within a wider historical context, and explain Bale's choices as a translator in terms of the broad range of printed and manuscript editions of Mandeville's text. Over the course of our conversation we spoke about some especially memorable moments in the book, as well as Bale's approach to rendering this fascinating but challenging work. Enjoy!

Anthony Bale‘s new translation of Sir John Mandeville’s classic account is an exciting and engaging text that’s accessible to a wide range of readers. The Book of Marvels and Travels (Oxford University Press, 2012) recounts a fourteenth-century journey across the medieval world, albeit one that was likely written as the result of a voyage through libraries and bookshops. Mandeville (whomever he was – and we talk about this issue in the course of our conversation) offers extended discussions of the “Great Khan” of Cathay and of Prester John’s kingdom in India, peppering his tales with stories of dragons, descriptions of man-eating creatures that were half-hippopotamus and half-human, images of foreign alphabets, and many, many others. Bale’s translation is both fluidly rendered in an easily readable modern English prose, and supported by helpful annotations that situate Mandeville’s stories within a wider historical context, and explain Bale’s choices as a translator in terms of the broad range of printed and manuscript editions of Mandeville’s text. Over the course of our conversation we spoke about some especially memorable moments in the book, as well as Bale’s approach to rendering this fascinating but challenging work. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Bale‘s new translation of Sir John Mandeville’s classic account is an exciting and engaging text that’s accessible to a wide range of readers. The Book of Marvels and Travels (Oxford University Press, 2012) recounts a fourteenth-century journey across the medieval world, albeit one that was likely written as the result of a voyage through libraries and bookshops. Mandeville (whomever he was – and we talk about this issue in the course of our conversation) offers extended discussions of the “Great Khan” of Cathay and of Prester John’s kingdom in India, peppering his tales with stories of dragons, descriptions of man-eating creatures that were half-hippopotamus and half-human, images of foreign alphabets, and many, many others. Bale’s translation is both fluidly rendered in an easily readable modern English prose, and supported by helpful annotations that situate Mandeville’s stories within a wider historical context, and explain Bale’s choices as a translator in terms of the broad range of printed and manuscript editions of Mandeville’s text. Over the course of our conversation we spoke about some especially memorable moments in the book, as well as Bale’s approach to rendering this fascinating but challenging work. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

His kingdom was just over the next hill. We swear.

Scott Bunt has written for newspapers, magazines and standup comics, penned radio and television shows, worked in the music industry as a songwriter, producer and musician.  His recent feature film, Sea of Dust, is based on the real life villain Prester John, and his vengeful master plan to sacrifice “the psychologically vulnerable” on the altar of evil.

This 84th Episode of CS is titled Lost & is a brief review of The Church in the East.I encourage you to go back and listen again to episode 72 – Meanwhile Back in the East, which conveyed a lot of detail about the Eastern Church & how it fared under the Mongols and Muslim Expansion in the Middle Ages.Until that time, Christianity was widespread across a good part of the Middle East, Mesopotamia, Persia, & across Central Asia – reaching all the way to China. The reaction of Muslim rulers to the incipient Mongol affiliation with Christianity meant a systemic persecution of believers in Muslim lands, especially in Egypt, where Christians were regarded as a 5th Column. Then, when the Mongols embraced Islam, entire regions of Christians were eradicated.Still, even with these deprivations, Christianity continued to live on in vast portions of across the East.Let me insert a verbal footnote at this point. Much of what follows comes form the work of Philip Jenkins, whose book The Lost History of Christianity is a stellar review of the Church of the East. I heartily recommend it to all you hardcore history fans.Consider this . . .The news recently reported the attacks by ISIS on Assyrian Christians in Northern Iraq. This is a reprise of 1933, when Muslim forces in the new nation of Iraq launched assaults on Nestorian & Assyrians, in what had once been the Christian heartland of northern Mesopotamia. But now, government-sponsored militias cleansed most of the area of its Assyrian population, killing thousands, and eliminating dozens of villages.Although the atrocities weren't new, the arrival of modern media meant they reached the attention of the world, raising demands for Western intervention.These anti-Christian purges were shocked many & elicited a new legal vocabulary. Within months, the Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin referred to the Assyrians & Christian Armenians before them, to argue for a new legal category called crimes of barbarity, meaning “acts of extermination directed against the ethnic, religious or social collectivities whatever the motive; be it political or religious.” In 1943, Lemkin expanded this idea and coined a new word for such abhorrent behavior—Genocide.Yes = The modern concept of genocide as a horror calling for international sanctions has its roots in successful movements to eradicate Middle Eastern Christians.I mention this less than century old genocidal campaign against Assyrian Christians because we may tend to assume the Middle East has ALWAYS been dominated by Islam, or at least, it has since the 7th C. What we ought to understand instead is that it was only in the last Century that the Middle East wasn't understood as a home to a significant popular of Christians. Take ANY Middle Eastern person out of the 18th C and plant them in the Middle East of today and they would be stunned by the paucity of Christian presence.Until a century ago, the Middle East was a bewildering quilt of religious diversity in which Christians were a familiar part of the social and cultural landscape. Particularly startling for our time traveler would be modern-day Turkey as a Muslim land.Historically speaking, until very recently, Christians were as familiar a part of the Middle Eastern scene as Jews are in the United States, or Muslims are in Western Europe. At the dawn of the 20th C, Christians of the Middle East were about 11% of the population while American Jews are only about 2%!The destruction of the Middle Eastern Christian community is an historic transformation of the region.The decline of Christianity in the Near East occurred in two distinct phases.The first occurred during the Middle Ages and largely as a result of the Crusades. But even then, Christians suffered more or less regionally. The Syriac Church was virtually annihilated while the Egyptian Copts held their own. Reduced to a minority status, they entrenched & proved durable.But the second phase of hostility against Christians began about a century ago with the advent of a new & virulent form of Islamism. Now Christians are being systematically eradicated; either by aggressive assimilation or outright persecution. The 20th C saw the emergence of a form of Islam intolerant of any other faith.The Ottoman Turks began as a rather small power in Asia Minor. After the Mongol invasions destroyed the Seljuks, the Ottomans used the wars that followed to create a power base in Asia Minor. They gradually spread over what had been the Christian Byzantine Empire. By the time they took Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire included the Balkans, and by 1500 they controlled the Black Sea. By 1520 they ruled most of the Muslim world west of Persia, as far as Algiers, and became the main enemy for European Christians. Their European conquests advanced rapidly through the 16th C under such Selim I & Suleiman the Magnificent. In 1526, the Turks conquered Hungary, destroying what was at that time a major European power. Turkish advances weren't reversed until the their loss at Vienna in 1683.Selim I took the title of caliph, and took his role as head of Islam seriously. He ordered the confiscation of all churches, many of which were razed, and Ottoman authorities forced thousands of conversions. A century later, the sultan Ibrahim planned the total extermination of Christians. From the 15th C onward, the pressure to convert to Islam was massive. Throughout Christian territories held vassal by the Turks was levied the “tribute of children” by which Christian families had to give a number of their sons to be raised by the state as slaves, or as elite soldiers, called Janissaries. These janissaries became some of the most feared warriors in the Sultan's army against the Europeans.Ottoman warfare was extremely destructive because it drew on methods stemming from the Turkish heritage of Central Asia. Ottoman forces massacred entire Christian populations, targeting clergy and leaders. In 1480, the Turks destroyed the Italian city of Otranto, killing 12,000 and executing priests by sawing them in half. The destruction of Nicosia in Cyprus in 1570 was a crucial loss to Europe. Accounts of Ottoman warfare and punishment include such gruesome techniques as impaling, crucifixion, and flaying. When a Christian leader in Wallachia, named Vlad decided to use these very same tactics against the Turks, it gave rise to the legend of Dracula.From the 15th thru the 19th Cs, the Turks ruled over a large Christian population on European soil. They called Christians rayah, “the herd,” and treated them as animals to be sheared and exploited. A Bosnian Muslim song says >> “The rayah is like the grass; Mow it as much as you will till it springs up anew.”Though pressure to convert was strong, Christianity survived, and managed to recover in a few places like Greece & Bulgaria. But the Eastern Orthodox Church now followed the way of their earlier cousins, the Nestorian and Jacobite Churches & passed under Muslim rule.As the Near East fell under the control of Islamic states, Western European nations had an ever-greater incentive to find alternative trade routes. This they did by exploiting the seas. Well into the 15th C, explorers dreamed of linking up with the fabled Prester John, and renewing the alliance against Islam. In the mid–15th C, the Portuguese explored the Atlantic & shores of Africa. By the 17th C, Europeans were well on their way to global domination. Rising economic power led to urbanization, and the share of the world's population living in Europe and in European overseas colonies grew dramatically. Demographic expansion vastly increased the relative power of European Christianity.Expanding commercial horizons brought Europe's churches into contact with the tattered shreds of the ancient Eastern Christian groups. Tensions between European and non-European churches were of ancient origin. As early as 1300, Catholic missions in China had met sharp opposition from Nestorians, who naturally saw the newcomers making inroads on their ancient territories. Now, however, the Latin powers were far stronger than before, and better able to enforce their will. During the great period of Spanish and Portuguese empire building from the mid-16th to 17th C, the leading edge of Christian expansion was the Roman Catholic Church, fortified by the militancy of the Counter-Reformation. As Catholic clergy and missionaries roamed the world, they found the remnants of many ancient churches, which they determined to bring under papal control.So long-standing was the separation of Western and Eastern churches that the 2 sides never stood much chance of an alliance. As Christianity fell to such dire straits outside Europe, Catholics dismissed foreign traditions as marginal or even unchristian. After the fall of Constantinople, Pope Pius II wrote to the victorious sultan, effectively denying that the non-Catholic churches were Christian in any worthwhile sense: they were “all tainted with error, despite their worship of Christ.” He more or less explicitly asserted the identity of Christianity with the Catholic tradition and, even more, with Europe itself.As Western Christians traveled the world, many were skeptical about the credentials of other churches. In 1723, a French Jesuit reported that “the Copts in Egypt are a strange people far removed from the kingdom of God…although they say they are Christians they are such only in name and appearance. Indeed many of them are so odd that outside of their physical form scarcely anything human can be detected in them.”Latins were troubled by the pretensions of these threadbare Christians, who nevertheless claimed such grand titles. In 1550, a Portuguese traveler reported that the 40,000 Christians along the Indian coast owed their allegiance to a head in “Babylon,” someone they called the “catholicos.” Bafflingly, they had not so much as heard of a pope at Rome. Some years later, envoys dispatched by the Vatican were appalled to discover India's Nestorians called “the Patriarch of Babylon the universal pastor and head of the Catholic Church,” a title that in their view belonged exclusively to the Roman pontiff.For the first time, many Asian and African churches now found themselves under a European-based regime, and were forced to adjust their patterns of organization and worship accordingly.Around the world, we see similar attempts at harmonization. From the 1550s, factions in the Nestorian church sought Roman support, and much of the church accepted Roman rule under a new patriarch of the Chaldeans. Like other Eastern churches, the Catholic Chaldeans retained many of their customs and their own liturgy, but this compromise was not enough to draw in other Nestorians who maintained their existence as a separate church. The Jacobites split on similar lines, with an independent church remaining apart from the Catholic Syrians.The most controversial moment in this process of assimilation occurred in 1599, when Catholic authorities in southern India sought to absorb the ancient Syriac-founded churches of the region, the Thomas Christians. The main activist was Aleixo de Menezes, archbishop of the Portuguese colony of Goa, who maneuvered the Indian church into a union with Rome at a Synod in Diamper. In Indian Christian memory, de Menezes remains a villainous symbol of European imperialism, who began the speedy Romanization of the church, enforced by Goa's notoriously active inquisition. The synod ordered the burning of books teaching Nestorian errors as well as texts teaching practices Europeans deemed superstitious. A substantial body of Syriac and Nestorian tradition perished. Many local Christians reacted against the new policy by forming separate churches, and in later years the Thomas Christians were deeply fragmented.Yet despite this double pressure from Muslims and Catholics, Eastern Christian communities survived. At its height, the Ottoman Empire encompassed the Middle East, the Balkans, and North Africa, & in Europe included millions of subject Christians. Even in 1900, Muslims made up a little less than half the empire's overall population.This survival seems amazing when we think of the accumulated military catastrophes and defeats between 1300 and 1600, and the tyranny of sultans like Selim I. Yet for all these horrors, the Ottomans also found it in their interest to maintain a stable imperial order. After Sultan Mehmet II took Constantinople, he formally invested the new patriarch with his cross and staff, just as the Christian emperors had done previously. Christian numbers stabilized as the Ottomans granted them official status under a system dating back to the ancient Persians. They had their own patriarch who was both religious and civil head. This system endured into the 1920s.Within limits, Christians often flourished, to the puzzlement of western Europeans, who could not understand the distinctive Ottoman mix of tolerance and persecution. Particularly baffling was the extensive use the empire made of non-Muslims, who were in so many other ways denied the most basic rights. Sultans regularly used Christians and former Christians as administrators, partly because such outsiders would be wholly dependent on the ruler's pleasure: eight of the nine grand viziers of Suleiman the Magnificent were of Christian origin.Making their life under the new order more acceptable, Christians actively proved their loyalty. Above all, Orthodox believers were not likely to work with foreign Catholic powers to subvert Turkish rule. The Orthodox found the Muslims no more obnoxious than the Catholic nations, whose activities in recent centuries had left horrendous memories. Apart from the Latin sack of Constantinople in 1204, later Catholic invaders like the Venetians had been almost as tyrannical to their Orthodox subjects as were the Turks. Even in the last days of the empire, a Byzantine official famously declared, “Better the Sultan's turban than the Cardinal's hat!” Matters deteriorated further when the Orthodox saw how Catholics treated members of their own church in eastern Europe.By far the worst sufferers from the carnage of the 14th C were the old Eastern Syriac churches, precisely because they had once been so powerful and had posed a real danger to Muslim supremacy. Neither Jacobites nor Nestorians ever recovered from the time of Timur. If we combine all the different branches of these churches, we find barely half a million faithful by the early 20th C, scattered from Cyprus and Syria to Persia. This implosion led to a steep decline in morale and ambition. Instead of trying to convert the whole of Asia as they had originally envisioned and seemed within their grasp, the Syrian churches survived as inward-looking quasi-tribal bodies. Succession to the Nestorian patriarchate became hereditary, passing from uncle to nephew. Intellectual activity declined to nothing, at least in comparison with its glorious past. Most clergy were illiterate, and the church texts that do survive are imbued with superstition and folk magic.Well …That brings us now back to Europe and the monumental shift the Western Church had been moving toward for some time, as we've tracked over 8 episodes in our series, The Long Road to Reform.We'll pick it up there in our next episode.

This is Part 2 of our series on Rabban Sauma.We begin with a brief review of the political scene into which Rabban Sauma's story fits.Trade between the Roman Empire and the Far East was established as early as the First Century. But this trade was conducted by intermediaries. No single Western merchant made the entire trek to China, nor vice-versa. Goods traveled a ways from East to West or West to East by local caravans, which deposited them at a market, to be picked up by another caravan local to that region to continue the journey. After the Fall of the Han dynasty in the 3rd Century, and the ensuing chaos of the 4th thru 6th Centuries in China, trade stopped. With the emergence of the Tang Dynasty in the 7th Century, trade resumed. Goods flowed from the Middle East to China and back. But still, no Westerner met with his Chinese counterpart. The West prized Chinese silk and porcelain, while the East wanted frankincense, myrrh, jasmine, horses, and camels. Trade increased as Chinese dynasties and Islamic caliphates grew stronger. When they were in decline, trade did as well because of increased raids by brigands and the various protection schemes of money hungry local warlords.In these early centuries, trade flowed between Western and Eastern Asia. Europe wasn't involved because Medieval Feudalism simply had no market for Eastern goods. That changed with Europe's emergence from the Middle Ages and the new appetite for Eastern goods stimulated by the Crusades. The foothold Europeans established in the Outremer during that time opened routes between the Middle East and Europe that brought goods to the marketplace the newly emerging Middle Class were able to afford. It wasn't long before silk began to adorn the wardrobe of the rich, and in a trend that's existed since time immemorial, what the rich wear, the poor aspire to.The Mongol conquests of the 13th Century saw an increase in trade between East & West and the first contact between Europeans and Chinese. By the end of the 1270's the Mongols controlled more territory than any other empire in history, from Korea and South China, large parts of what would later be Russia, all Central Asia, a large portion of the Middle East and all Persia.In the 12th Century, mythical stories of a Christian Ruler in the East named Prester John motivated a handful of Europeans to initiate contact in the hope of an alliance to back down the threat from Islam. The legend of Prester John was stoked by Christian communities in the Middle East who knew vaguely of the Nestorian Church of the East and had heard tales of a Central Asian ruler named Yelu Tashih, King of Khara Khitay who'd' defeated the Muslims of his realm. They just assumed he must be a Christian. He wasn't. But why let a little detail like that mess up a perfectly good story that might illicit assistance from Europeans in launching a Crusade that would lift the Muslim heel form the necks of Middle Eastern Christians?As the Mongols moved steadily westward in the early 13th Century, King Bela of Hungary sent a Dominican emissary named Julian to learn more about what was obviously a very real threat. Julian never reached the Mongol base. He was met instead by Mongol envoys dispatched by the Mongol ruler Batu with an ultimatum of unconditional surrender and the release to the envoys of several enemies of the Mongols who'd fled to Bela for refuge.Julian returned to Hungary with the ultimatum and an account of the Mongol army, which he said, was formidable due to its mobility. He reported it was the Mongol ambition to conquer all the way to Rome and add to their already ridiculous wealth by sacking the richest parts of Europe.The Mongol conquest of the cream of Hungary and Poland's elite warriors and armies in 1240 by what was just the Mongol front screen put all Western Europe on notice about the new threat from the East. But Europe as fractured and disunited. The Pope and Holy Roman Emperor were at odds over who had supremacy. The call for yet another Crusade to liberate the Holy Land from the infidel floundered due to this disunity while the Christian cities in the Outremer pleaded for assistance.Three embassies were sent over the course of 1245 & 6 to the Mongols in an attempt to gather information about their intentions. Only one of them, lead by John of Plano Carpini was successful. He traveled all the way to the Mongol capital of Khara Khorum where he delivered a letter from the Pope, urging the Mongols to convert to Christianity and to leave off any further conquests in the West. While there, John witnessed the ascension of Genghis' grandson Guyug to the position of Great Khan.Why the Mongols forsook their long history as a loose collection of nomadic tribes ruled by local chieftains to a massed nation under a supreme leader is a matter for a different study and podcast. Of our interest is the liberal policy the Mongols took toward religion in the years of their early expansion. The native religion of Mongolia was shamanism. Most of the tribes were originally ruled by a chieftain in conjunction with a shaman n a power-sharing mode. But shamanism wasn't well suited to the ruling of the settled populations the Mongols began conquering in China and the Middle East. These peoples tended to be more literate and sophisticated and needed a Faith that reflected deeper interests than shamanism could address. As a result, the Khans either adopted the predominant religion of the region they conquered, or they maintained a policy of toleration that allowed several faiths to prosper. As a result, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity were all accepted forms of Faith in Mongol realms. What wasn't appreciated by Mongol rulers were demands they embrace a particular faith. So the Pope's demand he convert and forsake an invasion enraged the Great Khan Guyug. John of Plano was sent home with a letter to Pope Innocent and al Europe's leaders to submit to the Mongols. If they balked, Guyug boasted, it would be a war the likes of which Europe had never seen.John's embassy to the East was a disaster. Not only had he failed to convert the Mongols, he'd managed to alienate the very people the West had hoped to ally with in a campaign against the resurgent Muslims of the Middle East. And while his mission was unfruitful, John's written account of what he experienced in the East proved to be a major boon as it lifted the veil of ignorance the West had to the East. If the Mongols had been shrouded in mystery up to that point, the mystery was dispelled with John's comprehensive, though at times inaccurate, description of their way of life. After John of Plano Carpini's mission, there were several attempts by Western rulers like France's Monarch Louis to forge an alliance with the Mongols against the Muslims. Some emissaries were official, while other missions were undertaken in a more covert fashion. Western insistence on the conversion of Mongol rulers to Christianity and Mongol intransigence on European submission were perennial sticking points. At one point Nestorian emissaries sent by The Great Khan Guyug to King Louis fabricated the lie that Guyug HAD converted and that he was married to the daughter of the fabled Prester John. Impressed, Louis sent two embassies to the Mongol court. Since Guyug was now dead, the Great Khanate became a prize rivals wrangled over; creating an impossible situation for the Western envoys when they became part of the prize being fought for.Relations between the Mongols and Europe remained unproductive until 1256 when The Great Khan Mongke's brother Hulegu was sent on a mission to enlarge their territory at the expense of hostile Muslim dynasties in the Middle East. It was well-known that Hulegu's wife was an ardent Nestorian who figured prominently in her husband's counsels. With Nestorian support, the Mongols under Hulegu captured a portion of Armenia, known then as Cilicia, and two years later overthrew the Abbasid Dynasty and entered Baghdad, executing the last Caliph. The Mongols thus became the rulers of Persia and surrounding territories of the Middle East. In 1261, Hulegu took the title of Ilkhan, meaning under-khan. The Mongol rule of wider Persia became forever after known as the Ilkhanate. It was technically subservient to the domains of the Great Khans but for all practical purposes ended up becoming just another region of Mongol dominance until a resurgent Islam was able to push out the weakening Mongols.After the conquest of Baghdad, Hulegu's forces continued Westward toward the Mediterranean. After taking territory in Syria, as so often happened in Mongol history, Hulegu was obliged to head home to Mongolia for the selection f the next Great Khan. His brother Mongke had died and as the tradition was among the Mongols, the next Khan would be selected by vote or the subordinate Mongol leaders, who themselves had all risen to position by merit, an innovation devised by the legendary Genghis. Before he departed for home, Hulegu appointed one of his commanders too continue the struggle against the Muslims by taking the key city of Damascus. Once Damascus fell, the rest of Syria would quickly follow. Up to this point, the Mongolian forces had seemed irresistible. But a change in Egypt meant a new state of affairs. In 1249, Turkish mercenaries of the Ayyubid dynasty revolted against their masters and established the Mamluk Dynasty. Fielding a far more powerful army, they set out to face the Mongols in Syria.Both armies were large and the Mongols had early success. They captured Damascus but were handed a serious defeat at the famous Battle of Ayn Jalut on Sept 3, 1260. This was the Mongols first defeat in the West. The Mongol commander was killed and the Mamluks retook Damascus. They then swept the Mongols from the rest of Syria.When word reached Hulegu of the defeat, he turned around without ever reaching Khara Khorum, rallied his defeated forces, determining to avenge his dead. Hulegu feared the Mamluk victory would embolden the Muslims under his rule in Persia to revolt. Since they were in the majority, a rebellion would prove devastating. But disunity in the Mongol world kept Hulegu from dealing with the Mamluks. To his north was his cousin Berke, ruler of the Mongol Golden Horde in what is today Russia. Berke and Hulegu were at odds with each other over the adjoining region of Azerbaijan, a rich plateau needed for the raising of their mounts, crucial for their style of warfare. Azerbaijan was also the region through which the increasingly rich East-West trade flowed, bring vast wealth. Exacerbating the tension between the cousins was Berke's conversion to Islam. He wasn't at all happy Hulegu had ended the Abbasid Caliphate and was now embroiled in hostilities with the Muslim Mamluks. So these two regions of Mongol dominance were at odds rather than united. With the defeat of the Ilkhanate at the Battle of Ayn Jalut, Berke allied with the Mamluk's against Hulegu.Joining the fray against the Ilkhanate in Persia was the Mongol realm lying to the East in Central Asia, the Chaghadai Khanate. The tensions here were the same as those between Hulegu & Berke – over territory and religion.Surrounded by hostile realms, Hulegu sought allies to bolster his hold on Persia. Persia and the Middle East simply didn't provide the pasturage the Mongol army required to wage effective warfare. Defeating the Mamluks and Golden Horde meant bolstering his forces with capable allies. His alliance with the ruler of Armenia provided some assistance, but Hulegu realized their addition could only forestall defeat, not attain the victory that would end the incessant conflicts.Hulegu's alliance with his brother, the Great Khan Khubilai was more a thing of theory than practice. In Khubilai's contest with their other brother, Arigh Boke, for the Khanate, Hulegu backed Khubilai, but due to the distance, wasn't able to offer anything more than verbal support. The same as now true in reverse. While Khubilai supported Hulegu and the Ilkhanate of Persia, he wasn't able to provide any forces to the contest. The result was Hulegu's turn to the West for allies. To defeat the Mamluks and regain Syria, he'd need Christian Europe's help. He figured they'd be open to such an alliance since they still possessed few holdings in the Outremer after the disasters of the Crusades and a resurgent Islam. Hulegu realized the haughty demands of his predecessors would not endear Western rulers to ally with him against the Mamluks. He'd have to appeal to them as equals.What Hulegu didn't know about was the disunity among Europe's rulers at the same time as such disorder in the Mongol realms. Also, the year 1260, when Hulegu began casting his net for allies to the West was only 20 years after the harrowing defeat of Hungary and Poland's military elite at the hands of the Mongols. Europe was terrified of them. Since treachery was a standard part of Mongolian warfare, offers of an alliance would be regarded as ploys for conquest rather than sincere overtures of alliance. From Europe's perspective, neither the Mamluks nor Mongols were a safe bet for alliance against the other. The best course was deemed as neutrality, and the hope the Mongols and Mamluks would duke it out in a war that would effectively cripple both. The Crusaders could then sweep in and take over.But Hulegu was ignorant of these Western impulses and dreamed of an alliance with the Christian West in a campaign against the Mamluks. Once the threat to his south and west was contained, the Ilkhans would be free to deal with the Golden Horde to their Northeast. While Hulegu's dream of a Mongol-European alliance was never realized, after his death in 1265, his successor carried on the same hope, putting feet to it in the career of the remarkable Rabban Sauma, whose tale we'll return to in our next episode.