*Ø* Blogmanac September 27, 1177 | Pope Alexander III wrote to Prester John
Presbyter Johannes, or Prester John as he is known in English, was a mythical medieval emperor whose domain was said to have extended from the ruins of Babylon to beyond India. Since that region was roughly the extent of the realm of Alexander the Great (late July, 356 BC - June 11, 323 BCE), it is likely that legends involving the actual historical figure of the King of Macedon influenced the legends of the imaginary Eastern king.
The story of Prester John (his name is derived from the French Prêtre, which indicates he is therefore both priest and king) is known today from almost 100 manuscripts, written in several languages, including Hebrew. The first authentic mention of Prester John occurs in the Chronicle of Otto, Bishop of Freising, in 1145, and the legend endured for centuries ...
Descended from the Three Wise Men
Prester John supposedly belonged to the race of the Magi (the Three Wise Men from the East), and he ruled their former kingdoms. Some said he was a descendent of St Thomas, the doubting Apostle of Christ. His land was rich in silver and gold and all precious stones, and many fantastic things were found there: men with horns on their foreheads and three eyes; warriors riding elephants; amazons who fought upon horseback; pygmies; cannibals; rivers that flow from the Garden of Eden; men who lived 200 years; unicorns, and other wonders. There in Prester John’s paradisiacal lands grew the wonderful plant Assidos which, when worn by anyone, would protect them from any evil spirit, forcing it to state its name and business.
John’s enormous wealth was demonstrated by the fact that he carried a sceptre of pure emeralds. Many believed that his empire contained a fountain of youth and that he ruled with the aid of a magic mirror (the ascent to which consisted of 25 steps of porphyry and serpentine) in which he could see everything that was happening in all provinces of his empire; this mirror was guarded day and night by three thousand men. On September 27, 1177 Pope Alexander III gave his conciliatory letter, requesting an alliance, to his physician Philip to deliver. Philip was never seen again ...
The above is an excerpt from the article on Prester John that I uploaded today here at the Scriptorium.
Presbyter Johannes, or Prester John as he is known in English, was a mythical medieval emperor whose domain was said to have extended from the ruins of Babylon to beyond India. Since that region was roughly the extent of the realm of Alexander the Great (late July, 356 BC - June 11, 323 BCE), it is likely that legends involving the actual historical figure of the King of Macedon influenced the legends of the imaginary Eastern king.
The story of Prester John (his name is derived from the French Prêtre, which indicates he is therefore both priest and king) is known today from almost 100 manuscripts, written in several languages, including Hebrew. The first authentic mention of Prester John occurs in the Chronicle of Otto, Bishop of Freising, in 1145, and the legend endured for centuries ...
Descended from the Three Wise Men
Prester John supposedly belonged to the race of the Magi (the Three Wise Men from the East), and he ruled their former kingdoms. Some said he was a descendent of St Thomas, the doubting Apostle of Christ. His land was rich in silver and gold and all precious stones, and many fantastic things were found there: men with horns on their foreheads and three eyes; warriors riding elephants; amazons who fought upon horseback; pygmies; cannibals; rivers that flow from the Garden of Eden; men who lived 200 years; unicorns, and other wonders. There in Prester John’s paradisiacal lands grew the wonderful plant Assidos which, when worn by anyone, would protect them from any evil spirit, forcing it to state its name and business.
John’s enormous wealth was demonstrated by the fact that he carried a sceptre of pure emeralds. Many believed that his empire contained a fountain of youth and that he ruled with the aid of a magic mirror (the ascent to which consisted of 25 steps of porphyry and serpentine) in which he could see everything that was happening in all provinces of his empire; this mirror was guarded day and night by three thousand men. On September 27, 1177 Pope Alexander III gave his conciliatory letter, requesting an alliance, to his physician Philip to deliver. Philip was never seen again ...
The above is an excerpt from the article on Prester John that I uploaded today here at the Scriptorium.
Pip Wilson posted item above at 9:45 PM | Permalink
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