The Galley Proof of My Second Book

 Since the end of March, I have been making progress with my galley proof for "The Enchanting Encounter with the East." 

Before making corrections, I checked each unit using my new editorial program. I redesigned many paragraphs, and the list of amendments has topped 70 pages after finishing four units out of six. I imagine my editor will be discontented. 

Next week, I will re-edit Unit V, which is the story of Prester John, and if all goes well, I will complete my task by the end of April. 

Listeners liked my lecture  "The Saga about Humankind: the View on the Habitable World during the European Middle Ages and the Renaissance." Some of them asked where they could read the book. I directed them to my Academia page, where they read 18 chapters of my second book (out of 29). The rest I will upload throughout this year. I will continue to collaborate with the Institute of Integration concerning future lectures. 

https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael

The head of the seminar asked me about the time when the Muslims declared Jerusalem a holy city for Islam. I promised to check. It is a fascinating question for a historian. In the lecture, I explained that the Christians had enhanced the role of Jerusalem since the Age of the Crusades when the Eternal City began to appear on mappae mundi, medieval universal theological maps reserved for illustration and instruction. 

One of my followers offered to be a beta reader. This is my dream to find a partner with whom I can discuss upcoming topics. In the first stage, I sent him a list of contents of my second book. He promised to look through all the chapters and give his opinion. The writer does not exist in a spiritual vacuum. He needs diverse channels to contact his readers. I hope we will work out beneficial cooperation. 

Where is the Heart of the World?

I downloaded another chapter from the second book, "The Enchanting Encounter with the East", on my site https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael 

 The extract tells about the location of Jerusalem on the European medieval mind maps. 

Jerusalem on the Madaba Map 

Courtesy: http://www.ancientpages.com/2017/06/16/stunning-madaba-map-oldest-known-mosaic-built-of-two-million-stone-cubes/ 

Throughout the late Middle Ages, Jerusalem functioned as the center of the inhabited world on contemporary 'world maps'. The article discloses various aspects of this spiritual vision which only intensifies after the crusaders' exile from the Holy Land. 

Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade. Saewulf and San Severino were the pilgrims who visited the Holy Land in the 12th and 15th centuries. They both shared the vision of Jerusalem as the navel of the world. 

Sir John Mandeville is a fictitious author of a 14th-century travelog. Prester John is a literary character who attracted European travelers across six centuries. 

Bernard of Clairvaux compared his monastery with the heavenly Jerusalem. 

Isidore of Seville considered the Holy City the center of the region; he seems to be in doubt about the center of the earth. 

Felix Fabri was involved in endless discussions about the centrality of Jerusalem. 

Christopher Columbus advocated a new crusade to restore the Christine dominion of Jerusalem. 

On May 28th I'm going to deliver a lecture about the origin of Israel. I analyze the Stele of Merneptah, the battle reliefs from the Karnak Temple, and the ongoing quest of the settlers in the central hill country during XIII-XI centuries BCE. The lecture will be held in Russian in the Science House at Tel-Aviv. 

The Scourge of God

Image: The Fair Death of Prester John in a Mounting Battle Against Chinggis Khan 

http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/ILLUMIN.ASP?Size=mid&IllID=46452

The following chapter ushers in a new metamorphose of Prester John's character. A powerful potentate functions as an underdog in his fight against the Mongols. The new episode is connected to the all-out war in the eastern steppes, in the course of which Chinggis Khan managed to unite 'felt-walled' nomads into an invincible army. Here goes an extract:

“A clever fighter is one who not only wins but excels in winning with ease.” (-Sun Tzu) 

     The steppe is a swath of grasslands extending east and west for thousands of unbroken miles between Manchuria and Hungary. The poor soil unable to sustain peasants toiling in their allotments suffers from the scorching sun in mid-summer and freezing cold in mid-winter.

     The Mongols were a mixed blend of pastoral groups and individuals of diverse ethnic origin. From times immemorial they had followed their flocks and herds in a constant quest for tasty grass and sweet water, moving across the prairies at a pace of swapping seasons. Not as organized as professional soldiers and not as drilled as reserve units, they maintained their own merits like amazing endurance to hardships and expertise at horseback shooting.

       Intrepid hunters, they often merged into para-military factions to plunder the people of the sown. Nomadic assaults against settled quarters had always brought grave damage. However, both the ability of the ground troops to repel these incursions and the willingness of cautious leaders to buy the obedience of mounted archers kept the vandalism at the tolerable level.

      The vagaries of the nomadic lifestyle dispersed these hunters and herders throughout the length and breadth of the boundless steppe. It took the genius of the leader in the making to consolidate them into the well-oiled military machine braced for carrying out his legacy: to incorporate the fearless warriors into the ruling elite of the largest intact land empire on earth. He strove to switch the military strategy from episodic mounting raids in time of need to the full-time occupation of the controlled territories.

       The world still remembers Chinggis Khan by his resounding title which means the ‘ruler  of the universe’.  It might have been copied from the Son of Heaven, the Chinese royal designation which denotes a semi-divine sovereign possessing a cosmic mandate of absolute power.

     The realm into which the infant called Temujin was born shaped him as the unchallenged leader of the people residing in felt-walled tents. The third son of his father, Temujin endured a tempestuous childhood. At the age of nine, he was bereft of his father while his immediate family-two widows with seven kids on their hands- were abandoned by their clan. With nothing to fall back on hard times, they lived on the edge, sustaining on fishing, hunting, and scrounging to meet the needs of basic existence.

Enchanting Encounter with the East

I have crossed a Rubicon meaning that my second book is complete. 

It includes 29 chapters, to say nothing about summing-ups at the end of each of its 6 units. 

The manuscript comprises over 90 K words,  hundreds of notes, and more than 30 images.

'The Enchanting Encounter with the East" tells a story of inter-cultural relations between Latin West and the Far East related from the European point of view. The scenario occurred in the Late Middle Ages when the actual dialog between the two opposite ends of the 'human planet' had become possible due to the opportunities of the Pax Mongolica. However, many European literati were still holding outdated views on the world beyond Islam and were fed by false rumors about the latest developments on the eastern rim of the known world. These legends are passed through generations until they eventually recede, giving up to the outlook based on personal experience of travelers and distinction between the sacred and the profane. 

Unit I focuses on different images that relate to the shape of the Earth, its circumference, and the length of the known world.

Unit II presents the three continents, defines the center, elaborates on the skin color and its implications, as well as recounts the story of the Antipodes.

Unit III narrates the Mongol invasion in eastern Europe and the attempts of the Apostolic See and Crusaders to break the ice with the new powerhouse.

Unit IV gives an account of the legend of the Iron Gates, combining Alexander the Great, Ezekiel, Apocalypses, nomadic tribes, the Ten Lost Tribes, and Gog and Magog. 
Unit V describes the legend of the Prester John in several versions relating to recent developments in Central Asia and Mongolia.
Unit VI records the collective experience of European travelers who came into contact with the Mongol Empire, India, and China. The new experience threw a great shade on the development of Western knowledge of the world. 

I wish you could read the book and discuss its ideas. Meanwhile, I need some rest before starting my third book. 

The Mysterious Letter: The Epistle of Prester John

Image: Manuel I Komnenos

Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_I_Komnenos

The following chapter investigates why the original Letter of Prester John gained so much popularity across the Latin Christendom. The extract belongs to Unit V of my ongoing book, The Enchanting Encounter with the East. 

I'm currently working on Unit VI, the last section which will include five chapters: a general introduction about medieval journeys to the Far East and Inner Asia, John of Plano Carpini, William of Rubruck, John of Montecorvino and the bottom line. 

Sorry for the long interruption in my updates. Here's a new extract: 

Twenty years later, long after the dust of the Second Crusade disaster settled, a bizarre missive was circulating with lightning speed all over the Latin West. Directed to the leading European royal houses, it somehow skipped the most important of all: the Curia Romana. This letter of introduction was penned by the paramount emperor of the Orient who responded to the casual name of John the Priest.

The original version was inscribed in Latin by a West European author and addressed to Manuel Komnenos, the East Roman emperor, a charismatic leader adored by his retinue.

The preamble of the missive deviates from the conventions of diplomatic correspondence, pervading air of arrogant patronage. The writer, who extolls himself as the ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’ denigrates his correspondent, the foreign head of state, to the mock title ‘governor of the Romans’. Moreover, the author censures Manuel’s faith, implying that the Greek ruler allows his subjects to pay him divine homage: “the little Greeks regard you as a god.” 

At this point, Prester John briefs the reader about himself, boasting of his superiority over all current monarchs on earth in terms of his impact, virtue, and wealth. Seated on a high-backed throne, he elaborates on the extent of his boundless empire, announcing that his domain comprises a mosaic of dependent territories: “Seventy-two kings are tributaries to us.” The readers fancied him to govern the world empire since, according to Isidore, the earth includes seventy-two nations speaking the same number of languages.  The sum of imperial provinces bears a symbolic flavor, alluding to seventy translators of the Hebrew Bible and seventy disciples of Jesus.

The royal author labels his realm the Three Indies; it strews across most of Asia, from the borders of Mesopotamia to the unidentified spot where the sun rises over the horizon. The farther province is the land where St. Thomas the Apostle was glorified, i.e. southern India. The overlord’s dominion strings out so far that a traveler needs many months to cross it riding non-stop in the same direction.   

Another allusion to Hindustani geography is the river Pishon alternatively associated with the Indus or the Ganges. This watercourse originates in the Garden of Eden and meanders across one of the imperial provinces, suggesting that it is proximate to Paradise.

In addition, India features as the homeland of pepper, which grows among shrubbery swarming with snakes. When the fruit ripens, the bushes are set on fire which causes the reptiles to withdraw, allowing local farmers to harvest the scorched crops.

The author guides the reader through his enchanting wonderland, spicing his tales with a trove of marvels, like the movable ‘sandy sea’, teeming with yummy fish but impassable for ships and the ‘gravelly river’ which turns pebbles into gemstones. The former alludes to the desert landscape and the latter can imply a rock fall or a mine of mineral endowments.  The writer promotes The Three Indies as an exciting place to take a tour.

Prester John's land is the source of the most desirable commodities and the inexhaustible font of marvels and wonders: bizarre beasts and human freaks, medicinal plants and minerals possessing magical powers. The symbolic vicinity to the terrestrial paradise endows its physical and spiritual integrity. The zeal of innovation does not stir the utopian world. There are neither failures nor gains. The region abounds in natural resources; it even supplies the European markets with the extras. The residents are not spurred by technological achievements or challenged by scientific discoveries

The Black Prince

Image: The Khitans at the eagle hunt 

Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khitan_people

This chapter brings to light the life of Yelu Dashi, the first candidate on the role of Prester John.

This Khitan prince, whose dynasty was ousted from power by a rival nomadic confederation, fled to Central Asia where he carved an empire. His outstanding victory over the Seljuk emperor caused the legend of Prester John to take root among the Latin crusaders. In their view, the confrontation with the Muslim host would qualify the opponent to be a Christian. 

In reality, the Kara Khitai Empire combined the nomadic and sedentary segments who were loosely united by the imperial regime based on a standing army. The emperor declared the freedom of conscience and did not exaggerate in his demands of tribute and troops from the dependent populations. 

The man, who embraced both the Buddhist and the nomadic cultures, had never dreamed of conquering the Near East and protecting Jerusalem from Muslim imminent assault. 

Here is a short extract:

The Khitans, people of Mongolian origin known to the Muslim world as the "Turks from China", belonged to a loose tribal confederation of steppe nomads. Consolidated in Manchuria, they annexed northern China and launched an empire under the leadership of the Liao dynasty. The royal clan Yelu and the nobility adopted the Chinese language and culture and took up the trappings of the ‘Middle Kingdom’, such as the calendar, coins, and seals. However, many of them retained nomadic customs, like wearing traditional dress and haircut as well as clinging to shamanist traditions.

Ousted from power by their former vassals in the early twelfth century, the Sinicized nomads put up with the foreign rule except for a tiny band of fugitives that slipped away to the desert and found temporary shelter in a distant outpost.  This remnant of the past glory was led by Yelu Dashi, a scion of the royal clan, who put on his mettle in border conflicts as an apt military commander.  

The ringleader managed to convince the garrison to take his side, took hold of imperial herds of horses, and summoned warriors from any background to join his camp. His call proved attractive to many desperados who risked casting their lot with a charismatic leader. New followers joined in grooves, and soon the faction grew up into the private army which had no scruples to encroach on neighboring lands. When the leader's initial plans to win his homeland back cracked, he changed his strategy, casting glances to the west. Subduing nomadic tribes along with the sedentary population of Central Asia, the expatriate devoid of any territorial base embarked on a grand enterprise, carving out a successor empire.

The ruler expanded his political influence at the expense of weaker neighbors until most of the region unfolded before him like a red carpet. Called the Kara Khitai Khanate, the new empire included the core territory under the direct control of their overlord and a bunch of vassal states and dependent tribes.

To rule over this "melting pot", Yelu Dashi had to adopt a couple of titles which reflected the special role of the Kara (Turkish: ‘black’) Khitai in pacifying the sedentary and nomadic populations. The head of the state was recognized as the Chinese emperor by the former and as the Gurkhan (Mongolian: "supreme leader") by the latter. The dual image helped the founding father consolidate his power among the debris of the shattered past and the dreams of a new destiny. A glimpse of China, which he offered to his subjects, was a mysterious country that boasted of its social order, classical education, enormous wealth, and outstanding achievements.

A shrewd statesman, Yelu Dashi carried charisma which made his position of Gurkhan uncontested. According to Ibn Al-Athir, “He was a handsome and good-looking man who wore only Chinese silk. His men held him in great awe.” [The Chronicle of Ibn Al-Athir for the Crusading Period. (Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2010), 363] His powerbase constituted tens of thousands of Khitan households-a safety island in the ocean of his alien subjects. 

The Shadow Crusader

Dieric Bouts the Elder, 

Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek

Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melchizedek#/media/File:Meeting_of_abraham_and_melchizadek.jpg

This short chapter ushers in the era of Prester John, a priest-king of a gargantuan oriental realm and a potential crusader. 

The fact that Otto of Freising included this tale into his account of the world history shows its immediate impact. Whether the writer took it as a fact or fiction, this yarn helped materialize the Crusaders' anxiety and expectations on the eve of the Second Crusade. 

Here is a brief extract:

Otto von Freising, a bishop and a prolific writer, didn't intend to amuse his readers with frivolous tales. His twelfth-century chronicle of world history features a battleground where the forces of good are pitted against the swarms of evil.  Nevertheless, he is the author who baptized our character and breathed life into his somber shadow.

                Otto heard a story when he was at the attendance at the papal court which moved to Viterbo, Italy due to security issues. The curia was hosting a delegation of oriental clerics. One of the guests, Bishop Hugh of Gabala (modern-day Jableh, Syria), reported about the faltering morale of crusaders after the loss of Edessa and an imminent threat overhanging Jerusalem. The disaster highlighted the emergency: the Latin principalities in the Outremer were in dire straits, anticipating even worse calamities. They issued a desperate call for the Pope to supply reinforcements.

                The prelate was a well-versed storyteller. To change the tune, he entertained his listeners with an anecdote about a proverbial Oriental sovereign, a cut above any other ruler, who gave a resounding slap in the face of Islam. 

    

                Prester John, a monarch and a Christian priest, though of the Nestorian creed, resides in the extreme east, next to the earthly paradise. The emerald scepter that he wields epitomizes his overwhelming wealth and power. The worthy offshoot of his noble ancestors, the Biblical Magi, he has always dreamed of making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. 

Initial Sightings: John the Priest

Thanks to the summer vacations, I've got plenty of free time on my hands. 

I have started writing Unit V, The Boots on the Ground: the Dogged Courtship after Elusive Prester John.

I recount the well-known legend, trying to find out its historic core. 

In the Prologue, I emphasize the distinct features of this character. 

1. He is elusive; nobody knows his whereabouts. Besides, he is always in transit, attempting to carry out his ambitious plans.

2. He is a mix of reality and fiction. The value of this character for historians lies in the fact that the narrative taps into historical events, offering their garbled version. 

3. He is long-lasting. Officially baptized in the twelfth century, he continued to gain supporters through the seventeenth century at least and because we pick up this topic again and again, he is still relevant to our time.

 I also explain that Prester John's title, king-priest, has a Biblical origin. I allude to Melchizedek, citing the Old and the New Testaments to show the link. 

Besides, I comment on the meaning of "India" for the medieval European audience. It was considered a remote realm on the eastern rim of the inhabited world. It was adjacent to the Paradise and tapped into its wealth. It was the home of countless marvels and monsters. Finally, it was rife with the Christians, though of other persuasions. 

The title of this entry, Initial Sightings, concerns two episodes that precede the official 'birth' of the legend but explain the psychological atmosphere that facilitated the spread of the yarn and its acceptance both in clerical circles and among laymen. 

1. The attendance of John, an oriental bishop, at the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. He was a member of the Church whose jurisdiction lay outside the Roman Empire and was sent as an observer. My witness is Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea and a participant of the council.  

2. The arrival of an oriental cleric to Rome, where he enchanted his listeners with the account of India and the marvels of St. Thomas the Apostle who, according to the Church record, have baptized India. He also lectured the Roman Curia whose reaction was a little different from the common comprehension. I rely on two sources which refer to the tenure of Pope Calixtus II, specifically to the year 1122. 

 

Image: The tomb of Thomas the Apostle in San Thome Basilica.

Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mylapore#/media/File:Tomb_of_St._Thomas_in_India.JPG

The Quest for the River of Gold: The European Glimpse of West Africa

I have just published another chapter from my third book. This extract is devoted to the sailing uncharted waters of the Atlantic along the Moroccan water front. The merchants dropped in new ports where they heard the tall tales about the Rio del Oro (The River of Gold). This led to a tragic treasure hunt. Also, European gamblers believed that the realm of Prester John, the black Christian Emperor, lay in the headwaters of that waterway. 

Read my article https://scriggler.com/DetailPost/Opinion/113133
I would appreciate any comments. Meanwhile, I will return to the Mongol invasion of Hungary, the theme of my second (ongoing) book.

Image 1: The Catalan Atlas pays tribute to Jaume Ferrer, a Majorcan captain, who is crossing the uncharted waters of the Atlantic in an attempt to discover the River of Gold https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaume_Ferrer#/media/File:Jacme_ferrer.jpg