Michael Baizerman Author

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 ...

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.    ...

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 ...