Sir John Mandeville 4: Of India and Medieval Monsters

Cynocephalus  - Nuremberg Chronicle

Mandeville goes east into Greater India, and we go with him, following, as he follows the path of Odoric of Pordenone, into India, into the sea and its islands, and into a discussion of medieval hybrids and monsters, and what they mean. We'll find Amazons, the hand of St. Thomas, and people with neither noses nor eyes.

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.

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.

• Cathay and the Way Thither Vol. II. Hakluyt Society, 1913.

• Andyshak, Sarah Catherine. Figural and Discursive Depictions of the Other in the Travels of Sir John Mandeville. Florida State University Libraries, 2009.

• Friedman, John Block. The Monstrous Races in Medieval Art and Thought. Syracuse University Press, 2000.

• 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.

• Patterson, Robert. Mandeville's Intolerance: The Contest for Souls and Sacred Sites in The Travels of Sir John Mandeville. Washington University in St. Louis, 2009.

• Schildgen, Brenda Deen. Dante and the Orient. University of Illinois Press, 2002.

• Tzanaki, Rosemary. Mandeville's Medieval Audiences: A Study on the Reception of the Book of Sir John Mandeville (1371-1550). Taylor & Francis, 2017.

• Verner, Lisa. The Epistemology of the Monstrous in the Middle Ages. Routledge, 2005.

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Sir John Mandeville 2: In and Around Jerusalem

Konrad von Grünenberg - View of Jerusalem, 1487

It's part two of the Mandeville series, and our journey reaches the Jerusalem of a 14th-century pilgrim. We'll spend some time there, getting to know the place and its surroundings, and its treatment in the Mandeville text. 

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.

• 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.

• Janin, Hunt. Four Paths to Jerusalem: Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Secular Pilgrimages, 1000 BCE to 2001 CE. McFarland, 2006

• Moore, Kathryn Blair. The Architecture of the Christian Holy Land: Reception from Late Antiquity through the Renaissance. Cambridge University Press, 2017. 

• Pringle, Denys. The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: Volume 3, The City of Jerusalem: A Corpus. Cambridge University Press, 1993.

• Routledge Handbook on Jerusalem. Edited by Suleiman A. Mourad, Naomi Koltun-Fromm, and Bedross Der Matossian. Routledge, 2018. 

• Routledge Revivals: Trade, Travel and Exploration in the Middle Ages (2000): An Encyclopedia. Edited by John Block Friedman & Kristen Mossler Figg. Taylor & Francis, 2017.

• Tzanaki, Rosemary. Mandeville's Medieval Audiences: A Study on the Reception of the Book of Sir John Mandeville (1371-1550). Taylor & Francis, 2017.

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Marco and the Polos 6: The Grand Tour

It's the grand tour of the world, or at least that part of it from Southeast Asia to the African coast, and you are taking it with/as Marco Polo. There will be monstrous birds, cannibals, the spice trade, and quite a lot of date wine. There'll be the beginning of the Buddha and the end of Saint Thomas. You'll visit 13th-century Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Oman. Thanks for listening!

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If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

Sources:

• The Travels of Marco Polo, the Venetian, translated by William Marsden, edited by Thomas Wright. George Bell & Sons, 1907.

• The Travels of Marco Polo: The Complete Yule-Cordier Edition, translated by Henry Yule and revised by Henri Cordier. Courier Corporation, 1993.

• Larner, John. Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World. Yale University Press, 1999.

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Marco and the Polos 4: Did You Go to China, Marco?

In this episode, I look at the question of whether Marco actually went to China. Some have thought he did not at all or only made it to Kublai's capital. I also talk about what he was actually doing there if/when he reached China, what he tells us, and what he might have told the khan. There's the Siege of Xiangyang, war with the Southern Song, the theories of Frances Wood, and all that Marco does and does not say of his time with the khan and in his capital at Dadu or Khanbaliq. 

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If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

Sources:

• The Travels of Marco Polo, the Venetian, translated by William Marsden, edited by Thomas Wright. George Bell & Sons, 1907.

• The Travels of Marco Polo: The Complete Yule-Cordier Edition, translated by Henry Yule and revised by Henri Cordier. Courier Corporation, 1993.

• Haw, Stephen G. Marco Polo's China: A Venetian in the Realm of Khubilai Khan. Routledge, 2006.

• Larner, John. Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World. Yale University Press, 1999.

• Man, John. Marco Polo: The Journey that Changed the World. HarperCollins, 2009.

• Olschki, Leonardo. Marco Polo's Asia. University of California Press, 1960.

• Rossabi, Morris. Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times. University of California Press, 1988.

• Vogel, Hans Ulrich. Marco Polo was in China: New Evidence from Currencies, Salts and Revenues. Brill Academic Pub, 2012.

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To See the Mongols 6: The Road from Karakorum

Friar William wraps up his affairs at the court of Mongke Khan and heads for home. Today, we cover his last audience with the khan, cross the walls of Alexander, and advise King Louis IX as to the future of the crusades. Thanks for listening!

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If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

Sources: 

• Carpini, Giovanni. The Story of the Mongols: Whom we Call the Tartars, translated by Erik Hildinger. Branden Books, 1996.

• The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck, translated by Peter Jackson. The Hakluyt Society, 1990.

• The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, edited by Christopher Dawson. Sheed & Ward, 1955.

• Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Faber & Faber, 1971.

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To See the Mongols 3: An Interregnum

Today, a quick rewind into what it means to be a Mongol, some early reactions to the Mongol invasion, some King Louis IX, the death of a khan, and the question of who is to be next. Also, I horribly butcher Eljigidei's name (Sorry, Eljigidei). Thanks for listening!

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If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

Sources:  

• Carpini, Giovanni. The Story of the Mongols: Whom we Call the Tartars, translated by Erik Hildinger. Branden Books, 1996.

• Joinville, Jean. The Memoirs of the Lord of Joinville. John Murray, 1906.

• Paris, Matthew. English History. From the Year 1235 to 1273, translated by J. A. Giles. George Bell & Sons, 1889.

• The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck, translated by Peter Jackson. The Hakluyt Society, 1990.

• The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, edited by Christopher Dawson. Sheed & Ward, 1955.

• The Secret History of the Mongols, translated by Urgunge Onon. RoutledgeCurzon, 2001.

• Jackson, Peter. The Mongols and the West: 1221-1410. Pearson Longman, 2005.

• Jackson, Peter. "Medieval Christendom's Encounter with the Alien," in Travellers, Intellectuals, and the World Beyond Medieval Europe, edited by James Muldoon, 347-369. Routledge, 2016.

• Man, John. Kublai Khan. Bantam, 2007.

• Morgan, David. The Mongols. Blackwell, 1986.

• Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Faber & Faber, 1971.

• Waterfield, Robin. Christians in Persia. Allen & Unwin, 1973.

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To See the Mongols 2: A New Khan

Giovanni Carpine returns, to the podcast, and to Lyon. This episode we hear about his journey to the kurultai, the great council which raised Guyuk as the new great khan, his diplomatic dealings with Guyuk, and the news and views he brought home with him. Thanks for listening!

(MP3)

If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

Sources:

• Carpini, Giovanni. The Story of the Mongols: Whom we Call the Tartars, translated by Erik Hildinger. Branden Books, 1996.

• The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, edited by Christopher Dawson. Sheed & Ward, 1955.

• The Secret History of the Mongols, translated by Urgunge Onon. RoutledgeCurzon, 2001.

• Jackson, Peter. The Mongols and the West: 1221-1410. Pearson Longman, 2005.

• Jackson, Peter. "Medieval Christendom's Encounter with the Alien." In Travellers, Intellectuals, and the World Beyond Medieval Europe, edited by James Muldoon, 347-369. Routledge, 2016.

• Marshall, Robert. Storm from the East: From Genghis Khan to Khubilai Khan. University of California Press, 1993.

• Morgan, David. The Mongols. Blackwell, 1986.

• Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Faber & Faber, 1971.

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To See the Mongols 1: Giovanni Carpine Goes East

Giovanni Carpine starts off a new series and a new set of travellers in the surprisingly interconnected world of the 13th century. Over the next number of episodes, I'll be focussing on contacts between Latin Christian Europe and the Mongols, and the travellers who went one way or another in establishing those contacts. Up first, Carpine is sent east in 1245 to find the Mongols, learn everything he can about them, and deliver a letter from Pope Innocent IV. Thanks for listening!
 
PS. I would also like to clarify one point here (aside from some questionable pronunciation of Mongol names, I mean). Early in the episode, I say that the Mongol raiding parties reached as far west as Vienna. Actually, they went further west than that in Croatia.

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If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

Sources:

• Carpini, Giovanni. The Story of the Mongols: Whom we Call the Tartars, translated by Erik Hildinger. Branden Books, 1996.

• The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, edited by Christopher Dawson. Sheed & Ward, 1955.

• The Secret History of the Mongols, translated by Urgunge Onon. RoutledgeCurzon, 2001.

• Jackson, Peter. The Mongols and the West: 1221-1410. Pearson Longman, 2005.

• Jackson, Peter. "Medieval Christendom's Encounter with the Alien." In Travellers, Intellectuals, and the World Beyond Medieval Europe, edited by James Muldoon, 347-369. Routledge, 2016.

• Marshall, Robert. Storm from the East: From Genghis Khan to Khubilai Khan. University of California Press, 1993.

• Morgan, David. The Mongols. Blackwell, 1986.

• Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Faber & Faber, 1971.

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Edward Webbe: His Trials, Travels, and Job Application

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! 

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If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here

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Thomas Dallam 7: A Concert for the Sultan

Thomas Dallam's travels conclude, or at least the part of them that I'll be covering here. There will be comedic chaos on the trip up the Hellespont, awkward interactions with the local ambassador, one incredibly stressful musical performance, and the unwelcome rewards of a job well done. Hope you enjoy it!

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If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

Sources for Dallam series:

• Early Voyages and Travels in the Levant, edited by J. Theodore Bent. Hakluyt Society, 1893.

• Andrews, Kenneth. Trade, Plunder, and Settlement. Cambridge University Press, 1984.

• Brotton, Jerry. The Sultan and the Queen. Viking, 2016.

• Dallam, Thomas. The Sultan's Organ: London to Constantinople in 1599 and Adventures on the Way, translated by John Mole. Fortune, 2012.

• Finkel, Caroline. Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire. Basic Books, 2007.

• Jardine, Lisa. “Gloriana Rules the Waves: or, the Advantage of Being Excommunicated (and a Woman).” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society No. 14 (2004): 209–22.

• Jenkinson, Anthony, et al. Early Voyages and Travels to Russia and Persia. Hakluyt Society, 1886.

• Maclean, Gerald. The Rise of Oriental Travel: English Visitors to the Ottoman Empire, 1580-1720. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.

• Mayes, Stanley. An Organ for the Sultan. Putnam, 1956.

• Pedani, Maria Pia. "Safiye's household and Venetian diplomacy." Turcica, no. 32 (2000): pp. 9–32.

• Sanderson, John. The Travels of John Sanderson in the Levant 1584-1602, edited by Sir William Foster. Hakluyt Society, 1931.

• Somerset, Anne. Elizabeth I. Anchor, 2010.

• Vlami, Despina. Trading with the Ottomans: The Levant Company in the Middle East. I.B.Tauris, 2015.

• Willan, Thomas Stuart. Studies in Elizabethan Foreign Trade. Manchester University Press, 1959.

• Wood, Alfred C. A History of the Levant Company. Frank Cass & Co. Ltd, 2006.

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