The global legend of Prester John / Christopher E. Taylor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Taylor, Christopher E., author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in the global Middle Ages, 2632-3427.

Cambridge elements. Elements in the global Middle Ages, 2632-3427

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Prester John (Legendary character).

Prester John.

Literature, Medieval--History and criticism.

Literature, Medieval.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (76 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Summary:

The Global Legend of Prester John delves into the enduring fascination with Prester John, an unreachable, collectively-imagined Christian priest-king who figured prominently in Europe's entrance into an interconnected global world. This Element draws on "The International Prester John Project," an archive of Prester John narratives, from papal epistles to missionary diaries to Marvel comics, all of which respond to the Christian heterotopia promised in the twelfth-century Letter of Prester John. During the medieval and early modern periods, the desire to legitimize the letter's contents influenced military tactics and papal policy while serving as a cultural touchstone for medieval maps, travel narratives, and romance tales. By providing an overview of distinct narrative paths the legend took along with an analysis of the themes of malleability and elasticity within and across these paths, this Element addresses how belief in Prester John persisted for six centuries despite a lack of evidence.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 10 Jan 2025).

ISBN:

9781009501996

1009501992

9781009502047

1009502042

9781009502016

1009502018

OCLC:

1461818075