The Legend of Prester John Spurs European Exploration
Overview
Few among even the most educated modern people recognize "Prester John," a mythical Eastern Christian king whose existence Europeans widely believed during the late Middle Ages. Fewer still appreciate the enormous impact this strange myth had on the history of the West, particularly inasmuch as it inspired the Portuguese expeditions that inaugurated the Age of Exploration. The story of Prester John's legend encompasses a vast panorama, stretching over a period of some 500 years beginning in the mid-twelfth century; taking place in lands from western China to Italy to Ethiopia; and involving figures as varied as Genghis Khan and Henry the Navigator.
Background
To understand the background of the Prester John story, one must start at the middle, when the tale first made its appearance, then move forward to examine its impact. Only when this is done can one properly delve into the elements from the distant past that spawned it.
In Palestine in 1144, the Christian stronghold at Edessa fell, ending a period of crusader dominance in the Holy Land that had lasted for nearly a half-century, since the First Crusade. Early in 1145, Raymond of Antioch, grandson of the conquering crusader by the same name, sent Bishop Hugh of Jabala to seek help from Pope Eugenius II.
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