Prestor-John-msg - 5/15/10

The legend of "Prestor John".

NOTE: See also the files: M-Cult-th-Lit-art, Cult-Vir-Mary-art, p-stories-msg, story-sources-msg, fairy-tales-msg, Arthur-F-and-F-art, Images-o-East-art, p-travl-guides-msg.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:07:14 -0800
From: "Peter Fryer" <pfryer at iinet.net.au>
Subject: Re: [Lochac] Can of same-sex worms Re: urban legends
To: "'The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list'"
	<lochac at lochac.sca.org>

In the 14th and 15th centuries Prestor John was thought to be in Ethiopia so
in this particular bubble of reality an African monarch would be acceptable
and/or believable. If you go earlier say the 11th or 12th centuries Prestor
John was a King somewhere around India so the Asian monarch gets a look in.


Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:15:08 +0700
From: JL Badgley <tatsushu at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Lochac] Can of same-sex worms Re: urban legends
To: "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list"
	<lochac at lochac.sca.org>

On Tue, Jan 12, 2010 at 7:00 PM, Lila Richards <lilar at ihug.co.nz> wrote:
<<< Surely not unless Prester John actually was African or Asian. Given his name,
either possibility seems unlikely. >>>

Actually, I was just (re-)reading the tales of Marco Polo, where
Prester John is mentioned and several possibilities exist for who
"Prester John" was.  The "Prester", according to one commenter, might
come from "Presbyter" or "Priest-King".  "John" is the English form of
a Biblical name that can be found all over the place, which could
indicate an African or Asian king who had a Christian name (e.g.
through the Eastern Orthodox, Nestorian, Coptic, etc. traditions), or
a misunderstanding (and later mistranslating) of a foreign name.  The
particular 19th century commenter I'm thinking of seems to have
believed it may have stemmed from  tales of an Assyrian king.

That said, many different "kings" were thought to be the "Prester
John" of legend, including Ghengis Khan at one point.  However, one
could also point out that Europeans were likely to picture any "good
Christian king" as a European monarch, regardless of the reality,
though I wonder about that.

-Ii

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	Prestor-John-msg	2 of 2