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Home › Forums › The Middle Ages › Prester John
Prester John was a supposed ruler of some “lost” or isolated Christian kingdom outside of Europe which stirred the imagination of Europeans during the Middle Ages. Here's a bit of background: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prester_John#Letter_of_Prester_JohnMy question - do you think the legend of Prester John was based on any reality? Was there a Christian kingdom in some faraway land that had only remote communication with Europe?
Yes. I think it had a basis in fact in that there were Christian leaders in places other than Europe.One possibility is a Christian leader in India. St. Thomas is supposed to have preached in India; and centuries later Europeans found--and absored--Indian Christians.Another possibility comes from the Keraits of Central Asia who became Nestorian Christians in the 11th Century. Genghis Kahn's foster father, Toghrul, king of the Keraits, is a possible source of the legend.
I have always thought the legend of Prester John was based on Christian accounts of the Armenian Christians that flowed back to Europe after the Crusades.
This was written at the same time as the legend of King Arthur; a time when romantic, legendary heroes came into vogue. I think this is just a tale. But that's purely a guess.
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