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The Legend of Prester John and Africa

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 The Legend of Prester John and Africa
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prester_John#Ethiopia
              http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/475503/Prester-John
The legends of Prester John (also known as Presbyter Johannes) were popular in Europe from the 12th through the 17th centuries, and told of a Christian patriarch and king said to rule over a Christian nation lost amidst the Muslims and pagans in the Orient. Written accounts of this kingdom are variegated collections of medieval popular fantasy. Prester John was reportedly a descendant of one of the Three Magi, said to be a generous ruler and a virtuous man, presiding over a realm full of riches and strange creatures, in which the Patriarch of the Saint Thomas Christians resided. His kingdom contained such marvels as the Gates of Alexander and the Fountain of Youth, and even bordered the Earthly Paradise.
Portuguese explorers convinced themselves that they had found him in Ethiopia, which had been officially Christian since the 4th century. Prester John's kingdom was thus the object of a quest, firing the imaginations of generations of adventurers, but remaining out of reach. He was a symbol to European Christians of the Church's universality, transcending culture and geography to encompass all humanity, in a time when ethnic and inter-religious tension made such a vision seem distant.ly.
The legend of Prester John motivated the Portuguese to explore Africa zealously. It was believed that Prester John as a much needed link between Christians and Muslims as he was an ally of the Muslim.
For some times the Portuguese thought they had actually found John in the Ethiopia, and Europeans insisted on calling the king of Ethiopia Prester John since Ethiopia was a Christian nation.
By the 17th century however, scholars began to prove that no actual connection existed between Prester John and Africa if even by any chance he existed.
The legend however had affected several hundred years of European and world history, directly and indirectly, by encouraging Europe's explorers, missionaries, scholars, and treasure hunters to visit and cob Africa for any trace of the legendary king.
Though some scholars think that the basis for Prester John came from the great empire of Genghis Khan, others conclude it was merely a fantasy. Either way, Prester John profoundly affected the geographical knowledge of Europe by stimulating interest in foreign lands and sparking expeditions outside of Europe.




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