The Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger, a Native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 1396-1427Schiltberger, Johannes
History
The Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger, a Native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 1396-1427
Schiltberger, Johannes
Timur, 1336-1405 -- Early works to 1800; Turkey -- History -- Bayezid I, 1389-1403; Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
This author evidently confounds the Georgians with the Abhases and the
latter with the Abyssinians, as had frequently been done before him.
In quoting from documents preserved among the archives at Königsberg,
a letter from Conrad of Jungingen, Grand-Master of the Teutonic
Order, dated January 20, 1407, and addressed to Prester John, “regi
Abassiæ”, Karamsin (_Hist. de Russie_, iii, 388), observes, that
the superscription applies to the king of Abhase in the region of
the Caucasus, and not to the king of Abyssinia. We read, likewise,
in the chronicle of Alberic (_Rel. de Jean du Plan de Carpin_, 161)
that the legate Pelagius “misit nuntios suos in Abyssiniam terram et
Georgianorum, qui sunt viri catholici”.
The friendship that existed between the “negus christianissimus” and
the sultan was certainly but rarely interrupted, probably because
they sympathised in each other’s apprehensions; but the sentiments
entertained by Boursbaï towards the caliph, must have been of a
different nature, so that he may have taken upon himself to borrow the
title of “guardian of Wadach”, or Baghdad.—BRUUN.
(11.) “This is done on all the roads of the king-sultan.”—It would
appear that during the author’s stay in Egypt, the ladies of that
country exceeded all bounds in the abuse of the freedom they were
permitted to enjoy during the Baïram festivities, judging by the severe
measures adopted by the sultan, to their prejudice, in 1432 (Weil,
_Gesch. der Chal._, v, 208). It was forbidden to every woman, and there
were no exceptions, to leave her house, so that the unmarried even
incurred the risk of dying of starvation. This law was subsequently
modified in favour of coloured slaves and old women, and the young
were only permitted to leave their home for the bath, on the express
understanding that they returned immediately afterwards.
By another decree, promulgated in the early part of his reign, the
sultan Boursbaï abolished the ancient custom which required that the
ground should be kissed by all who were admitted to his presence; and
it was thenceforth ordained, that according to the rank of the person
introduced, so his hand or the hem of his garment should be kissed. But
he was soon persuaded to resort to the old usage, except that instead
of kissing the ground with the mouth, those presented were to touch the
ground with the hand, which was then to be kissed. Schiltberger could
not have been in Egypt before the abolition of the above ridiculous
and barbarous custom, in the first year of Boursbaï’s reign; but there
were no doubt numerous instances in his day of obsequious courtiers and
other parasites who did actually kiss the ground. The ceremonial and
etiquette observed at the presentation and reception of ambassadors,
was in accordance with the customs of the Turks and Tatars upon such
occasions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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