The Letter of Prester John (c. 1165)In what has come to be known as the
Letter of Prester John, John professes to be a devout Christian king of an immense, militarily powerful kingdom. While the Letter greatly expands on Otto’s original account of the Eastern prince, it does not very much increase its audience’s knowledge of the elusive figure to which both accounts seem to allude.
Check out the annotated English translation.
Read the standard Latin text, Zarncke's interpolated version (pp. 909-934)
Read a later Latin version of the Letter.
Read an abridged English translation of the Letter.
According to the undated Letter, this eastern warrior priest-king possesses the richest kingdom on earth, replete not only with a vast store of jewels, spices, and Christian soldiers, but also home to monsters, Jews, and pagans. Although the Letter was addressed to the Greek Emperor Manuel Comnenus, its twelfth-century circulation was confined exclusively to the territories of Latin Europe. No Greek “original” has ever been discovered or mentioned by contemporaries, prompting an almost near-consensus among scholars that the Letter was always intended for a Latin Christian audience, and was likely created to suit a political purpose.
For the Old French versions of the Letter, see Gosman.