Human Circus: Journeys in the Medieval World

The journey of Venice's most famous merchant and traveller begins today, but we won't see much of him in this episode. We'll look at Venice in the early 13th century and touch on the 4th crusade, Mediterranean-Asian trade, and the Pax Mongolica, before following the other Polos, Niccolo and Maffeo, east on their own little adventure. Enjoy!  Website: humancircuspodcast.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/circus_humanEmail: HumanCircusPod@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/humancircuspod/ Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/A7071B1K Sources: - The Travels of Marco Polo, the Venetian, translated by Willam Marsden, edited by Thomas Wright. George Bell & Sons, 1907. - The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck, translated by Peter Jackson. The Hakluyt Society, 1990. - Cathay and the Way Thither, Being a Collection of Medieval Notices of China, Vol. III, translated and edited by Henry Yule and Henri Cordier. London, 1916.- Abu-Lughod, Janet L. Before European Hegemony: The World System A.D. 1250-1350. Oxford University Press, 1989.- Ackroyd, Peter. Venice: Pure City. Chatto & Windus, 2009.- Ciociltan, Virgil. The Mongols and the Black Sea Trade in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries. Brill Academic, 2012.- Larner, John. Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World. Yale University Press, 1999.- Madden, Thomas F. Venice: A New History. Viking, 2012.- Olschki, Leonardo. Marco Polo's Asia. University of California Press, 1960.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a busy episode. We’re catching up on the Mongol world and all that was happening away from the specific journeys of European friars. That means the rise of Hulagu and Kublai, the Mongol expansion into Persia and Syria in the west and Song China in the east, the death of Mongke Khan, and a civil war over the future of the empire. Thanks for listening everybody! Website: humancircuspodcast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/circus_human Email: HumanCircusPod@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/humancircuspod/ Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/A7071B1K Shop: www.redbubble.com/people/HumanCircus  Sources:Al-Din, Rashid. The Successors of Genghis Khan, translated by John Andrew Boyle. Columbia University Press, 1971. Asbridge, Thomas. The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land. Simon & Schuster, 2010.Jackson, Peter. The Mongols and the Islamic World. Yale University Press, 2017. Lambert, Malcolm. Crusade and Jihad: Origins, History, and Aftermath. Profile Books, 2012. Kublai Khan: From Xanadu to Superpower. Bantam Press, 2006. Storm from the East: From Genghis Khan to Khubilai Khan. University of California Press, 1993. Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Faber & Faber, 1971. Rossabi, Morris. Khublai Khan: His Life and Times. University of California Press, 1988. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Friar William wraps up his affairs at the court of Mongke Khan and heads for home. Today, we cover his last audience with the khan, cross the walls of Alexander, and advise King Louis IX as to the future of the crusades. Thanks for listening! Website: humancircuspodcast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/circus_human Email: HumanCircusPod@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/humancircuspod/ Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/A7071B1K Shop: www.redbubble.com/people/HumanCircus    Sources:  * Carpini, Giovanni. The Story of the Mongols: Whom we Call the Tartars, translated by Erik Hildinger. Branden Books, 1996.  * The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck, translated by Peter Jackson. The Hakluyt Society, 1990.  * The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, edited by Christopher Dawson. Sheed & Ward, 1955.  * Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Faber & Faber, 1971.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Friar William goes through stone-cracking cold, frozen toes, and the threat of demons to reach the camp of Mongke Khan. There, his interpreter causes him more problems, and he falls into the bizarre religious life of the camp before being drawn into a debate between Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians before the khan. Thanks for listening! Website: humancircuspodcast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/circus_human Email: HumanCircusPod@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/humancircuspod/ Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/A7071B1K Shop: www.redbubble.com/people/HumanCircus   Sources:  * Carpini, Giovanni. The Story of the Mongols: Whom we Call the Tartars, translated by Erik Hildinger. Branden Books, 1996.  * The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck, translated by Peter Jackson. The Hakluyt Society, 1990.  * The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, edited by Christopher Dawson. Sheed & Ward, 1955.  * Gladysz, Mikolaj. The Forgotten Crusaders: Poland and the Crusader Movement in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, translated by Paul Barford. Brill, 2012.  * Jackson, Peter. The Mongols and the West: 1221-1410. Pearson Longman, 2005.  * Morgan, David. The Mongols. Blackwell, 1986.  * Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Faber & Faber, 1971.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We go east again this episode, in the company of a friar who carried a letter to the son of Batu Khan. Was he there on behalf of King Louis IX? Was his mission more personally religious in nature? Why was he so concerned with the noses of Mongol women? All (or most) will be revealed... Thanks for listening! Website: humancircuspodcast.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/circus_human Email: HumanCircusPod@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/humancircuspod/ Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/A7071B1K Shop: www.redbubble.com/people/HumanCircus   Sources:   * Carpini, Giovanni. The Story of the Mongols: Whom we Call the Tartars, translated by Erik Hildinger. Branden Books, 1996.  * The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck, translated by Peter Jackson. The Hakluyt Society, 1990.  * The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, edited by Christopher Dawson. Sheed & Ward, 1955.  * Jackson, Peter. The Mongols and the West: 1221-1410. Pearson Longman, 2005.  * Morgan, David. The Mongols. Blackwell, 1986.  * Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Faber & Faber, 1971.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, a quick rewind into what it means to be a Mongol, some early reactions to the Mongol invasion, some King Louis IX, the death of a khan, and the question of who is to be next. Also, I horribly butcher Eljigidei's name (Sorry, Eljigidei). Thanks for listening!Website: humancircuspodcast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/circus_human Email: HumanCircusPod@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/humancircuspod/ Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/A7071B1K Shop: www.redbubble.com/people/HumanCircus   Sources:   * Carpini, Giovanni. The Story of the Mongols: Whom we Call the Tartars, translated by Erik Hildinger. Branden Books, 1996.  * Joinville, Jean. The Memoirs of the Lord of Joinville. John Murray, 1906.  * Paris, Matthew. English History. From the Year 1235 to 1273, translated by J. A. Giles. George Bell & Sons, 1889.  * The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck, translated by Peter Jackson. The Hakluyt Society, 1990.  * The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, edited by Christopher Dawson. Sheed & Ward, 1955.  * The Secret History of the Mongols, translated by Urgunge Onon. RoutledgeCurzon, 2001.  * Jackson, Peter. The Mongols and the West: 1221-1410. Pearson Longman, 2005.  * Jackson, Peter. "Medieval Christendom's Encounter with the Alien." In Travellers, Intellectuals, and the World Beyond Medieval Europe, edited by James Muldoon, 347-369. Routledge, 2016.  * Man, John. Kublai Khan. Bantam, 2007.  * Morgan, David. The Mongols. Blackwell, 1986.  * Rachewiltz, Igor de. Papal Envoys to the Great Khans. Faber & Faber, 1971.  * Waterfield, Robin. Christians in Persia. Allen & Unwin, 1973.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Giovanni Carpine's rugged journey to meet the Mongol Khan highlights the dangers faced amid harsh landscapes. His insights into the power struggles between Batu and Guyuk reveal deep political intrigue. The expedition through the ruins of the Khwarazmian Empire provides a stark contrast between Mongolian culture and their harsh realities. Observations on Mongol military tactics underscore their discipline, culminating in a compelling call for peace directed at Christian leaders. It's a fascinating peek into the complexities of diplomacy during a tumultuous time.

Giovanni Carpine embarks on a thrilling quest in the 13th century, navigating the chaos following the devastating Mongol invasions. His mission is to understand the Mongols and deliver a message from Pope Innocent IV. Facing treacherous landscapes and meeting powerful leaders like Batu Khan, Carpine’s journey is filled with strange encounters and diverse cultures. Vivid stories of destruction, eerie observations, and the surreal customs of the Mongol people bring an intriguing perspective to this fascinating historical period.

Edward Webbe was, maybe, a 16th-Century adventurer who moved in and out of captivity and other forms of trouble. His troubles took him from Elizabethan England to Muscovy, Crimea, Constantinople, Italy, and possibly to Persia and the lands of Prester John. On the way, there will be slavery, warfare, unicorns, and one man's quest for gainful employment. Thanks for listening!  Website: humancircuspodcast.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/circus_human Email: HumanCircusPod@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/humancircuspod/ Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/A7071B1K Shop: www.redbubble.com/people/HumanCircus  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This, as you'll see from the title and length is a little bit of an unusual episode. It's a short one that answers a request to properly wrap up the end of the Thomas Dallam series. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, my website is www.humancircuspodcast.com, and I have some things on Redbubble at https://www.redbubble.com/people/humancircus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices