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Harley MS 3099, ff 166r-167v
- Record Id:
- 041-002016912
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 040-002016908
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000264.0x0002ae
- LARK:
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Harley MS 3099, ff 166r-167v
- Title:
-
The Letter of Prester John
- Scope & Content:
-
Fictitious letter from Prester John to the Emperors Manuel Comnenus (r. 1143-1180) and Frederick I (r. 1152-1190). Rubric 'Incipit epistola. Johannis Regis indie. Emanueli / regi grecorum missa. Et ab ipso friderico impera/tori directa', incipit: 'Prespiter iohannis potentia et virtute dei & domini / nostri ihesu christi. dominus dominantium. Romeon guber/natori. salute .... Nuntiabatur apud maiestatem / nostram', explicit 'dominium / nostrum et potestatem nostram. / Explicit epistola iohannis regis indorum'.
The text was composed in Latin by an anonymous author probably around 1150-1160. At the time the letter stirred great interest and was almost immediately interpolated, enlarged and translated into many European languages. Other copies of the text are Additional MS 14252 (ff. 97r-102v), Additional MS 22349 (ff. 186r-189r), Additional MS 23930 (ff. 88r-91r), Additional MS 26770 (ff. 89v-91r), and Additional MS 34763 (ff. 83r-91r), Harley MS 215 (ff. 101r-106v), Cotton MS Titus A. xxvii (ff. 181r-184r); a translation into Irish in Egerton MS 1781 (ff. 151r-152r).
For a modern edition of the Latin text see F. Zarncke, 'Der Priester Johannes', Abhandlungen der philologisch-historischen classe der Königlich Sächsischen Gesellschaft der Wississenschaften, 7 (Leipzig, 1879), 827-1039; La lettera del Prete Gianni, ed. by G. Zaganelli (Parma, 1990) (reprint of Zarncke's text). See also K. F. Helleiner, 'Prester John's Letter: A Mediaeval Utopia', The Phoenix, 13 (1959), 47-57; R. Silverberg, The Realm of Prester John (Garden City, 1972), esp. pp. 40-73, with English translation of the letter at pp. 41-45; M. Gosman, La Lettre du Prêtre Jean. Les versions en ancien français et en ancien occitan (Groningen, 1982); G. Zaganelli, 'Le lettere del Prete Gianni. Di un falso e delle sue verità', in Fälschungen im Mittelalter, 5, Fingierte Briefe Frömmigkeit und Fälschung Realienfälschungen (Hannover, 1988), pp. 243-60; I. Bejczy, Pape Jansland en Utopia (Nijmegen, 1994), with detailed list of translations on pp. 329-34; G. Zaganelli, 'L'Oriente del Prete Gianni e la tradizione enciclopedica medievale', Studi urbinati. Scienze umane e sociali, 69 (1999), 203-17.
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Harley Collection
Harley Science Project - Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002045828
040-002016908
041-002016912 - Is part of:
- Harley MS 1-7661 : Harley Manuscripts
Harley MS 3099 : Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae and De natura rerum
Harley MS 3099, ff 166r-167v : The Letter of Prester John - Hierarchy:
- 032-002045828[3100]/040-002016908[0004]/041-002016912
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Harley MS 1-7661
- Record Type (Level):
- Item
- Extent:
- 2 folios.
- Digitised Content:
- http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Harley_MS_3099 (digital images currently unavailable)
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- Latin
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1150
- End Date:
- 1174
- Date Range:
- 3rd quarter of the 12th century
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
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- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)