The Itinerary of John of Mandeville | A Review
The Itinerary of John of Mandeville A Review
The Itinerary of John of Mandeville- A Review
“The Itinerary of John of Mandeville” is a medieval travelogue that describes the adventures of an anonymous Englishman who travels to distant lands in the East. The book is a fascinating insight into the mindset of medieval Europe, where the exotic and unknown East held an almost mythical fascination.
The authorship of the book is uncertain, but it is generally believed to have been written in the 14th century by a man who called himself John of Mandeville. Whether or not John of Mandeville was a real person or a pseudonym remains a topic of debate among scholars, but regardless of its true authorship, the book has had a significant impact on the imagination of the medieval world and beyond.
The book is divided into 30 chapters, each describing the author’s travels to various regions in the East. The author claims to have traveled through Egypt, Syria, Persia, India, and China, and his accounts of the customs, geography, and history of these regions are some of the most detailed and imaginative of their time.
The book’s descriptions of the lands and peoples encountered by the author are often fantastical and exaggerated, but they also contain a wealth of accurate information that was previously unknown in Europe. For example, the author describes the Hindu practice of suttee, where a widow would throw herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, and the use of gunpowder by the Chinese, which would later have a significant impact on the development of warfare.
The author’s accounts of his travels also contain a significant amount of religious and moral commentary, which reflect the attitudes of the medieval church. The author describes the virtues and vices of the various peoples he encounters and often uses these descriptions to make moral points about the superiority of Christianity.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is its influence on later explorers and writers. The book’s descriptions of the East were some of the only available sources of information on these regions in Europe, and they inspired many subsequent explorers and writers to travel and document their own adventures in the East.
Overall, “The Itinerary of John of Mandeville” is a fascinating and important book that provides a unique insight into the medieval European imagination. Its descriptions of the customs and cultures of the East are often fantastical, but they also contain a wealth of accurate information that has had a significant impact on later explorers and writers. 0 0 0.
The Itinerary of John of Mandeville A Review
N.B. The article originally belongs to the book entitled ‘Reviews of Some Iconic Travelogues‘ by Menonim Menonimus.
Books of Literary Criticism by M. Menonimus:
- World Short Story Criticism
- World Poetry Criticism
- World Drama Criticism
- World Novel Criticism
- World Essay Criticism
- Indian English Poetry Criticism
- Indian English Poets and Poetry Chief Features
- Emily Dickinson’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
- Walt Whitman’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
- Critical Essays on English Poetry
- Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: Return of the Spirit-An Analytical Study
- Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: ‘Yawmiyyat Naib Fil Arayaf’-An Analytical Study
- Analytical Studies of Some Arabic Short Stories
- A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Pre-Islamic Period (500 AD-622 AD)
- A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Early Islamic Period (622 AD-661 AD)
- Reviews on William Shakespeare’s Works
- Reviews of John Milton’s Literary Works
- Reviews of Some Iconic Travelogues …
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