Prester John

Literary/ Cultural Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Domains

Mythical / legendary character

Dates

Date of occurrence c.1200- c.1700

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Prester John, also referred to as a Presbyter, was the subject of a legend popular in Europe throughout the medieval period and Renaissance. It envisaged a godly king who was said to be a descendant of one of the Three Magi. He represented the possibility of a universal Christendom, as he was thought to rule over a king in the East - variously in India, central Asia or Ethiopia - among Muslims and other religious groups. Myths of this virtuous ruler became associated with other longstanding idyllic places: some retellings saw his kingdom as the site of the Gates of Alexander, the Fountain of Youth or even the Earthly Paradise, the Garden of Eden.

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114 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Prester John". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 July 2012 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1423, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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Prester John

Domains

Dates

Places

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