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Published: October 2nd 2011October 2nd 2011
ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John.
I saw an old woman resting by the roadside on the mountain overlooking Addis Ababa...her massive load of sticks awaiting return to her back. Her face etched with a life of endurance and experience.
So I asked her where to find Prester John.
"Those days are long gone" she said looking down and spitting to confirm the point.
Ping...brain engaged.
"Long gone... gone... gon... dar... Gondar... that's it... that's where I must go to find Prester John..!"
Gondar...the Camelot of Ethiopia...in the highlands of the North.
Prester John...the mythical priest and king of a magnificent Christian kingdom in the East, the home of the Fountain of Youth...a descendant of the Magi (the Three Wise Men from the Gospels)... "who reign supreme, surpass in virtue, riches and power all creatures under heaven"...the stuff of legends.
The one who was first reported in about 1145 to the Pope in Rome.
A letter in 1165 to the Byzantium Emperor in Constantinople from Prester John, introduced his magnificent existence.
It has been suggested that the letter was a forgery...written by a priest in Italy...but history shows that some things don't change...history does not get in the way of a good story..!
His legend continued in the Middle Ages.
Many copies or versions of his letter circulated in Europe... increasing the allure.
European attempts to find him in Asia were fruitless... so they realised they were looking in the wrong places..!
"Hey... there is the Christian Kingdom in Abyssinia... Prester John must be in Africa," they concluded..!
This was supported by a 10 page manuscript in 1340, translated into many languages, that the kingdom was in Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia).
The Portuguese sent expeditions to Abyssinia to find Prester John. Even helped with troops and firearms to fight Islamic invaders in the 16th Century..!
By the 17th Century his existence seemed to be so accepted that maps were printed showing present Ethiopia as "The Kingdom of Prester John."
European manuscripts referred to Prester John as the name for the Emperor of Abyssinia. It didn't seem to matter that there was no Emperor with that name..!
I surmise "Where there is legend...there is fact...or is it fiction?"
So I set out on my search...for Prester John.
And as if to confirm I was on the right track...on arrival at Gondar Airport...they laid on a coffee ceremony to welcome arrivals.
Three Amharic girls...crosses tatooed to their foreheads... serving Ethiopian coffee and popcorn... sprinkling flowers at our feet.
So I asked them where to find Prester John.
Their expressions indicated they either did not speak English or
had knowledge on the subject that they were reluctant to impart...to this mizunga...fair call...I'll take that as encouragement..!
Gondar...the capital of Ethiopia from 1636 during the reign of Emperor Fasiladas, followed by his son Johannus and especially through Iyasu the Great...until its demise during the reign of Tewodros (1855-1868).
Gondar became the centre of the renaissance of culture in Ethiopia...where castles and monasteries abound...yep...castles.
The Royal enclosure covers over 7 sqkms...surrounded by high stone walls, and contains five castles, some connected by tunnels. The castles have Axumite, Portuguese and Middle Eastern influences that together epitomise Ethiopian architecture from a period of past glory.
The castles and palaces were no longer occupied but were open and accessible so we had a good wander. I could feel Prester John had been there...but it was no longer his home...so I took
JOHANNUS IV & HIS ARMY
My image of 19th Century Ethiopia
Maybe he's bathing in Fasiladas' Bath...a two storied stone pavilion in a large rectangular pool...where artisans were constructing tiered seating for the imminent Timket Festival...to celebrate the baptism of Christ.
But he was not there either..!
In 1888 the Sudanese Mahdist Dervishes sacked Gondar and burned down all the churches except Debre Birhan Selassie (Mountain of Light), a church built by Iyasu the Great. Legend says a swarm of bees kept the Sudanese at bay and the Archangel Michael guarded the gate with a flaming sword.
The ceiling is painted with the faces of hundreds of angels, the walls adorned with a crucifix and three identical faces depicting the Trinity.
So I asked the priest where to find Prester John.
He did not reply but had a far away look towards the south-east...in the direction of Lake Tana...our next destination.
Haile Selassie was the last of the Ethiopian emperors...deposed in 1974...relegated to history.
But what of Prester John?
Driving through the foothills of the Simien Mountains...up, down and around...past volcanic plugs and picturesque fields...past Amharic peoples with umbrellas walking to where-ever.
We stopped somewhere on the road, up a steep incline... admiring the colours that are Northern Ethiopia.
An apparition of people materialised as if they were expecting us...crowding against our 4WD.
And then I saw him.
I could tell by the eyes...that desperate look of one who has endured the centuries...once an Emperor... now a wild eyed man of the highlands...dispossessed...abundance a distant memory.
So I asked him if he was Prester John.
I looked into his eyes...down the centuries...and saw a magical place...a land of milk and honey...where rivers were filled with gold...the Kingdom of Prester John.
Relax & Enjoy,
Dancing Dave
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My wife Denise & I like to travel "on paths less travelled" that capture our imagination, inspire my photography & where we mix with locals & remain safe.
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Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (wh...more info
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THE KINGDOM OF PRESTER JOHN
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Comments
Date: 22nd October 2011
THANK YOU COLIN
As you are an esteemed writer your comments are much appreciated. More to come...more to discover the allure that is Ethiopia.
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
THANK YOU COLIN
As you are an esteemed writer your comments are much appreciated. More to come...more to discover the allure that is Ethiopia.
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
Date: 21st October 2011
I'm a convert
I'm sold -I think he was Prester John. Well penned story David, it put a smile on my dial...
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
I'm a convert
I'm sold -I think he was Prester John. Well penned story David, it put a smile on my dial...
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
Date: 22nd October 2011
THANK YOU LAILA
The smile that launched a thousand ships...or was it a thousand camels?
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
THANK YOU LAILA
The smile that launched a thousand ships...or was it a thousand camels?
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
Date: 24th November 2011
Delightful
Dear Dancing Dave and Mrs. Hooper! Splendid blog! Beautiful photographs! Great fun! Thank you very much indeed! :)
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
Delightful
Dear Dancing Dave and Mrs. Hooper! Splendid blog! Beautiful photographs! Great fun! Thank you very much indeed! :)
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
Date: 24th November 2011
THANK YOU ALEMAYEHU
Thank you for commenting and enjoying my Gondar to find Prester John blog. I hope you enjoy my other Ethiopia blogs.
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
THANK YOU ALEMAYEHU
Thank you for commenting and enjoying my Gondar to find Prester John blog. I hope you enjoy my other Ethiopia blogs.
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John
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Colin Archbold
non-member comment
I could tell by the eyes...
In those 2 short paragraphs you really gave an insight into Prester John a man of vision especially on past events. The last 2 para drew me in & expressed a story on its own!
From Blog: ETHIOPIA...Gondar to Find Prester John