Aethiopia Superior vel Interior vulgo Abissinorum sive Presbiteri Ioannis Imperior

An attractive map of Central and East Africa, purporting to show the Abyssinian Empire of Prester John, a mythical Christian ruler believed to inhabit this region.

The legend of Prester John dates back to the year 1165 when the Byzantine emperor received a letter signed from "John, Christian Sovereign and Lord of Lords". The letter was thought to have arrived from Central Asia or India, and it bore tales of the riches of John's kingdom. The myth continued to grow in the 13th century, with rumours spreading the Genghis Khan had defeated and killed Prester John during his conquest of Asia. Other versions of the legend claim that Genghis Khan was, himself, Prester John.

However, by the mid-13th century, as more European merchants travelled the Silk Roads and became familiar with Central Asia, it became increasingly clear that no such Christian kingdom would be found there. As a result, Ethiopia became the next most likely location as it was known that Coptic Christians had lived there for centuries. Increasing contact with Africa, particularly by the Catholic nations of Spain and Portugal, drove the popularity of this theory until it became almost a certainty in the Western European consciousness. The growing threat of invasion from the Ottoman Empire created a need for Europeans to seek Christian allies abroad, with Ethiopia being an ideal candidate as it could attack the Ottomans from the south through Arabia. Many delegations and embassies were sent in both directions, and the Emperor of Ethiopia became known as "Prester John", despite the Ethiopian delegations rejecting the phrase as incorrect.

By the 17th century, the legend was finally starting to die out. As more of the world became known to European explorers, hopes of finding Prester John's kingdom faded. Many maps of Africa from this period do still show the fabled empire of Prester John, but it is more likely that these maps were produced as an amusement or for historical interest than as a statement of scientific fact.

Coloured. [AFR6398]