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The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville Knight / Which treateth of the way towards Hierusalem and of marvayles of Inde with other ilands and countreys cover

The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville Knight / Which treateth of the way towards Hierusalem and of marvayles of Inde with other ilands and countreys

Chapter 90: CAP. LXXXII.
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About This Book

The narrator offers a medieval travelogue that traces routes toward Jerusalem and across regions of Asia, Africa, and India, blending eyewitness-style observations, borrowed reports, and fantastic tales. It catalogs cities, landscapes, animals, plants, trade goods, and unfamiliar customs, alternating itinerary notes with moral and religious commentary. Frequent digressions present marvels and monstrous races alongside practical details about pilgrim routes, local rites, and fortifications, producing a text that shifts between guidebook information and imaginative storytelling. The structure mixes descriptive chapters with episodic anecdotes, inviting readers to weigh veracity while encountering the era's geographical knowledge, commerce, and popular curiosities.

CAP. LXXXII.

Of the Kingdome of George & Abcan, and many marvayles.

THEN next is the kingdome of George,1 that beginneth eastward at a great hil that men call Abiorz,2 this land lasteth to Turkey to the great sea, & to the land of Myddy, and great Armony & in this land are two kynges, one of Abcan, and another of George but he of George is in subjection of the great Caane, but he of Abcan hath a strong countrey, and defendeth him well against his enimies, & in this land of Abcan is a great marvaile, for there is a countrey in this land that is nere III dayes long and about, & is called Hanison, and that countrey is all covered with darknesse, so that it hath no light that no man may see there, and no man dare go into that countrey for darkenes. And neverthelesse men of that countrey thereby say that they may sometime heare therein the voyce of man and horse crying, and cocks crow, and they know wel that men dwel there, but they know not what maner of men, and they saye this darknesse came through miracle of God that he dyd for Christen men there. For there was a wicked Emperour yt was of Poy3 & was called Saures, & he pursued sometime all Christen men to destroy them, and did make them do sacrifice to their false gods, & in that countrey dwelled many Christen men ye which left al their goods & catel, and riches, and wold go to Grece, and when they were all in a great plain yt is called Megon the Emperour and his men came to sley the Christen men, & then the christen men kneled down & prayed to God, and anon came a thick cloude and covered the Emperour and al his host, so that he might not go away, and so dweled they in darkness, and they neuer came out after, and ye Christen men went there as they would, and therefore they might say thus, A domino factum est istud, & est mirabile in oculis nostris, that is to say, of our Lord is this done, & it is wonderful in our eyes. Out of this lande cometh a river yt men may se by good tokens yt men dwel therein.

1:  Georgia.

2:  Probably Mount Elburz, one of the Caucasian range.

3:  Misprint for Persia.