The Monk Who Met The Mongols

Multi-talented monk Andrew of Longjumeau embarked on a daring journey to the heart of the Mongol Empire on 16th February, 1249. As Ambassador of Louis IX, he led a delegation destined for the court of the Mongol Khan Güyük - who had, awkwardly, died before he got there.

Although not the first European envoy to the East, Andrew's mission was part of a broader effort to navigate alliances amidst the Crusades. Undeterred, his later adventures in Constantinople included the retrieval of the relic believed to be Christ’s Crown of Thorns.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly pause to admire the succinct literary skills of the Regent Mother, Ogul-Gaimish Khan; explain why Andrew had little choice but to put a positive spin on his unwelcome discoveries; and discover why Louis’s mates David and Mark have a LOT to answer for… 

#Medieval #Christian #Explorer

Further Reading:

• ‘The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries - by Harry W. Hazard, Kenneth Meyer Setton (University of Wisconsin Press, 1975): https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Fourteenth_and_Fifteenth_Centuries.html?id=J6v9jhUd-r8C

• ‘Andrew Of Lonjumel | Diplomatic Negotiator, Treaty Maker & Statesman’ (Britannica): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andrew-of-Lonjumel

• ‘The rise and fall of the Mongol Empire - Anne F. Broadbridge’ (TedEx, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvTqvjUaM

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

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