The imaginary king who changed the real world - Matteo Salvadore

Prevoditelj: Iva Vukalović Recezent: Sanda Liker

In 1165, copies of a strange letter began to circulate throughout Western Europe.

Godine 1165. kopije čudnog pisma počele su kružiti Zapadnom Europom.

It spoke of a fantastical realm,

Govorilo je o fantastičnom carstvu,

containing the Tower of Babel and the Fountain of Youth—

u kojem su se nalazile Kula Babilonova i Fontana mladosti

all ruled over by the letter’s mysterious author: Prester John.

te kojima je vladao misteriozni autor samog pisma: Svećenik John.

Today, we know that this extraordinary king never existed.

Danas znamo da ovaj izvanredan kralj nikada nije postojao.

But the legend of this mythical kingdom and its powerful ruler

Ali legenda o ovom mitološkom kraljevstvu i njegovom moćnom vladaru

would impact the decisions of European leaders for the next 400 years.

utjecat će na odluke europskih vladara u narednih 400 godina.

Prester John’s myth would propel the age of exploration,

Mit o Svećeniku Johnu potaknut će doba istraživanja,

inspire intercontinental diplomacy, and indirectly begin a civil war.

inspirirati interkontinentalnu diplomaciju i indirektno započeti građanski rat.

When Prester John’s letter appeared, Europe was embroiled in the Crusades.

Kad se pismo Svećenika Johna pojavilo, Europa je bila upletena u Križarske ratove.

In this series of religious wars,

U nizu vjerskih ratova

Europeans campaigned to seize what they regarded as the Christian Holy Land.

Europljani su ratovali da zauzmu područje smatrano Svetom kršćanskom zemljom.

The Church vilified any faith outside of Christianity,

Crkva je ocrnila sve vjere osim kršćanstva,

including that of the Jewish and Muslim communities populating the region.

uključujući židovske i muslimanske zajednice na tom području.

Crusaders were eager to find Christian kingdoms to serve as allies in their war.

Križari su bili željni pronaći kršćanska kraljevstva i služiti kao saveznici u ratu.

And they were particularly interested in rumors of a powerful Christian king

Također su bili posebno zainteresirani za glasine o moćnom kršćanskom kralju

who had defeated an enormous Muslim army in the Far East.

koji je pobjedio ogromnu muslimansku vojsku na Dalekom Istoku.

In fact, it was a Mongol horde including converted Christian tribes

Ustvari su mongolske horde uključujući preobraćena kršćanska plemena

that had routed the army.

bila ta koja su usmjeravala vojsku.

But news of this victory traveled unreliably.

No vijesti o toj pobjedi putovale su nepouzdano.

Merchants and emissaries filled gaps in the story

Trgovci i izaslanici popunjavali su rupe u priči

with epic poems and Biblical fragments.

koristeći epske pjesme i dijelove Biblije.

By the time the story reached Europe,

Kad je priča napokon dosegla Europu,

the Mongol horde had been replaced with a great Christian army,

mongolske su horde bile zamijenjene velikom kršćanskom vojskom

commanded by a king who shared the Crusader’s vision

vođenom kraljem koji je dijelio križarsku viziju

of marching on Jerusalem.

o marširanju u Jeruzalem.

And when a letter allegedly written by this so-called “Prester John” appeared,

Kad se pismo, navodno napisano od strane takozvanog Svećenika Johna, pojavilo,

European rulers were thrilled.

europski su vladari bili oduševljeni.

While the letter’s actual author remains unknown,

Iako je autor pisma i dalje nepoznat,

its stereotypes about the East and alignment with European goals

njegovi stereotipi o Istoku te njegovo slaganje s europskim ciljevima

indicate it was a Western forgery.

ukazuju na to da je ono zapadnjački falsifikat.

But despite the letter’s obvious origins as European propaganda,

Unatoč očitom podrijetlu pisma iz europske propagande,

the appeal of Prester John’s myth was too great for the Crusaders to ignore.

privlačnost mita o Svećeniku Johnu bila je prevelika da je križari ignoriraju.

Before long,

Ubrzo

European mapmakers were guessing the location of his mythical kingdom.

europski su kartografi počeli pogađati lokaciju mitskog kraljevstva.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, European missionaries went East,

U 13. i 14. stoljeću europski su misionari krenuli na Istok

along the newly revived Silk Road.

putujući novo oživljenim Putem svile.

They weren’t searching for the letter’s author,

Nisu tražili autora pisma,

who would have been over a century old; but rather, for his descendants.

koji bi bio stariji od stotinu godina, već njegove potomke.

The title of Prester John was briefly identified

Naslov Svećenika Johna kratko se poistovjećivao

with several Central Asian rulers,

s nekoliko srednjeazijskih vladara,

but it soon became clear that the Mongols were largely non-Christian.

no ubrzo je postalo jasno da su Mongoli većinom nekršćanski narod.

And as their Empire began to decline,

Kako je njihovo Carstvo počelo propadati,

Europeans began pursuing alternate routes to the Far East,

Europljani su počeli tražiti alternativne puteve do Dalekog istoka,

and new clues to Prester John’s location.

a s njima i nove tragove o lokaciji Svećenika Johna.

At the same time these explorers went south,

U isto vrijeme kad su neki istraživači krenuli na jug,

Ethiopian pilgrims began traveling north.

etiopijski su hodočasnici započeli putovanje na sjever.

In Rome, these visitors quickly attracted the interest

U Rimu su ti posjetioci ubrzo privukli interes

of European scholars and cartographers.

europskih učenjaka i kartografa.

Since Ethiopia had been converted to Christianity in the 4th century,

Budući da je Etiopija bila preobraćena na kršćanstvo u 4. stoljeću,

the stories of their African homeland fit perfectly into Prester John’s legend.

priče o njihovoj afričkoj domovini savršeno su se slagale s legendom o Svećeniku Johnu.

Portuguese explorers scoured Africa for the kingdom,

Portugalski istraživači prošli su Afrikom u potrazi za kraljevstvom,

until a mix of confusion and diplomacy finally turned myth into reality.

sve dok mješavina zbunjenosti i diplomacije nije pretvorila mit u stvarnost.

The Ethiopians graciously received their European guests,

Etiopljani su ljubazno primili svoje europske goste

who were eager to do business with the ruler

koji su žudili za sklapanjem poslova s vladarom

they believed to be Prester John.

za kojeg su smatrali da je Svećenik John.

Though the Ethiopians were initially confused by the Portuguese’s

Iako su Etiopljani isprva bili zbunjeni zbog čudnog

portugalskog imena za njihova cara,

unusual name for their Emperor,

they were savvy enough to recognize the diplomatic capital it afforded them.

bili su dovoljno razumni da prepoznaju diplomatski kapital koji im je pridonio.

The Ethiopian diplomats played the part of Prester John’s subjects,

Etiopijski su diplomati odigrali uloge podanika Svećenika Johna,

and the Portuguese triumphantly announced an alliance with the fabled sovereign—

a Portugalci su trijumfalno objavili svoj savez s čuvenim vladarom -

over 350 years after the European letter had begun the search.

gotovo 350 godina nakon što je europsko pismo započelo potragu.

But this long-awaited partnership was quickly tested.

No ovo je dugo očekivano partnerstvo ubrzo bilo testirano.

A decade later, the Sultanate of Adal,

Deset godina kasnije, Adalski Sultanat,

a regional power supported by the Ottoman Empire, invaded Ethiopia.

regionalna sila podržavana od strane Osmanskog Carstva, napao je Etiopiju.

The Portuguese sent troops that helped Ethiopians win this conflict.

Portugalci su poslali trupe koje su pomogle Etiopljanima pobijediti taj sukob.

But by this time,

No do toga je vremena

it was clear that Ethiopia was not the powerful ally Europe had hoped.

bilo očito da Etiopija nije bila moćni saveznik kojemu se Europa nadala.

Worse still, the increasingly intolerant Roman Catholic Church

Da stvari budu još gore, sve netrpeljivija Rimska katolička crkva

now deemed the Ethiopian sect of Christianity heretical.

sada je smatrala da je etiopijska sekta kršćanstva dio heretika.

Their subsequent attempts to convert the people

Njihovi prateći pokušaji preobraćenja ljudi

they once revered as ideal Christians

koje su nekada štovali kao idealne kršćane

would eventually spark a civil war,

najzad će potaknuti građanski rat,

and in the 1630s, Ethiopia cut ties with Europe.

pa će 1630.-tih Etiopija prerezati sve veze s Europom.

Over the next two centuries,

Tijekom sljedeća dva stoljeća

the legend of Prester John slowly faded into oblivion—

legenda o Svećeniku Johnu polako je pala u zaborav -

ending the reign of a king who made history despite having never existed.

završivši vladavinu kralja koji je stvorio povijest iako nikada nije postojao.