Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger
A Native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 1396–1427

The travels of Johann Schiltberger (1381–?1440), enslaved by Tamburlane, through the Caucasus, up the Volga and to Siberia.

Johannes Schiltberger (Author), J. Buchan Telfer (Translated by), Philip Brunn (Edited by)

9781108011495, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 20 May 2010

320 pages, 1 map
21.6 x 14 x 1.8 cm, 0.41 kg

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. This volume contains an English translation of the extraordinary story of Johann Schiltberger (1381–?1440), who was captured in battle as a teenager and enslaved by Bayezid I. On the latter's defeat by Timur (Tamburlane) in 1402, Schiltberger fell into the hands of the legendary Scourge of God, and in his service and that of his sons, he travelled to Armenia, Georgia and other Caucasian territories, down the river Volga, to Siberia and to the Crimea, eventually escaping and returning to his home in 1427.

Preface
Bibliography
Introduction
1. Of the first combat between King Sigmund and the Turks
2. How the Turkish king treated the prisoners
3. How Wyasit subjugated an entire country
4. How Wyasit made war on his brother-on-law, and killed him
5. How Weyasit drives away the king of Sebast
6. What sixty of us Christians had agreed upon
7. How Wyasit took the city of Samson
8. Of serpents and vipers
9. How the infidels remain in the fields with their cattle, in winter and summer
10. How Weyasit took a country that belonged to the Sultan
11. Of the King-Sultan
12. How Temerlin conquered the kingdom of Sebast
13. Weyasit conquers Lesser Armenia
14. How Tämerlin goes to war with the King-Sultan
15. How Tämerlin conquered Babiloni
16. How Tämerlin conquered Lesser India
17. How a vassal carried off riches that belonged to Tämerlin
18. How Tämerlin caused MMM children to be killed
19. Tämerlin wants to go to war with the Great Chan
20. Of Tämerlin's death
21. Of the sons of Tämerlin
22. How Joseph caused Mirenschach to be beheaded
23. How Joseph vanquished a king and beheaded him
24. How Schiltberger came to Aububachir
25. Of a king's son
26. How one lord succeeds another lord
27. Of an infidel woman, who had four thousand maidens
28. In what countries I have been
29. In which countries I have been that lay between the Tonow and the sea
30. Of the castle of the sparrow-hawk, and how it is guarded
31. How a poor fellow watched the sparrow-hawk
32. More about the castle of the sparrow-hawk
33. In which countries silk is grown
34. Of the tower of Babilony that is of such great height
35. Of great Tartaria
36. The countries in which I have been, that belong to Tartary
37. How many kings-sultan there were, whilst I was amongst the infidels
38. Of the mountain of St. Catherine
39. Of the withered tree
40. Of Jherusalem and of the Holy Sepulchre
41. Of the spring in Paradise, with IIII rivers
42. How pepper grows in India
43. Of Allexandria
44. Of a great giant
45. Of the many religions the infidels have
46. How Machmet and his religion spread
47. Of the infidels' Easter-day
48. Of the other Easter-day
49. Of the law of the infidels
50. Why Machmet has forbidden wine to infidels
51. Of a fellowship the infidels have among themselves
52. How a Christian becomes an infidel
53. What the infidels believe of Christ
54. What the infidels say of Christians
55. How Christians are said not to hold to their religion
56. How long ago it is, since Machmet lived
57. Of Constantinoppel
58. Of the Greeks
59. Of the Greek religion
60. How the city of Constantinoppel was built
61. How the Jassen have their marriage
62. Of Armenia
63. Of the religion of the Armenians
64. Of a Saint Gregory
65. Of a dragon and a unicorn
66. Why the Greeks and Armani are enemies
67. Through which countries I have come away
The Armenian Pater Noster
The Tartar Pater Noster
Notes
Titles of works not fully cited in the foregoing notes
Index.

Subject Areas: Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA]