We delve into some of the more peculiar entries on Wikipedia in our extensive monthly series, Wiki Wormhole.

This week’s focus: Prester John

About the subject: A mythical king from the medieval period, Prester John was said to govern a prosperous land in Central Asia, representing a beacon of Christianity in the East. Situated close to Europe, his kingdom was seen as a potential ally, even though Prester John and his domain never actually existed. The name “Prester” is derived from the Greek “presbyteros,” which means elder or priest, and is the origin of the term “Presbyterian.”

Major controversy: The legend likely began with a hoax similar to modern-day spam emails. In 1165, Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos received a letter from “John, Christian Sovereign and Lord of Lords,” who claimed to reside in a lavish, gem-studded golden palace within a rich kingdom located between Persia and China. This figure, Prester John, captured the imagination of Christian Europe for hundreds of years, with tales of him or his heirs continuing into the 17th century—Shakespeare even mentioned Prester John in Much Ado About Nothing.

Oddest fact: The closest real-world comparison to Prester John turned out to be Genghis Khan. Following the disastrous Fifth Crusade, which was detrimental for Christians, there was news in Europe that a powerful Eastern ruler had overtaken Persia and was advancing on Baghdad. Hopeful Europeans mistakenly believed this ruler to be a descendant of Prester John, potentially named King David of India, ready to reclaim the Holy Land for Christianity. However, it soon became apparent that Genghis Khan’s forces were neither Christian nor Europe’s saviors, leading to a shift in the legend where Prester John courageously opposed the great Khan, ultimately losing his life in the process.

Positive revelation: The quest for Prester John inadvertently improved European geographical knowledge. While the Mongol Empire posed a threat to any nearby realms, it allowed for safe passage across Asia, prompting many Europeans to travel the continent (some in search of Prester John, others to establish trade routes). With Asia proving fruitless in terms of finding Prester John, European explorers turned to Africa. Ethiopia, a largely isolated Christian kingdom surrounded by Muslim territories, was erroneously thought to be Prester John’s domain. Although this was not the case, Europe did manage to secure a Christian ally in Ethiopia, which allied with Portugal against common foes.

Negative revelation: The hunt for Prester John reached ludicrous extents. Once Ethiopia was dismissed as his kingdom, 16th-century Italian historian Peter Martyr d’Anghiera spoke with Francisco de Chicora, a Native American who had been abducted by the Spanish and taken to Europe in 1526. D’Anghiera mistakenly identified de Chicora’s homeland as the mythical kingdom of Prester John; today, we know this place as South Carolina.

Interesting connection on Wikipedia: There is a Jewish counterpart to Prester John. Eldad ha-Dani, an actual 9th-century individual, claimed to hail from a Jewish state in East Africa inhabited by descendants of four of the Lost Tribes of Israel. He alleged that after being shipwrecked nearby, he discovered this community living in tranquility, although they engaged in continuous, rotational three-month-long wars against neighboring Ethiopia, where warriors would stay mounted from one Sabbath to the next. His account was widely believed, despite no such kingdom existing.

Exploration deeper into the Wormhole: In the lead-up to Portugal’s alliance with Ethiopia, they dispatched envoys Pero da Covilhã and Alfonso de Paiva to find a maritime route to India and to search for Prester John. Throughout the Age of Exploration, Portugal sent numerous explorers around the world, including Gil Eanes, who mapped the West African coast and discovered Angra dos Ruivos, a bay named for the tetra fish found there. These small, warm-weather fish, favored by aquarium enthusiasts for their shiny scales, include a variety called the black neon tetra, which was once involved in a credit card fraud scandal. We’ll explore this aquatic financial impropriety and other brief tales to close out the year.

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