Franciscans in the Mongol Empire : Misunderstandings in the medieval intercultural communication
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Requested lectures |
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| Description | The medieval interactions between the Mongols and the Franciscans was often affected by unexpected and unresolved misunderstandings. Contemporary accounts by the Franciscan friars William of Rubruck and John of Plano Carpini record the difficulties and misunderstandings that resulted from the different natural, social and cultural conditions in which the Franciscans found themselves. Using selected examples, the lecture analyses the misunderstandings that arose over questions of material exchange, the sharing of food or the use of song, and will assess the role of the different cultural and religious ideas of the actors involved. |
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