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Prester John was a supposed ruler of some “lost” or isolated Christian kingdom outside of Europe which stirred the imagination of Europeans during the Middle Ages. Here's a bit of background: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prester_John#Letter_of_Prester_JohnMy question - do you think the legend of Prester John was based on any reality? Was there a Christian kingdom in some faraway land that had only remote communication with Europe?
Yes. I think it had a basis in fact in that there were Christian leaders in places other than Europe.One possibility is a Christian leader in India. St. Thomas is supposed to have preached in India; and centuries later Europeans found--and absored--Indian Christians.Another possibility comes from the Keraits of Central Asia who became Nestorian Christians in the 11th Century. Genghis Kahn's foster father, Toghrul, king of the Keraits, is a possible source of the legend.
I have always thought the legend of Prester John was based on Christian accounts of the Armenian Christians that flowed back to Europe after the Crusades.
