The Medieval Travel Narrative
Paul Zumthor|Catherine M. Peebles
S EARLY AS the tenth century, Arab world identified (and sometimes taught) travel narratives as an autonomous literary genre related to novel. Probably oldest example was authored by Abu Said, of Siraf, in 915. The tradition last up seventeenth giving birth along way vast narrative Ibn Battuta, who from 1325 1345 traveled throughout Africa and Asia. In countries Christendom, texts more or less comparable these exerted enormous influence on those read heard them, both for facts they revealed significance assumed collective mentality. Judging manuscript most renowned among responded a need educated public: one hundred forty-three manuscripts Marco Polo's book; four editions year Relation Hans Staden (1557); collections narratives, such MS 1380 Bibliothq Ramusio's Navigationi e Viaggi, published Venice 1547, thirteen volumes Theodore de Bry's Grands Voyages, simultaneously Latin German 1590 1640. Beginning with thirteenth Crusades Mongol campaigns sparked curiosity about Orient; fourteenth Turkish threat reawakened this inquisitiveness-a defensive reaction part West, anxious know its obscure adversary-and fifteenth sixteenth centuries, new commercial needs, political views some rulers maintained nourished interest Orient.
New Literary History