The Legend of Prester John
Where was Prester John’s lost kingdom?
4.7 (40)
33 mins
Explore the medieval legend of Prester John, a powerful Christian ruler said to govern a vast kingdom somewhere beyond Europe. Uncover how mysterious letters and travelers’ accounts fueled a centuries-long search across Asia and Africa for his supposedly hidden realm.
Ep 1:
The Birth of a Mythical King
How did a forged letter and a crusader's clever lie create Prester John—a mythical Christian king Europe's popes and kings pursued for centuries?
Ep 2:
Monsters, Mongols, and a Lost Empire
From monstrous utopias to Genghis Khan's conquests, the legend migrates across Asia into Africa, revealing the real glittering empire of Aksum behind the myth.
Ep 3:
Thrones, Myths, and Misplaced Diplomats
After Aksum's violent collapse, a usurper forges a sacred dynasty from scripture and legend—just as Portugal sails off to mistakenly crown Ethiopia's king as Prester John.
Ep 4:
The Map Fills In: A Legend's True Legacy
As explorers fill in the last blank spaces on the map, the legend of Prester John finally dies—revealing what five centuries of belief said about Europe itself.
Discussions (5)
Landon
Level 6 · 6 days ago72 kings paying tribute but couldn't cross a frozen river lol
Aaron
Level 8 · 6 days agoPope Alexander III writing back to a forged letter from a fictional king is the medieval version of replying all to a spam email with your credit card number lol 😂
Dale
Level 7 · 6 days agoSaying Ethiopia 'had no connection' to Prester John is too clean. The legend clearly absorbed real details about Ethiopian Christianity over centuries, it wasn't just coincidence.
