Travel Literature (Dr. Amanda Walling)

Please consider both questions forwarded by Dr. Walling for your blog posting:

Travel around the Mediterranean world in the Middle Ages and Renaissance was driven by several factors, including trade, warfare, and religious pilgrimages. For Monday's class, we'll be looking at two very different travel accounts by travelers from England who made their way to the Mediterranean. Margery Kempe (c. 1373-c. 1440) was a rather eccentric English mystic, an ordinary wife, mother, and businesswoman who began experiencing religious visions. As you read about her pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Rome, think especially about the importance of physical space--what does it mean to a woman like Kempe to be in a place where something sacred happened long ago? Think also about the travel itself--a pilgrimage like Kempe's would have taken many months; what does she emphasize about her journey? Is it just about getting to her destination or are there valuable spiritual and cultural experiences along the way?

Our other readings are from the Travels of Sir John Mandeville, a French book that claims to have been written by an English knight who traveled in Egypt, the Middle East, India, and China between 1332 and 1366. We can't be sure if he was the real author, or even how many of these places the author actually visited; he relies heavily on legends and magical tales. When you read Mandeville's account, think especially about how he describes foreign cultures (especially non-Christian ones), and about the kinds of details he thinks are worth sharing about foreign lands. In his stories, what is the appeal of the world beyond Western Europe for readers who would never see it?