Benedict of Poland (Latin: ''Benedictus Polonus'', Polish ''Benedykt Polak'') (c. 1200 – c. 1280) was a Polish Franciscan friar, traveler, explorer, and interpreter. He accompanied Giovanni da Pian del Carpine in his journey as delegate of Pope Innocent IV to the Great Khan Güyük of the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...

in 1245–1247. He was the author of the brief chronicle ''De itinere Fratrum Minorum ad Tartaros'' (On the Journey of the Franciscan Friars to the Tatars), not published until 1839 in France, and a year later in Poland, and the source for a longer work, ''

Hystoria Tartarorum The ''Tartar Relation'' (Latin: ''Hystoria Tartarorum'', "History of the Tartars") is an ethnographic report on the Mongol Empire composed by a certain C. de Bridia in Latin in 1247. It is one of the most detailed accounts of the history and cust ...

'' (History of the Tatars), discovered later and eventually published in 1965.Edward Kajdański: ''Długi cień Wielkiego Muru'', Warsaw, 2005 (in Polish) The report of Benedict is important because it includes a copy of the letter of the Great Khan to the Pope. Biography of Benedict (in Polish)
/ref>

History

Little is known about the life of Friar Benedict beyond the story of the journey. He was well educated and spoke and wrote Latin, Polish language, Polish, and Old East Slavic. He had become a monk in the Franciscan monastery in Wrocław about 1236. This was the first major stop of Friar Giovanni after leaving on the mission from Lyon in April 1245. Benedict was chosen to accompany him as an interpreter because he had also acquired a knowledge of the Old East Slavic language and the first part of their journey was to Kyiv. Benedict made his accounts of the journey during and after their return in 1247. After returning from the voyage he probably settled in the Franciscan monastery in Kraków where he spent rest of his life. Later he was also a witness at the canonization of Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów in 1252.

References

Palkiewicz, Jacek and Petek, Krzysztof Benedykt Polak : pierwszy polski podroznik Warszawa : Narodowe Centrum Kultury, 2015

History

References

See also