The Pilgrimage of Arnold von Harff, Knight, from Cologne

Through Italy, Syria, Egypt, Arabia, Ethiopia, Nubia, Palestine, Turkey, France and Spain, which he Accomplished in the years 1496-1499

Malcolm Letts, Malcolm Letts

• Publisher: Hakluyt Society
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781317021360
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Historia
• Subtopic: Historia antigua

Translated from the German from Groote's edition of 1860 and edited with notes and an introduction This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1946.

THE PILGRIMAGE OF ARNOLD VON HARFF, KNIGHT

To the serene, highborn Prince and Princess, Lord & Lady William and Sybilla,¹ Margravine of Brandenburg etc., Duke and Duchess of Jülich and Berg, Count and Countess of Ravensburg, Lord & Lady of Heinsberg and Lewenberg etc, testifying at all times my willing and dutiful service.

Serene, highborn Prince & Princess, beloved Lord & Lady, when I Arnold von Harff, a knight born in your Graces’ princely land, the Duchy of Jülich, had, in the year counting from the birth of our Lord 1499, on the tenth day of October, brought to completion a praiseworthy pilgrimage, I came first to your princely Graces at Heinsberg, who received me honourably and bade me welcome, bestowing on me gifts and other favours, so that it will ever be my pleasure to serve your princely Graces with my dutiful and willing obedience. I have therefore in return been diligent & strenuous in honour, and for the favour of your princely Graces, in recording faithfully this pilgrimage which I have completed, and in making a book of it, so that if your princely Graces should make such a pilgrimage you should have at hand, by my favour, a trusty sign-post.

I beg therefore that your princely Graces may receive this book in proof of my gratitude, and pardon me if, owing to my deficient understanding, it is not well arranged. Yet one will find it to be a proper and reliable guide, although, most noble Lord, there are troublesome and careless chatterers and detractors of honour who think there are no other countries under the sun except those in which they live, and maintain therefore that every traveller’s story is a lie. Would to God that I might be summoned with such a one before your princely Graces, even before the King’s majesty, or a duke, lord, knight or squire, for I could then justify myself and these my travels.

Praise be to the eternal Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I Arnold von Harff Knight etc. for the comfort and well-being of my soul undertook to accomplish this praiseworthy pilgrimage as follows:

Item first from Cologne to Rome to obtain pardon, and from our Holy Father, the Pope, leave to pass over the sea.

Item from Rome to Mt. Sinai, where rests the body of the holy Virgin St. Catherine, through the great city of Cairo, where the mighty lord and Sultan holds his court, and to obtain his favour in order to pass safely and without hindrance through Egypt, Arabia, Syria, Greater Armenia, the Holy Land and other parts of his dominions.

Item from Mt. Sinai through many provinces and countries to the kingdom called Mackeron, to a town called Kalamya, to seek there the place where the body of the holy Apostle St. Thomas lies.

Item further from the town of Kalamya to seek the source of the river Nile, which men say flows there from Paradise.

Item from there along the Nile to the great city of Cairo.

Item from Cairo overland to the holy city of Jerusalem.

Item from the holy city of Jerusalem to Beiruth, called Cappadocia, where the knight St. George overcame the dragon.

Item from Beiruth to Antioch, still overland, where St. Peter the Apostle had the first papal chair.

Item from Antioch again overland to St. Anthony de Vienne, where he lies in person, through Constantinople, where the Turkish Emperor by preference holds his court, to obtain from him leave and escort in order to travel safely and without hindrance through Karaman, Turkey, Little Armenia, Rumania, Greece, Wallachia, Greater Bulgaria, Lesser Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and many other lands.

Item further from St. Anthony de Vienne to the city of Compostella in Galicia, which is called St. James in his honour.

Item further from Compostella overland to St. Michael in Normandy, where he rests in holiness.

Item from St. Michael in Normandy, across the sea through England to Hibernia, to seek the place where men say St. Pancracius’ [St Patrick’s] Purgatory is to be found.¹

Item thence across the water to the Holy Blood.²

Item from the Holy Blood again to Cologne, where lie the Three Holy Kings, to offer them thanks and praise for their protection in my pilgrimage.

However, noble Lord, I was unable at this time and in one journey to complete these two last pilgrimages, to the Purgatory and to the Holy Blood, because certain noble persons, ambassadors, had been sent at that time from your Graces to France to the King, who found me on their journey in Paris and turned me from my purpose. But, gracious Lord, I am willing shortly to undertake these two pilgrimages, which I will describe in writing for your Graces, from town to town, from village to village, from language to language, at the end of this book.

Item the pilgrimages which I have performed I will, with God’s help and according to my small understanding, now describe from country to country, from town to town, from village to village, from mile to mile, from one day’s journey to another, from language to language, from faith to faith, together with all that I have seen and experienced. But since I have visited many countries and cities outside the direct route of this pilgrimage, in order to observe towns and districts and the habits of the people, which would take long to relate, I shall in this my description keep to the direct route of this pilgrimage, so that if anyone has in mind to undertake such a pilgrimage, he may look through this book and take it gratefully as a trusty guide, praying to almighty God for the author and pilgrim.

Item it should first be known that in German lands the miles with which we are familiar are generally an hour’s riding for one mile. In Lombardy, in Italy, five miles equal a German mile, and in other foreign countries, such as Savoy, Biscay, Gascony, Spain and France they are called leagues, but they are reckoned differently: sometimes two leagues make a mile, sometimes three, and at times, four make a mile, and, as will be seen in this book, in Turkey and heathen lands, there are no miles, only day-journeys.

Item in the year after Christ’s birth 1496, on November the seventh, I Arnold von Harff, knight etc., being then in my twenty-fifth year, set out from Cologne, in some difficulty on account of certain noblemen and others, who had sworn an oath to go with me but had proved false, and there was no other true pilgrim to bear me company. I chanced however upon two merchants of Cologne who gave me good company as far as Venice.

My pilgrimage was for the most part performed in company with merchants, with whom it is good to travel. They know the language and routes. They take escorts from one country to another and make good company.¹

Item first from Colne to Bonne 4 miles.

Item from Bonne to Wynteren [Oberwinter] 2 miles.

Item from Wynteren to Reymagen 1 mile.

Item from Reymagen to Brijsack [Breisig] 2 miles.

Item from Brijsack to Andernach 2 miles.

Item from Andernach to Couelens [Coblenz] 3 miles.

Item from Couelens to Rens 2 miles.

Item from Rens to Pobarden [Boppard] 2 miles.

Item from Pobarden to Hirtzenawe [Hirzenach] 1 mile.

Item from Hirtzenawe to Sent Gewer [St. Goar] 1 mile.

Item from Sent Gewer to Wesel 1 mile.

Item from Wesel to Bacarach 1 mile.

Item from Bacarach to Dreckshusen [Trechtingshausen] 1 mile.

Item from Drechshusen to Byngen 1 mile.

Item from Byngen to Ingelhusen [Ingelheim] 2 miles.

Item from Ingelhusen to Meensse [Mainz] 2 miles.

Item from Meensse to Oppenheym 3 miles.

Item from Oppenheym to Wurms 4 miles.

Item from Wurms to Spijre 3 miles.

Item from Spijre across the Rhine to Broessel [Bruchsal], a small town belonging to Speyer 6 miles.

Item from Bruessel—here begins the land of Swabia—to Breyten [Bretten] a small town of the Palsgra...