Lanka, a paradise for the Italian friar

As transcontinental voyages became more and more frequent with more improved methods of sea travel, it was natural that the little island sited in the oceanic crossroads should attract foot-itchy travellers mostly from Europe and the Middle East countries. Among them stand out two Italian friars who came here in the first phase of the 14th century according to research carried out by H.A.J. Hulugalla.

This period corresponds to the phase generally known as the Drift to the South West phase when to ward off attacks from militant groups in South India the capital was drifting Southwards.

One writer-cum-traveller was Father Odoric, whom some surmise did not actually come here but was so impressed with hearsay accounts of Lanka that he wrote a long account of it in Latin. As a clergy man his writing venue has been a church dedicated to St. Anthony in Italy and his account smacks much of credibility. Yet he does not leave out many a folk tale woven around superstitions especially about “Adam’s mountain” (Sri Pada). He comes out with a rather unknown fable, that for 100 years Adam wept for his son, Abel, here on this high mount.

The Italian friar who actually travelled about in our island was Marignolli. His religious background was more intense than that of Odoric. Emerging from a prestigious family in the valley of Erno in Italy he was ordained early.

He was first educated and later lectured at Bolonga University where famous academics such as Volta, Galwani, Galileo and Copernicus had been students. Later he chose globe trotting as his career.

Travels

It was on one of these wide travels that he came to Lanka where he was so enchanted, that he called it Paradise itself. This despite a bout of theft that he had been subject to! In fact he goes down to history as the first European to be robbed in an Eastern country!

However, the friar’s global travels do not seem to be voluntary as deeper research divulges. It was a time when China was trying to build up connections with Europe following Marco Polo's stupendous adventures. Sensing the missionary zeal of Europe at this time, perhaps to placate their rulers or propelled by some other elusive motive, Khan the Great who ruled the Yellow Empire had sent in 1338, an appeal to Pope Benedict V11 of Avignon to send over missionaries.

In response to this the Pope nominates a set of clergymen and Marignolli, is appointed leader due to his higher learning and aptitude for communicating. After spending about three to four years in Peking, the Chinese capital, they were travelling back when they derouted to India while Marignolli’s ship sailed towards Sri Lanka. Marignolli himself had been robbed of all the luxury goods he had purchased in China according to the researcher.

Memories

Unlike Odoric the friar had been in no haste to record his travels immediately he landed in his home country. He grew old with his memories while getting officially promoted too. He even procured an ambassador post to Prague and later was elevated to a bishopric post. The travel memoirs he penned lay hidden and unsung and had been discovered about four centuries later. They had been titled Bohemian memoirs and the emperor himself had ordered that they be bound as a book.

Perhaps age had coloured his vision in bright colours, but he chose to forget the robbery and the unpleasant after effects while being here and instead launches on a hosanna to the island describing it as paradise or a land akin to that.

Here is how he begins his narrative.

“Due to divine intervention, we landed in a place known as Pervilles (modern Beruwala) in this land”. According to his account, this area had been in a rebellious state at this time independently ruled by a “cursed” Saracen. Earlier he had exhibited much camaraderie but later gradually and craftily robbed him of all the wealth the friar had with him.

The robbed treasure included 60,000 marks, gold, silver, silk, gems, camphor, spices, frankincense etc. Anyway the account is fraught with historicity too as it transpires the beginnings of commercial activities by a particular race.

Great loss

As stated earlier Marignolli chose to forget the great loss in the context of the lasting impressions the island had on him. The venue that attracts him most is Adam’s Peak that he eulogises as the tallest and loveliest structure next to paradise. In fact some are under the delusion that it is Paradise itself. Marignolli himself is rid of the delusion and calls it “Cacuman Superiminis”. Yet he adores the Mount so much that he bestows special thanks to God for letting him set eyes on it. Yet he has this to say,

“It is 40 Italian leagues from this island to Paradise. In fact one can listen to the falling waters of Paradise while standing here”.

Anyway, some parts of Marignolli’s account of our island are perplexing that some critics contend that this weakness in his writings arose out of the fact that he wrote them in his very advanced age, perhaps so advanced, that critics term it his second childhood.

An illustration of his madly wandering mind is this concocted story.

Imprint

“There was a fairy who clasped Adam’s hands and led him to the pond adjacent to this mount. Four months they stayed there. Here Adam planted the imprint of his right foot which still is preserved on an ivory structure. The imprint is about 2 ½ times the size of a human palm. Many, out of curiosity measure it, even a Saracen pilgrim from Spain did it.” This muddled account of the imprint on Adam’s Peak or Sri Pada that Buddhists consider as that of the Buddha shows that even at that time it was subject to puzzling conjectures.

Or perhaps Marignolli in his second childhood escalated into one.

But since he is the only foreign writer who compared the island to paradise or some land akin to that he needs honourable mention. And flattery serves too.