Постинг
06.12.2013 00:26 -
Роджър Бейкън
Next beyond the Ethilia [Volga} lies the third of the Tartar principates; its aboriginal people too, Cumani or Canglae as I remarked above, have been wiped out by the Tartars. This principate extends for four months journey to the east of the river, which is its southern frontier, finally reaching the capital district of the emperor. On the northern side such a journey [along the border] takes two months and ten days. It is therefore clear that Cumania was once the biggest of all states, for this people filled the whole territory from the Danube all the way to this district where the emperor live. By now they have been annihilated by the Tartars, except for the remnant which escaped to the Kingdom of Hungary. This principate includes, from north to south, first, Greater Bulgaria, the source of the Bulgars who live between Constantinople [to their southeast] and Hungary and Slavonia [to the north and west. This European region is Bulgaria Minor, whose people use the same language as those of Bulgaria Major in Asia. The people of Bulgaria Major are the most villainous of Saracens, a remarkable thing when one reflects that their country is thirty days journey or more through the wilderness [eastward] from the Iron or Caspian Gate. It is, moreover, in the far (367) north, which make it surprising indeed that the cult of Mahomet reached people living so far from the Saracens. In this Bulgaria [Major] lies the source of the Volga, of which I spoke above. Next to the east is the land of the Pascatyr [Petchenegs?] or Great Hungary, from which emigrated the Huns, later called the Hungri and nowadays the Hungari. Uniting with the Bulgars and certain other northern tribes, they burst through the Gates of Alexander, as Isidore [9.2.66; Is. adds that "they were finally called Avars after their king."] tells us. They collected tribute all the way to Egypt, and laid waste everything as far [west] as France, so that [we may say] that they were more powerful than the Tartars of today. A good part of them settled in the land now called Hungary, beyond [i.e.east of] Bohemia and Austria, which by Latin speakers is now called the Kingdom of Hungary. Next to the land of the Pascatyr live the Balchi [Vlachs?], from Balchia Major; these Balchi entered the land of Assani between Constantinople [to the east] and Bulgaria and Hungaria Minor. This people is now called the Ilac by the Tartars, the same word as Blac, for the Tartars cannot pronounce the [sound of] the letter B. To the south of the wilderness of the Tartars lies the Caspian Sea, and beyond this the Caucasus Mountains run all the way to the east.
http://www.geography.wisc.edu/histcart/bacon.html
http://www.geography.wisc.edu/histcart/bacon.html
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