‘Een zwarte man uit het land van Pape Jan’ : Ethiopische bezoekers en het veranderende wereldbeeld in de Bourgondische Nederlanden

Abstract

'A Black Man from the Land of Prester John’: Ethiopian visitors and the changing world view in the Burgundian Low Countries In the 15th century, European monarchs were fascinated by the mythical Christian empire of Prester John. They considered the Ethiopian emperor a potential ally against the Turks. The Duke of Burgundy tried to make contact, but none of his envoys succeeded. In the opposite direction, dozens of Ethiopians found their way to Europe. This article reveals that they were often welcomed as guests in the Low Countries. Some Ethiopians undertook the long journey as pilgrims, in search of relics and liturgical objects, and as a result ensured that works of art from the Low Countries ended up in Ethiopian monasteries. Sub-Saharan visitors discovered the Low Countries on their own initiative. This observation contradicts the classic Eurocentric narrative. The presence of black people was not exceptional, even in smaller towns. This led to a broadening of the world view in the Low Countries, which is reflected in the visual arts by the representation of Balthasar as a black magus.