Frater Mauritius (fl. 1270-1275)

by Zhao Luyang 赵鲁阳 (See Chinese translation)

Frater Mauritius (alternative names) was a Franciscan friar from Bergen or Selje in Norway who lived in the late 13th century. He was appointed the envoy to Scotland representing the two Norwegian kings: Magnus the Law-mender (reigning from 1263 to 1280) in 1264 and Erik Magnusson (reigning from 1280 to 1299) in 1281. In 1281, Mauritius negotiated the marriage between the Scottish princess Margaret Aleksandersdotter and the Norwegian King Eric Magnusson. It is likely that Mauritius composed the wedding song Ex te lux oritur for the wedding of prince Eric Magnusson and princess Margaret, celebrated in Bergen in 1281.

From 1270 to 1273, Mauritius participated as a chaplain in the nobleman Anders Nikolassøn’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Mauritius wrote the book Itinerarium in terram sanctem about this journey. Anders Nikolassøn died in 1273, probably on his return voyage. It is likely that the pilgrims were heeding the general call of a crusade to rebut the recent victories of the Mamluk Sultan Baibars. The date of Frater Mauritius’s death is unknown.

Mauritius wrote about his journey to the Holy Land in his book Itinerarium in terram sanctem (Journey to the Holy Land). He probably finished the book in 1275 when he was back in Norway. There is only one manuscript left, which can be found in State Archieve of Norway in Oslo, but the book’s title is missing. In the first published version (Gustav Strom, Monumenta Historiae Norvegiae, 1880, p. 165-168), the book is called Itinerarium in terram sactem. This edition contains two lacunae, one in the beginning and one in the middle. The first surviving fragment covers the voyage around the coast of Spain from St Vincent to Cartagena and thence to Marseilles in France and Sardinia in Italy, where it breaks off. The second fragment describes Tartus in the county of Tripoli in Syria, and ends there.

In the first fragment, Mauritius described how he and Anders Nikolassøn travelled from the Cape St. Vincent in Portugal on water to Cartagena in Spain. They passed by the promontory that is called Taraf al-Nab’a (for a possible identification see Dalaché, Carte marine, p. 187), the town of Silves and the castle of Albufeira in Portugal, before they reach Cádiz in Spain, which Maurituis described more in detail.

He recounted that Cádiz is called the island of Hercules and the entry port to the city Sevilla in Spain. He said that the statue of Hercules held the key and the club in his hands, and his face turned towards Africa to demonstrate that Cádiz is the entry to Spain from the direction of Africa. He noted that in Cádiz wars always occur between Christians and Saracens. This island has been occupied by both sides. At the time of Mauritius’ travelling, the Saracens were ejected and a well-walled strong city has been built by Alfonso X, king of Castille in 1262. A bishop from the Friars Minor order was also established around the same period.

Mauritius then passed by Cabo da Plata and went through Cape Trafalgar in Spain. On the other side of the sea was the Capo de Spartel in Morocco which Mauritius called in the Saracen-language as Taraf al-Gharb. These three capes are located around Gibraltar in Spain. Mauritius wrote that the Saracens can be found in that region on both sides of the sea: in the kingdom of Granada in Spain on the left of the sea and in Africa on the right of the sea. Mauritius also recounted a story about Castle Gibraltar. When all of Spain was conquered by Charlemagne (in German: Karl der Große), who became King of the Franks in 768, King of the Lombards in 774 and Emperor of the Romans in 800, and he found himself prevented from going out further beyond the sea, he hurled his lance into the sea at Gibraltar.

Mauritius then described how the travellers passed Cartagena, Malaga, Almuñécar and Almería in Spain. They visited the islands Mallorca and Ibiza in Spain and sailed to Marseilles in France, from where they travelled to the islands Sardinia in Italy and Rhodes in Greece.

The text ends there and proceeds with a reflection on Syria. It is very likely that Mauritius and Anders Nikolassøn passed the ancient Greek city Antioch (in today’s Turkey) and travelled along the Syrian coast to Acre (in today’s Israel).

In Syria, Mauritius described the Sultan Baibars’ seizure of the fortress of Krak des Chavailers in 1271. Fifteen thousand Christians were inside of the fortress for defence. Mauritius also turned his eye to the city Tartus in Syria. He mentioned a chapel of the glorious Virgin Mary within the main church and was impressed by its wondrous beauty as well its tininess. No foreigners were allowed to pray in the chapel apart from bishops, Friars Minor and Preaching Friars. Mauritius recounted the story of how St Peter worked with his hands for the construction of the chapel. Mauritius also mentioned another chapel inside the castle of Tartus and narrated the story how the Blessed Virgin herself worked on its construction with her hands.

Mauritius ended this part of his Itinerary with an invitation to pray for Anders Nikolassøn and himself.

Mauritius did not connect the places he visited with biblical references, nor did he justify the crusades or give general information about the situation in the Orient. It is striking that Mauritius named numerous places in Arabic instead of Latin.