Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Gaelic Maundeville (Author: John Maundeville)
paragraph 197
Of the Great Khan
This Magnus Khan is of the race of Ham, the son of Noah, whose share of the world is the whole of Asia. Shem with
p.267
his children took Africa, Japhet took Europe, and of these three Ham was the wealthiest and strongest. And shortly afterwards there were seven nations of the race of Ham, the first of which was named Tartar, the second Tangeid, the third Grase, the fourth Valare, the fifth Semi, the sixth Mense, the seventh Tobe, all these are obedient to Magnus Khan. It befel that an old man of the Tartars saw one night as he was in bed a bright, white knight coming to him as he was on a horse. ‘Art thou asleep?’ saith the knight, ‘for it is the mighty God that sent me to thee to say this to thee: Tell the seven nations that are disobeying and dishonouring the Emperor and other kings hitherto that it is thy will to be Emperor over them, and as they have been hitherto in subjection and slavery to Emperors and kings, so the same folk should be in subjection and slavery to thee.’ And because of what he said to them they mocked him as if he were a fool. The same knight travelled to those nations and told them to take Sangbus (Genghis), and that he would put away their bondage from them, and that he would conquer many other countries in their behalf.