Giovanni, after seeking counsel of an old…
April 1246 CE
Giovanni, after seeking counsel of an old friend, King Wenceslaus of Bohemia, had been joined at Wroclaw by another Minorite, Benedykt Polak, appointed to act as interpreter.
The route of the Carpini party passes by Kiev, enters the Tatar posts at Kaniv, then runs across the Dnieper to the Don and Volga.
John is the first Westerner to give us the modern names for these rivers.
On the Volga stands the Ordu, or camp, of Batu, the famous conqueror of eastern Europe and supreme Mongol commander on the western frontiers of the empire.
He was one of the most senior princes of the house of Genghis Khan.
Here the envoys, with their presents, have to pass between two fires to remove possible injurious thoughts and poisons, before being presented to the prince (beginning of April 1246).
Batu orders them to proceed to the court of the supreme Khan in Mongolia.
On Easter day once more (April 8, 1246), they start on the second and most formidable part of their journey.