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The Journal of William of Rubruck

William of Rubruck

  • Written c. 1255
  • 3 hrs 33 min
  • 40 chapters
  • AI narration
  • History
  • Travel
  • Medieval
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In 1253 the Flemish friar William of Rubruck set out across the steppe on a mission from King Louis IX of France, travelling thousands of miles to the Mongol capital of Karakorum and the court of the Great Khan.

His report back to the king is among the sharpest and most observant European accounts of the medieval Mongol Empire, describing its peoples, religions, and rulers with a curiosity and candor that still reads vividly seven centuries on.

Author
William of Rubruck

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Chapters

  1. Introduction1 min
  2. Chapter 1: The Journey Begins8 min
  3. Chapter 2: Tartar Houses4 min
  4. Chapter 3: Beds and Drinking Cups2 min
  5. Chapter 4: Drinks and Drinking2 min
  6. Chapter 5: Food2 min
  7. Chapter 6: Making Cosmos3 min
  8. Chapter 7: Beasts Garments and Hunting3 min
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  1. Chapter 8: Hair and Women's Ornaments2 min
  2. Chapter 9: Women Work and Marriage3 min
  3. Chapter 10: Laws Death and Burial3 min
  4. Chapter 11: Entering Tartar Country3 min
  5. Chapter 12: The Court of Zagathai4 min
  6. Chapter 13: The Alanians2 min
  7. Chapter 14: A Saracen Seeks Baptism4 min
  8. Chapter 15: Distress and Comanian Funerals5 min
  9. Chapter 16: The Dominions of Sartach2 min
  10. Chapter 17: The Court of Sartach6 min
  11. Chapter 18: Sent to Baatu4 min
  12. Chapter 19: Christians at the Mongol Courts5 min
  13. Chapter 20: The Caspian Lands4 min
  14. Chapter 21: The Court of Baatu8 min
  15. Chapter 22: The Journey to Mangu Khan3 min
  16. Chapter 23: The River Ural3 min
  17. Chapter 24: Hunger Thirst and Misery4 min
  18. Chapter 25: The Death of Ban4 min
  19. Chapter 26: Nestorians Muslims and Idolaters3 min
  20. Chapter 27: Temples and Idols5 min
  21. Chapter 28: Nations of the East7 min
  22. Chapter 29: Cailac and the Naymans2 min
  23. Chapter 30: The Country of the Naymans2 min
  24. Chapter 31: Arrival at Mangu Khan's Court5 min
  25. Chapter 32: Presented to Mangu Khan6 min
  26. Chapter 33: Christians at Mangu Khan's Court4 min
  27. Chapter 34: The Great Feast10 min
  28. Chapter 35: The Armenian Monk Sergius5 min
  29. Chapter 36: Caracarum and the Silver Tree20 min
  30. Chapter 37: The Great Religious Debate12 min
  31. Chapter 38: The Last Audience15 min
  32. Chapter 39: The Journey Home22 min

Questions

What is The Journal of William of Rubruck about?
A Franciscan friar's eyewitness account of his 1253–55 journey to the court of the Great Khan at Karakorum, among the earliest and sharpest European reports on the Mongol Empire. Written by William of Rubruck and first published in 1255.
Is The Journal of William of Rubruck free on Sonsoo?
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Who narrates The Journal of William of Rubruck?
Sonsoo narrates each book with a natural AI voice. The text is cleaned by hand from its original public-domain source first, so the narration follows a careful edition rather than a raw scan.
Is the text of The Journal of William of Rubruck in the public domain?
Yes. The Journal of William of Rubruck (1255) is in the public domain; the full text is available from the original source, and Sonsoo narrates it end to end.

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