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36 EASTERN HORIZON | FEATURES

A 12th-century Latin translation
of Barlaam and Josaphat from the
Greek version attributed to John
of Damascus. The manuscript was
owned by the Weissenau Abbey in
Germany. Credit: British Library

A German version continues that
after learning about sickness, old
age and death, Josaphat met the
Christian hermit Barlaam who
converted him. Josaphat’s father
attempted to dislodge his son from
his new faith. He threatened him
and then he promised him half
the kingdom, but without success. ’
Then the king met the sorcerer Rappresentatione di Barlaam et
Theodas – a corruption of the name An illustrated German version of Josafat’, an Italian poetic version
Devadatta – who advised him to Barlaam and Josaphat, printed in by Bernardo Pulci printed in
send Josaphat beautiful women to Augsburg around 1470 CE. Shown Florence in 1516 CE. The title
seduce him, in which they did not here is an illustration of Josasphat’s page illustration depicts the birth
succeed. In the Buddha narrative, encounter of a blind man and a of Josaphat in the imagination of
this scene is related to Mara instead leper, and the text narrates how a Christian artist. Credit: British
of Devadatta. Josaphat was also his attendants explain the reality Library
attacked by Theodas’ evil spirits of human suffering to him. Credit:
which he fought off. Josaphat British Library Printing technology helped to
decided to renounce the world and mass-produce copies of the legend
to spend the rest of his life as an The legend became particularly of Barlaam and Josaphat which
ascetic. In the wilderness of the popular in Germany through made it more widely accessible.
desert, he was attacked by wild the Austrian poet Rudolf von Frequently, pictures of Barlaam and
beasts and demons. Finally, he was Ems’ poetic German version that Josaphat were added on the title
reunited with the hermit Barlaam was composed on the basis of a page of printed works. Illustrations
and they passed away shortly after Latin version around 1230 CE. depicting scenes from the story were
one another. In Scandinavia, a translation into included in some printed books.
Old Norse was ordered by King Although the artistic representation
Haakon Haakonsøn in the 13th of such images is characterized by
century, which was the basis of the European fashion of that time,
later translations into Norwegian based on the imagination of artists
and Swedish. From a Syriac version, who had never been to India, it is
translations into Old Slavonic and possible to identify certain scenes
then Russian and Serbian were that are well known from the
produced. Life of Buddha. These include the
Buddha’s birth as a prince, his four
encounters, his renunciation of the
world, Mara’s attack and assaults by
Devadatta.