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Home , Karakorum, William of Rubruck

DIRECTOR'S NOTE A MEDIEVAL MUSICAL JOURNEY Constantine Costi that shifts and turns to create an awe-inspiring aural landscape. Why was William chosen to go on this journey? Michael’s adaptation has fused historical record He certainly wasn’t the first choice of Louis IX with emotional empathy. In the process of or Pope Innocent IV to go east on behalf of the adapting he asked himself, how would I feel if I Christian world. had to go on this dangerous journey? Nervous? Giovanni da Pian del Carpine left Europe for the Overwhelmed? Exhilarated? PROLOGUE SCENE 3 – Batu Kahn in 1245. The Pope presented him Anyone who has travelled to a foreign city knows Spoken introduction by the Narrator Ural with the daunting task to criticise the for that feeling of sensory overload. New sights, Miserere mei Deus their previous acts of violence against Christians. smells, sounds, and faces that make you wonder, SCENE 1 – Leaving home It’s amazing he made it back alive. Vexilla Regis “Am I dreaming?” Ay! Dieus Salve Regina Between 1245 and 1251 André de Longjumeau I’m sure William felt the same way. The Black Sea was sent to by Louis IX, and Pope SCENE 4 – The storm Innocent IV ordered him to Syria to deliver letters William would have been out of his depth and Sri Devi Ashtottara Shata Namavalih to a Mongol envoy. struggling, and yet, simultaneously enchanted Credo in unum Deum and enlightened. As you, or I, or anyone we know, SCENE 2 – Travelling Other friars, Lawrence of Portugal, Ascelin of would be today. through a strange land SCENE 5 – Finding the Lombardy and (the somewhat casually named) Loving the beauty of Layla Armenian monk David and Mark, were all sent East before William. Perhaps this is the power of all great art: the realisation that despite the vast distances of time Pos anc no-us ualc amors Heart Beating in the steppes So why William? and place human beings are largely the same. Ave Regina Caelorum His credentials were hardly as impressive as A Solis ortus cardine André de Longjumeau who spoke Arabic and Chaldean (a language widely spoken in the SCENE 6 – A feast Middle East of the time). Tang Tang In contrast, William was an unremarkable monk from an obscure village in northern . Drinking Song Louis’ reasoning to send William to Karakorum Veni Sancte Spiritus remains unknown. SCENE 7 – The debate at Karakorum This mystery struck me. Vision of the Beloved I realised that this is not the story of an The Debate at Karakorum extraordinary monk. It’s the story of an ordinary man thrust into an extraordinary endeavour. SCENE 8 – Farewell Working with Paul Dyer and the Australian Veni Veni Emmanuel Brandenburg Orchestra alongside La Camera delle Lacrime is a distinct joy. The beating heart With hearts high of this evening is the music. Much like the vast plains, mountains and oceans William traversed, 12 the music is a journey through a distant world 13 14 15 A Simple Monk with a Higher Purpose

William of Rubruck was a Flemish Franciscan monk sent on the journey of a lifetime. His idea, to travel and preach to the Mongol Empire, though supported by the King of France, Louis IX, was born from a simple purpose. It was to fulfil an oath. A clear set of instructions handed down by the head of his order, Saint Francis of Assisi, who venerated poverty and saw the natural world as the mirror of God. The Franciscan monks were bound by vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and a will to live in charity for all mankind. They also took the responsibility of announcing God throughout the world. For William, this meant pilgrimaging to distant lands never walked by Christians. In the face of innumerable dangers, he tested his faith, and, in turn, tested the faith of the unconverted. And in keeping his word, he left for the East with little more than official letters and a promise to report what he saw. His pilgrimage would last almost three years. He was also the first European to visit the Mongol capital of Karakorum on the Orhon River. On his return, he endeavoured to write an Itinerarium or journal in which he recounted his voyage. As for William himself, it cannot be said we know a huge amount about the man, other than from English philosopher who speaks of the monk in the geographical section of his Opus maius (1267).

On a long road to the Eastern World A Journal of things seen and unseen

William’s journey would start from humble beginnings. The monk was most likely Before departing, King Louis instructed William to keep a record of everything he from the small village of Rubrouck, near Saint-Omer in today’s northern France. heard and saw; after all, this was to be a momentous journey. And to his credit, In 1253, King Louis the IX of France (St Louis) was in Palestine, continuing his William’s journals can be said to have an almost scientific precision. However, crusade. On May 7, 1253, William left from the bustling streets of Constantinople William’s Itinerarium was written in Vulgate and is not organised thematically. with his companion Bartholomew of Cremona, a fellow Franciscan monk. One The result is a sporadic, yet incredibly detailed series of descriptions of the natural must wonder if either man knew just how far they had to voyage. After reaching the landscape, its peoples and their customs. William even takes time to discuss the Crimean town of they secured wooden carts and oxen, braving the elements strange animals he passed, including the ‘yak’ and horned sheep that would later to reach the camp of Batu , the fearless Mongol ruler of the River. take its name from . William's fascination with other religions is also However, their stay was short-lived. They were instructed to travel a further 5,000 apparent as he gives invaluable descriptions of Mongol shamanism, Nestorian miles to meet the Möngke Khan at the court of Karakorum in central . And Christians in Mongolia, and is also the earliest Western writer to provide a so, riding on horseback, they set off on September 16, 1253. It was on this journey description of Buddhism. that they faced tremendous hardship. Freezing cold, starvation, and dangerous roads plagued their steps. They would go north of the Caspian and Aral seas to the Talas River, through the Cailac Valley, and to the great plains of Mongolia, The Religions on the journey finally reaching Karakorum. They remained there until July 10, 1254, engaging in theological debates and numerous attempts to convert the Khan’s people. On the ’s journey would culminate in a great theological debate that journey home, they took a more northerly route arriving in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, occurred in the Court of Karakorum on May 30, 1254. The discussion was held 16 on August 15, 1255. between different faiths, namely Nestorian Christians, Buddhists and Muslims. 17 The population of the city contained a microcosm of the religious diversity of the The Sounds of Karakorum: some period instruments used in this concert Mongol empire. Shamanism, the Mongolian indigenous religion, was practised, as well as brought by Muslim traders in earlier centuries. Buddhism was very The KAMANCHE, played by Martin Bauer, is a four-stringed bowed popular in the city at this time too, as was Nestorian Christianity. To put the event instrument common in Iran (Persian Music) and in other Middle into perspective, we need to briefly discuss the religions mentioned above. Eastern and Arabic traditions. It can be found all over the near and middle east, and in countries such as and Russia. It The Muslim faith centres on the worship of the Prophet Muhammad, viewed by has a resonance box made of hardwood, such as walnut, which most branches of Islam to be God's final messenger. Muhammad was sent to is covered with a very thin young goat’s skin. Its wooden bridge is confirm the monotheistic teachings of those such as Adam and Abraham who curved to allow bowing separate strings. Some resonance boxes came before him. The Buddhists, on the other hand, worship the Buddha, a former are made of a whole piece, and some, in Iran, are made of several Prince who suddenly realised that conditioned experiences could not provide strips bound together. The neck is also made of a very hard wood lasting happiness or provide protection from suffering. Further away, the Mongolians and is attached to the resonance box, and has pegs at the top end Kamanche practised a folk religion known as Shamanism, an animalistic and shamanic to tune the strings. At the bottom end, there is a spike, which is teaching adopted in surrounding regions since the dawn of recorded history. used to hold the instrument upright as it is played. Traditionally, the Shamanism was an all-encompassing spiritual belief that traversed medicine, most common tuning is a series of fifths, like the western violin. religion, and nature, by using male shamans (boo) and female shamanesses (ugdan) as conduits between the human and spiritual world. And finally, there were the The ERHU played by Yan Li is a two-stringed bowed Nestorian Christians, a sect originating in Asia Minor and Syria after their leader, instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, often referred to as Southern Nestorius, was condemned. They stressed the independence of the divine and Fiddle or Chinese violin. It is used as a solo instrument as well as in human nature of Christ, suggesting the two were loosely united. small ensembles and large orchestras. It is the most popular of the huqin family of traditional bowed string instruments used by various It is clear that all of the above religions have a unique interpretation of divinity and ethnic groups of . The Erhu can be traced back to proto-Mongolic the meaning of faith and worship. Each religion would also originate from different instruments introduced to China more than a thousand years ago. It is corners of the world. Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity which believed to have evolved from the Xiqin, which originated from the Xi would in turn lead to the creation of the Quran, the basis of all Islamic belief. The people of Central Asia, and came to China in the tenth century. Buddha would start his journey of self-enlightenment in the foothills of Nepal and India almost 2600 years ago. These Buddhists teachings on the nature of the mind The HURDY-GURDY is a stringed instrument that produces sound by a hand crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The and enlightenment would later influence the Mongolians and their shamanism. And Erhu even today, the Nestorians are represented by the , or Persian wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on Church, and have followers predominately based in Syria and Iran. the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents—small wedges, typically made And in all this was William of Rubruck, a humble Franciscan monk sent to of wood—against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. convert followers just as devout in their own faiths as himself. After the debate Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a soundboard and hollow at Karakorum, William laments the fact that few converted. This could be said to cavity to make the vibration of the strings audible. Most hurdy-gurdies be a product of cultural difference as well as William’s inability to communicate have multiple drone strings, which give a constant in other languages. William describes his first encounter with Buddhist monks in pitch accompaniment to the melody, resulting in a his journal: “All the priests shave their heads, and are dressed in saffron colour, sound similar to that of bagpipes. The hurdy-gurdy is and they observe chastity from the time they shave their heads, and they live in generally thought to have originated from fiddles in congregations of one or two hundred. They keep their heads uncovered as long as either Europe or the Middle East sometime before the they are in temple, reading in silence and keeping in silence… I tried every means of eleventh century AD. Hurdy-Gurdy 18 inducing them to talk, but was unable to do so.” 19 PROLOGUE SCENE 1 – LEAVING HOME

13 April 1253 – Palm Sunday – Constantinople

To Louis, King of the French by the grace of God, brother William of Rubruck, inconsequential in order of the brothers Minor, sends his salutations. It is written in Ecclesiastes about the Wise: “In terram alienigenarum gentium pertransiet, bonaenim et mala in hominibus temptabit” (He will pass through the land of strange peoples, he will be tested by all things of good and evil). This have I done, O Lord my King.

Ay! Dieus/Oh God! – Austorg d’Aurillac (1225-1291) / Peirol d’Auvernha (1160-1225) – Troubadour song

Austorg d'Aorlhac VII of Aurillac was a son of Astorg VI of Aurillac and Marguerite de Malemort. He was knighted by King Louis IX on a Pentecost Day 1267, but he also was an Auvergnat troubadour. The only surviving sirvente (a type of Old

Palais du Khan, Photo Credit: Khaï-dong Luong© Khaï-dong Credit: Photo Khan, du Palais Occitan lyric poetry practiced by the troubadours) written by him is “Ay! Dieus!” It was composed after the defeat of the Seventh Crusade under Louis IX of France in 1250. This sirvente is a contrafactum (a substitution of one text for another without KARAKORUM – the ancient capital of Mongolia substantial change to the music) of a canso (song) by Peirol, who also was an KARAKORUM was founded by in 1220 to serve as the capital of the Auvergnat troubadour, and mostly wrote songs of courtly love. Mongol Empire, with its construction being completed in 1235 during the reign of his successor Ögedei Khan. Karakorum in the thirteenth century was home to more The Black Sea – Melody from the Caucasus than ten thousand people, including royalty, noblemen, ministers, military leaders, craftsmen, traders, clergy, and foreign guests, in addition to nomads inhabiting 7 May 1253, we entered the Black Sea. compounds of gers (Mongolian tents). The remarkable size and diversity of the city’s population is reflected by the fact that there were, according to the account Sri devi ashtottara shata namavalih – Extract from the Buddhist hymn of the of William of Rubruck, "twelve idol temples belonging to different people, two 108 names of the Goddess Durga mosques where the religion of Mahomet is proclaimed, and one Christian church at the far end of the city". In addition to possessing significant resident populations of Chinese, , Ruthenians, Georgians, Hermenians and other non-Mongol peoples, Karakorum was also host to a stream of foreign emissaries and traders. The city received official delegations from as far away as India, Arabia, Armenia and Rome, as well as merchants from China, Persia, and other countries along the Silk Route. Today, very little remains of the former grand city, except for heaps of gravel indicating the outlines of former buildings and streets, and four granite turtles 20 marking the corners of the ruin. 21 SCENE 2 – TRAVELLING THROUGH A STRANGE LAND SCENE 3 –

21 May 1253, we were heading East, with nothing to see other than the sky and the earth. 1 August, we were led into the great tent of Batu Khan. I then presented to him your letters in Greek, with an Arabic translation. We stayed standing before him for the 3. Loving the Beauty Lovingof Layla the beauty of Layla – Sufi chant time which is necessary to say « Miserere mei Deus ». ﻲﻠﺻ ﺎﯾ مﻼﺳ ةﻼﺻ ﺔﻠﯾﻣﺟ ﻲﻠﻋ حﺎﺑﺻﻣ ا مﻼﺿﻟ ﮫط ﺔﻠﯾﻔﻛ Ural – Melody of the sacred mountain ﻲﻧﻗرأ ا مارﻐﻟ نﻣ نﺳﺣ ﻟ ﯾ ﻰﻠ او ﻟ ﻘ بﻠ ﻲﻓ ﯾھ مﺎ ﻊﻣ ا ﯾﻣﺟﻟ ﺔﻠ Miserere mei Deus – Lenten penitential psalm sung on the ancient psalm tone – Gregorian chant دﻣﻌﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻧﺳﺟﺎم ﻋﻣﻠت ﻣﺳﯾﻠﺔ ُﻣذ أﺻﺎﺑﺗﻧﻲ ﺳﮭﺎم ﺻرت ﻋﻠﯾﻠﺔ

Batu ordered me to speak. I bent down on one knee as one does before a man, but تﻟﺎﻗ ﺎﯾ مﻼﻏ لﮭﻣأ ﻼﯾﻠﻗ وﻧداو ﻲﻧﻣ مارﺗﺣﺎﺑ و ﻲﻔﺷا ﻼﯾﻠﻐﻟا

our guide made a sign that I should bend both, which I did. And since I had knelt on * كﯾﻠﻋ مﻼﺳﻟا تﻠﻗ ﻰﻠﯾﻟ و ﻲﻠﻋ ﻊﻣﺟﻟا مارﻛﻟا مھ ﺔﻠﯾﺳوﻟا both knees, I began my speech with a prayer. Loving the beauty of Layla, I became a slave. My heart, prey to a mad love, was wandering with the beautiful one. Hunger, thirst, cold and fatigue were innumerable hardships. We walked in the 15. Vision of the BelovedOh Layla! "That salvation be upon you", I say to her and company of Batu for the first five weeks. The journey to Cailac lasted until the feast "On all the nobles who are your successors" accord oh my God of All Saints. On 1 November, we entered this town, carrying high our banner and ﷲ ﷲ ﷲ ﷲ a sublime blessing to the beacon of the night, taha the well-doer. the cross, passing through the middle of the Saracen quarter.

Magdalene we arrived at the great river Vexilla regis – Christian hymn to Holly Cross and Muslim call to prayer ﻓ ﻘ د ز ا تﻟ Mary ا ﻟ بوﺟﺣ of Saint نﻋ بﺣ ﺣFeast ﯾ ن ﺑ د ا A few days before the

Don, which separates Asia from Europe, as the Nile separates Asia from Africa. ا ﺎﯾ قﺎﺷﻋ بوﺑﺣﻣﻟا تﻗو دوﮭﺷﻟا اذھ We left the town of Cailac on 30 November. Not far from there, we found an entire

.has never favoured you – Bertran de Nestorian village. Once within the church, we sang in full voice Salve Regina ﻣن َذا ﯾlove رﯾد مﮭﻔﯾ نﻣ ﺎﻧرﺳ ا موﺗﻛﻣﻟ Pos anc no-us ualc amors/Since Lamanon (1210-1270) & Granet (active 1240-1257) / Bernat de Ventadorn (1130- Salve Regina – Marian antiphon – Gregorian chant ﯾ وﻧد و ﯾ ﻠﻌﺗ م ﺗ ﺑ ود ﻟ ﮫ ا موﻠﻌﻟ Troubadour song – (1190

Bertran de Lamanon was a Provençal knight and troubadour. He was also an official, diplomat and ambassador at the court of the Count of Provence. There are only twenty-two works of his that survive, many dealing with Crusading themes. In one manuscript Bertran’s life is described in only twenty-seven words "Bertran d’Alamanon was from Provence, the son of Lord Pons de Brugières. He was a courtly knight and an eloquent speaker. And he composed good tensos and sirventes." In the song "Pos anc no-us ualc amors" Bertran eagerly awaits the arrival of the Antichrist, in order that he may possess a lady who is resisting him. The melody of this song is most likely based on one of the songs composed by a 22 prominent troubadour of the twelfth century, Bernat de Vertadorn. 23 SCENE 4 – THE STORM SCENE 5 – FINDING THE ARMENIAN MONK

The second Saturday of Advent, we were passing through a truly frightening place. 26 December 1253, we entered a plain, as vast as a sea. Our guide made me pronounce good words to send away demons… By the grace of God, we passed without harm. And so they asked me to write papers that they Heart beating in the steppes – Mongolian chant 鸿 雁 ，天空上 ， wore on their heads. I wrote for them “Credo”: “I believe”. 对对排成行， The wild geese in the sky fly one behind the other. Credo in unum Deum – Gregorian chant 江 水 长 ，秋草黄 ， Alongside the stream, the grasses of the steppes seem 草原上琴声忧伤。 made of gold in autumn and whistle a melancholy air. 鸿雁，向南方， The wild geese above the reeds fly towards the south. 飞过芦苇荡， In this limitless grey sky where are they going? 天 苍 茫 ，雁何往 ， My home is where my heart is. 心中是北方家乡。

The next day, we arrived at the camp of Möngke Khan. I saw a house with a cross above it. We entered with confidence. There was a large cross made of silver. An oil lamp was burning before the altar, and an Armenian monk was seated there. We sang in full voice Ave Regina Caelorum.

Ave Regina Caelorum – Marian antiphon – Gregorian chant

At the octave of the Innocents, 4 January 1254, we were led to the court of Möngke Khan. Nestorian priests arrived and, like us, were still celebrating the Nativity. We began to sing A solis ortus cardine.

A solis ortus cardine – Christian hymn – Gregorian chant

It is a Latin hymn, written c.430 by the early Christian poet Sedulius. The text recounts Christ’s life from his birth to his resurrection. The melody dates to the fifth century, beginning in the Dorian mode and ending in the Phrygian mode. The hymn is still in use in the modern Catholic liturgy. Letter ‘E’ showing Christ blessing four saints, from the Rimini Antiphonal, 1328 / illuminated by Neri da Rimini (Ref. Richardson 273, folio 71r). Courtesy: State Library of New South Wales.

24 25 3. Loving the Beauty of Layla

ﻲﻠﺻ ﺎﯾ مﻼﺳ ةﻼﺻ ﺔﻠﯾﻣﺟ ﻲﻠﻋ حﺎﺑﺻﻣ ا مﻼﺿﻟ ﮫط ﺔﻠﯾﻔﻛ

ﻲﻧﻗرأ ا مارﻐﻟ نﻣ نﺳﺣ ﻟ ﯾ ﻰﻠ او ﻟ ﻘ بﻠ ﻲﻓ ﯾھ مﺎ ﻊﻣ ا ﯾﻣﺟﻟ ﺔﻠ

دﻣﻌﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻧﺳﺟﺎم ﻋﻣﻠت ﻣﺳﯾﻠﺔ ﻣذ أﺻﺎﺑﺗﻧﻲ ﺳﮭﺎم ﺻرت ﻋﻠﯾﻠﺔ SCENE 6 – A FEAST SCENEُ 7 – THE DEBATE AT KARAKORUM

Möngke Khan at his court in Karakorum. About the تﻟﺎﻗwith ﺎﯾ مﻼﻏarrived لﮭﻣأwe ﻼﯾﻠﻗ وﻧداو,Sunday ﻲﻧﻣPalm مارﺗﺣﺎﺑ و ﻲﻔﺷا ﻼﯾﻠﻐﻟا So I said to Möngke Khan: “Lord, in the Holy Land, we have heard it said that Sartaq, the son of Batu, was Christian. The Christians greatly rejoiced about it and, town of Karakorum: you should know that, except for the palace of the Khan, the of Saint-Denis and the monastery of Saint-Denis is كﯾﻠﻋ مﻼﺳﻟاvillage تﻠﻗthe ﻰﻠﯾﻟ worth و isn’t ﻲﻠﻋ ﻊﻣﺟﻟاplace مارﻛﻟا مھ ﺔﻠﯾﺳوﻟا in particular, the King of the French, who makes a pilgrimage and fights against the Saracens there. So, accord us the permission to stay here to serve God.” worth ten times that of the palace. There are twelve idol temples, one church and two mosques. He called for us to be served with a drink based on rice, transparent and delicious like white wine. 15. Vision of the Beloved Vision of the Beloved – Sufi chant

ﷲ ﷲ ﷲ ﷲ Tang Tang – Mongolian melody

ﻓ ﻘ د ز ا تﻟ ا ﻟ بوﺟﺣ نﻋ بﺣ ﺣ ﯾ ن ﺑ د ا Drinking song – Mongolian melody

At the octave of Epiphany, Möngke Khan came in person and entered the church. ا ﺎﯾ قﺎﺷﻋ بوﺑﺣﻣﻟا تﻗو دوﮭﺷﻟا اذھ We sang « Veni Sancte Spiritus ». Come Holy Ghost.

ﻣن َذا ﯾرﯾد مﮭﻔﯾ نﻣ ﺎﻧرﺳ ا موﺗﻛﻣﻟ Veni Sancte Spiritus – Pentecostal sequence – Gregorian chant

* ﯾ وﻧد و ﯾ ﻠﻌﺗ م ﺗ ﺑ ود ﻟ ﮫ ا موﻠﻌﻟ

When my beloved appeared, she was unveiled! Oh! You who are in love with the beloved. It is the time to contemplate, that he who wishes to pierce our secret is approaching and learning. All knowledge will be revealed to him.

The Sunday before Pentecost, the great secretaries of the court came to see me. “You are all here, Christians, Saracens and Tuins, and each one says that his law is the best, and that his writings are the truest. Möngke Khan wishes that you all assemble for a debate…”

We had a meeting therefore on 30 May 1254, the eve of Pentecost.

“Here is the order of Möngke Khan. That no one dare pronounce aggressive or injurious words against anyone else, neither arouse an uproar which impedes this undertaking, under pain of death…” 26 27 All the Tuin priests got together and repeated ceaselessly these words: Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum: Generosity, Ethics, Patience, Diligence, Renunciation, Wisdom.

The Debate at Karakorum “What do you believe on the subject of God?” “We believe that there is only one God.” “Do you believe that he is of the spirit or of corporeal substance?” “We believe that he is spirit.” “Do you believe that he was once clothed in human nature?” “Not at all!” “Why do you therefore create bodily images?” “We believe that he is spirit.” “We do not depict these images for God, but when among us a man comes to die, we worship the image in his memory.” “Where is your soul?” “In our bodies!”

SCENE 8 – FAREWELL

The following day, Möngke Khan called me and said: “We believe that there is only one God. But as God has given to the hand several fingers, in the same way he has given to men several pathways. You have stayed here a long time, and I now would like you to return. You have a long journey to make. Strengthen yourself by eating heartily, so that you can arrive in your country in good health.”

Veni Veni Emmanuel – Advent hymn of Franciscan origin – Gregorian chant

With hearts high – Melody from Kyrgyzstan

28 *Thanks to Brett Hatfield and Alene Khatcherian for their assistance with Arabic text. 29