George Psalmanazar, The Man From Formosa
· 49 min · S10 E3
Episode George Psalmanazar, The Man From Formosa
In the early 1700s, when maps still had blank spaces and “here be dragons” felt like a reasonable warning, a stranger arrived in Europe with a fantastic story to tell. Calling himself George Psalmanazar, and claiming to be a native of far-off Formosa, where people lived in underground houses and dined on human meat. He translated scriptures into a language no one had ever heard and tutored missionaries in the customs and culture of his country. But the greatest fiction wasn’t his island at all, it was Psalmanazar himself. And for a while, the world believed every dazzling word. SOURCES
Psalmanazar, George (1704) An Historical & Geographical Description of Formosa. London, UK.
Psalmanazar, George (1764) Memoirs of ****. Commonly Known by the Name of George Psalmanazar, a Reputed Native of Formosa. London, UK.
Keevak, Michael (2001) The Pretended Asian. Wayne State University Press. USA
Foley, Frederic (1968) The Great Formosan Imposter. St. Louis Jesuit Historical Institute, USA.
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