The Europeans of the thirteenth century knew nothing of the Mongols, though it was perhaps the brightest, brightest period of the Middle Ages. In the meantime, the great scholastics taught at universities such as Paris: Abelard, John of Salisbury and Thomas Aquinas are the modern thinkers of that epoch who wanted to confirm the revealed faith with the means of reason. Although Aristotle was discovered again, the worldview was still dominated by Scripture. Quickly a Bible passage was found, which seemed to explain what happened, namely the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel in the description of Prince Gog and his devastating horsemen, Magog: "Thus says the Lord God: I will proceed against you, Gog (...) I pull yourself around and hook your cheeks and lead out you and your whole force: horses and riders, all magnificently dressed, a large army, with long shield and round shield; Everyone has their sword in their hands. (...) Like a storm you pull up; like a cloud that covers the whole land - you and all your troops and many peoples with you (...) Then, when my people Israel look to safety, you break up and move out of your land, from the far north, you and many nations with you, all on horseback, a great army, a mighty force. "(Ezekiel 38, 3-15)
But there were other sources to study to get a picture of the world beyond the Islamic lands. Such as the Alexander novel, an anonymous Greek work, which was created in the 3rd century AD. It treats Alexander the Great and his India train and was widespread in the Middle Ages. Legend has it that Alexander included some Israelite tribes, including the Magog, behind the Caucasus: God had two mountains so close together that Alexander could close the passage with a gate. At the end of time, however, these tribes would break out again.
Even more amazing was what the novel told about the peoples on the margins of the world who lived beyond the Hindu Kush. There were giants with hands like saws, black dwarfs, dog-headed people, Astomoi, who have no mouth, but feed only on the smell, creatures that can cover themselves with their huge ears, one-eyed, and in the east the serers that pass through their peaceableness and righteousness stand out and from which the silk comes.
But it was not only the intellectual "weather situation" that had become confusing as a result of the Mongol invasion, but the political situation was also becoming more complicated. In Spain, it was possible to gradually push back Muslims. 1221 rumors circulated again about a Christian king, who also reached a Crusader army, which was included in Egypt at Damiette. A King David would have victoriously taken up the fight against the Muslims, and on his flags the cross would shine. One waited in vain for relief. 1244 el Jerusalem, conquered by Chwarismic Turks on behalf of the Sultan of Egypt. Innocent IV was in a bitter dispute with Emperor Frederick II, and when the Pope campaigned for the sixth crusade in 1245, he initially had no success. Should five crusades, 150 years of fighting and sacrifice have been in vain?
As early as 1240, smart minds at the Roman Curia must have realized the threatening nature of the situation. Nowhere is it documented what scholarly and even curious discussions were conducted in Rome and what works were tossed around the libraries. One thing must quickly become clear: information was needed, it had to penetrate to that Christian realm that lay beyond Islam and beyond those strange countries at the other end of the world, of which the Alexander novel reports.
