While John Mandeville often blurs myth and reality in his travel account, his description of Cyprus is anchored by fact, emphasizing the island’s historical relevance within the Medieval mind. 

Before detailing his account of Cyprus, Mandeville references the once-great city of Adalia, associating it with a regional myth. He explains that a young man once happened upon the tomb of a beautiful young woman, and laid down beside her before continuing his journey. In a dream, the man was told to revisit the grave or else he would experience great suffering. And yet, when the tomb was reopened, an ugly head escaped and terrorized the city, causing it to sink. Mandeville asserts that this story is the reason for dangerous waterways in the region. The inclusion of this myth serves two purposes: to explain a natural phenomenon and to provide a contrast ahead of Mandeville’s glowing account of Cyprus.

For Mandeville, Cyprus’ importance relies on its status as a Christian nation and its proximity to Jerusalem. Thus, he spends more time highlighting the ethnographic details of Cyprus than he did in previous locations. At the beginning of this chapter, Mandeville mentions Cyprus’ strong vines and noble wine, noting the wine is originally red, but that with each year it becomes whiter, and eventually runs clear. Mandeville associates the visual purification of the wine as a marker of strength. The wine serves as a metaphor for the power and longevity of Christian rule in Cyprus.

Furthermore. Mandeville’s account accentuates Cyprus’ organization. He introduces Cyprus as a large island home to four major cities, three bishops, and one archbishop. Mandeville is clearly impressed by Cyprus’ unity in faith, despite its size, before enumerating several Christian references. He tells his reader about the Mountain of the Holy Cross and the abbey of monks that resides there, in addition to the Castle of Amours, where the bodies of Saint Genovefe and Saint Hilarion lie. Mandeville contends that the Cross of Our Lord is not indeed in Cyprus, contrary to popular knowledge. This assertion reflects Mandeville’s commitment to fact in his description–an attempt to establish his credence as a writer. 

Notably, Cyprus coincides with Mandeville’s first description of hunting and eating practices. He remarks that men hunt with papions, leopard-like cats, that are well-equipped at capturing beasts. He distinguishes papions by their agility and size, in comparison to dogs and lions. Additionally, Mandeville underscores that all men in Cyprus eat their food on the ground because of the heat. And yet, in the presence of foreigners, they eat at tables. Mandeville suggests that although their dining customs are different, that they serve a function to those who practice them.

Mandeville’s account of Cyprus identifies the island as an important stop on the way to the Holy Land. Cyprus’ status as both a major trade hub and as a historically Christian-ruled region makes it significant to Mandeville’s journey. As Mandeville’s travels bring him closer to the Holy Land, he focuses on locations that support his mission as a Christian pilgrim.