In the final section of his travel narrative, Felix Fabri describes his departure from Joppa and The Holy Land, and he disproves the many false narratives that surround the retelling of the journey. For example, he mentions the myth that the Saracens forced him along with the other pilgrims to ride upon the backs of donkeys (or “asses”) while traveling again to The Holy Land because they presumed that they were too unholy to walk upon the land barefoot. He claims that the Saracens did not care whether he or the pilgrims walked or traveled on horseback during their departure from The Holy Land. He then describes the twenty-seven articles that the Father Guardian, their religious leader during the pilgrimage, preached to them upon their return to Mount Zion. These articles instructed the proper behavior of the pilgrims during their time in The Holy Land, kind of like the rules that tourists are given during their visits to a museum or a zoo, but much more religiously focused.
The nature of these articles is particularly interesting because they all serve as guidelines for the Christian pilgrims to respect themselves, the Saracens’ religion, and the physical space around them. This is very different from the behaviors of white Christians who have traveled to other parts of the world at different points in history, which often resulted in the major disruption of the cultural and religious practices that existed prior to their arrival. Article twenty-three in particular is very keen on the potential disrespect that the pilgrims could potentially demonstrate to the religious practices of the Saracens that reside in the Holy Land. I think in some ways, these articles seem more modern, as they acknowledge every interaction that may occur between the white Christians and the Saracens, and they condemn any form of condescension that may come from the Christians’ end.
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