Mirabilia mundi


Mirabilia mundi is a Latin compilation on natural wonders, many drawn from legends about Alexander the Great, intended to stimulate the mind to reverence of God. It was produced around 1240 and is preserved in two manuscripts.
The late medieval Mandeville's Travels depends in certain details on the Mirabilia.

Content

The Mirabilia consists of a short introduction setting out the purpose of the work and three sections with the titles:
According to the introduction, "as a result of such great objects of wonder" as are described in the book "one should praise and revere God who created all things and accommodated them to the understanding of the human mind." The first section describes how Alexander the Great enclosed Gog, Magog and the 22 nations behind the Caspian Gates. The second describes the 22 nations and names their kings. These nations are identified with the Mongols. They are said to be descendants of "Cham, son of Noah". In no other source are these nations said to be Hamites and this detail may reflect a misunderstanding of the Mongol title khagan, which was often spelled chaam in Latin.
The third section describes "the wonderful works of God" grouped under the headings "islands", "waters", "men", "brute animals", "birds" and "inanimate things".

Manuscripts

The title Mirabilia mundi is found in the two surviving manuscripts of the text:
In addition, the Mirabilia was translated into Tuscan around 1300 and incorporated into a compilation that includes Italian translations of the Pseudo-Aristotelian Secret of Secrets and part of the Histona Tartarorum of Giovanni da Pian del Carpine. This anonymous compilation is found in at least four manuscripts. The translation of the Mirabilia is faithful but not always literal.
has produced an unpublished edition of the text.