Symon Semeonis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Symon Semeonis
O.F.M.
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|---|---|
| Síomón Mac Síomóin | |
| Nationality | Irish (Lordship of Ireland) |
| Other names | Simon FitzSimon(s) |
| Citizenship | Lordship of Ireland |
| Occupation | Franciscan monk |
| Years active | 1320s |
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Notable work
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Itinerarium Symonis Semeonis ab Hybernia ad Terram Sanctam |
Symon Semeonis (who lived around 1322–1324) was an Irish Franciscan friar and writer from the 1300s. A friar is a type of monk who lives and works among people, not just in a monastery. He is also known as Simon FitzSimon or Simon FitzSimmons.
Contents
Who Was Symon Semeonis?
Symon Semeonis came from a family of Hiberno-Norman origin. This means his ancestors were Normans who settled in Ireland a long time ago. He wrote a book called The Itinerary of Brother Symon Semeonis and Hugo Illuminator. An itinerary is a detailed plan or record of a journey.
In 1323, Symon and his friend, Hugo Illuminator, went on a long trip. They traveled all the way from Clonmel in Ireland to Jerusalem. Symon wrote down everything they saw and experienced during their journey.
First Look at the Romani People
During his travels, Symon Semeonis met a group of people outside a town in Crete. He called them 'the descendants of Cain'. Today, we know these people as the Romani people. Symon's description is probably the first time a Western writer ever wrote about the Romani people in Europe.
His writings about his time in what is now Greece are also some of the first reports about that land to reach Britain.
Special Passport
Symon Semeonis even got a special passport for travelers from Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad. This passport cost less money than usual. It was made official with the Sultan's fingerprints! You can still see Symon's original book today. It is kept safe in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Symon's last name is now often spelled FitzSimon, FitzSimmonds, or Simmonds. These names are still found in Ireland today.
Symon's Amazing Journey
Symon Fitzsimons wrote down a very detailed plan of his trip. He started in Clonmel, Ireland. He didn't say exactly how he left Ireland, but he arrived in Wales at Holyhead. This makes it very likely he sailed from Dublin, which is still a popular ferry route today.
From Clonmel, he traveled north to Roscrea. Then, he followed an old road called the Slighe Dála (which means "Way of the Assembly"). This road took him east to Abbeyleix and then northeast through Naas, Tallaght, and finally to Dublin.
Across Europe
After reaching Holyhead in Wales, his group continued east across North Wales. They then followed an old Roman road called Watling Street through England to Canterbury. They left England from Dover, sailing to Wissant in France.
They continued south through France to Paris. From Paris, they went down the Seine River to Châtillon-sur-Seine. Then, they traveled by land to Beaune and went down the Saône and Rhône rivers to Marseille.
As Symon traveled through Eastern Europe, he started to pay more attention to the people and their local customs. This is when he wrote about the Romani people he met in Crete. This is a very important part of his journey, as it's the first time anyone in Europe wrote about them.
| This map shows the pilgrimage of Symon Semeonis. The towns and cities are called by their modern names. | |
Other Travelers Like Symon
- James of Ireland (lived around 1316-1330) was another traveler from that time. He traveled to Sumatra and China.
Sources
- Itinerarium Symonis Semeonis Ab Hybernia Ad Terrum Sanctam, edited and translated by Mario Esposito, Dublin, 1960.
- A New History of Ireland, volume one, pp. 453, 460.
- An Early Irish Visitor to the Island of Crete by Conn Murphy, UCC, at Classics Ireland.
- The itineraries of Fr. Simon Fitzsimons-1322-23 and others. Thomas Brygg. (Scroll to last PDF entry)
- Two Irish Travellers in Albania in 1322
- M. Esposito, Itinerarium Symonis Semeonis ab Hybernia ad Terram Sanctam, Dublin, The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1960
- G. Golubovich, Biblioteca Bio-bibliografica della Terra Santa e dell’Oriente Francescano, III, Florence, Collegio di S. Bonaventura, 1919
- Agustí Justicia Lara (2020). "The Corpus Islamolatinum as Auctoritas in the Polemical Discourse of Symon Semeonis" in Propaganda and (un)covered identities in treatises and sermons: Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the premodern Mediterranean (ed. Cándida Ferrero). Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Servei de Publicacions, Bellaterra. pp. 41-54
- Agustí Justicia Lara (2020). "The mirabilia of the Mediterranean Basin in the Itinerarium Symonis Semeonis" in The mirabilia of the Mediterranean Basin
