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Primary sourceBook13th century, to 1259

Chronica Majora

Matthew Paris · 13th century, to 1259

An English monk's illustrated world chronicle whose frightening images and accounts of the Mongols reflect Europe's terror of the empire Genghis Khan built.

Matthew Paris's chronicle gives the influential, hostile St Albans portrayal of King John and the events at Runnymede.

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Medieval manuscript illustration of an elephant with a wooden tower on its back, carrying trumpeters and a rider holding a bell. Latin captions in red and black ink surround the drawing, which is painted on parchment.
Matthew Paris, Chronica Majora, 13th century.

About this source

What it is

The Chronica Majora is a universal history written and illustrated by Matthew Paris, a monk of St Albans, covering events from Creation to his death in 1259. Written in Latin, the illustrated manuscript survives in three volumes, held at the Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and the British Library. Matthew drew on a huge range of documents and was also a skilled draughtsman.

Why it matters

Though focused on England, the chronicle reports as far as the crusader states and the Mongol invasions. Matthew Paris's images depicted Mongols, the people and empire shaped by Genghis Khan, as monstrous cannibals, showing the fear and misinformation that spread across Latin Christendom about the Mongol conquests even decades after Genghis Khan's death.

Look closer

  • Why might a monk in England, far from Mongol territory, have portrayed the Mongols in such frightening terms?
  • What does this tell us about how rumor and fear travel faster than accurate information?
  • What is missing from an account written entirely by people who never encountered the Mongols themselves?

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