Provincializing histories of missions through food : friars and the consumption of kumiss in the Mongol empire
Journal: Religio revue pro religionistiku
Year: 2023

The article focuses on the question of the consumption of kumiss, a drink made from fermented mare's milk, among the various religious groups coexisting in the medieval Mongol empire. Inspired by Actor-Network Theory (B. Latour) and the project of provincializing Europe (D. Chakrabarthy), the article provides a comparative contextual analysis of medieval sources, including accounts of the Franciscan friars John of Plano Carpini and William of Rubruck, and other relevant sources relating to the h