Ibn Fadlan 1: From Baghdad with Very Cold Beards




Human Circus: Journeys in the Medieval World show

Summary: Ahmad ibn Fadlan travels from early 10th century Baghdad on a diplomatic mission to the Volga Bulgars. There is a Viking funeral in his future, along with unfamiliar cultures and extremely cold weather. It's not The 13th Warrior, which it loosely inspired, but it is a good story. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, my website is www.humancircuspodcast.com, and I have some things on Redbubble at https://www.redbubble.com/people/humancircus. Sources: Ahmad ibn Fadlan. Mission to the Volga, translated by James E. Montgomery. New York University Press, 2017. Ibn Fadlan and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travellers in the Far North, translated and with an introduction by Paul Lunde and Caroline Stone. Penguin, 2012. Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia, edited by Josef W. Meri. Routledge, 2005. Bukharaev, Ravil. Islam in Russia: The Four Seasons. Routledge, 2014. Le Strange, Guy. The Lands of the Eastern Caliphate: Mesopotamia, Persia, and Central Asia from the Moslem Conquest to the Time of Timur. Cosimo Classics, 2010. Romano, John F. Medieval Travel and Travelers: A Reader. University of Toronto Press, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices