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George PsalmanazarAdventurer
Date of Birth: 01.01.1679
Country:  France |
Content:
- The Intriguing Adventures of George Psalmanazar
- The Pilgrimage Disguise and the Birth of the "Formosan"
- The Arrival in England and the Forgery of Formosa
- Life in London and the Publication of "Description of Formosa"
- Confession and Later Years
The Intriguing Adventures of George Psalmanazar
Childhood and Early LifeLittle is known about Psalmanazar's early years. Based on posthumously published autobiographical accounts, he was born in Southern France, likely between 1679 and 1684. Educated in a Franciscan school and later at a Jesuit college, his exceptional language skills were recognized by his teachers. However, at the age of 15 or 16, he abandoned his studies and fled from the Jesuits.
The Pilgrimage Disguise and the Birth of the "Formosan"
To ensure safe passage through France, Psalmanazar devised a plan to disguise himself as an Irish pilgrim bound for Rome. He meticulously studied English, forged a passport, and stole a pilgrim's cloak and staff from a local church. However, realizing that Irish pilgrims were common in France, he sought a more exotic disguise.
Inspired by missionary accounts from the Far East, Psalmanazar transformed himself into a Japanese Christian neophyte. Later, he claimed to have reverted to paganism, adopting strange practices such as eating raw meat seasoned with cardamom and sleeping upright in a chair.
The Arrival in England and the Forgery of Formosa
Never reaching Rome, Psalmanazar traveled through German principalities and fought in battles before arriving in the Netherlands in 1702, where he presented himself as a Formosan. He had created a calendar with a ten-month year, elaborate sun and moon worship rituals, and even a Formosan language and alphabet.
In 1703, he met William Innes, a Scottish military chaplain, and together they traveled to London to meet with Anglican clergymen. Innes claimed to have converted the pagan to Christianity, baptizing him George Psalmanazar, after an ancient Biblical king.
Life in London and the Publication of "Description of Formosa"
In London, Psalmanazar's exotic persona captivated society. He was received in the most respected houses, including that of Queen Anne. Playing off the era's fascination with travel and distant lands, as well as the anti-Catholic sentiment prevalent in 18th-century Britain, Psalmanazar emphasized his alleged abduction by Jesuits from Formosa and his refusal to convert to Catholicism.
In 1704, he published "An Historical and Geographical Description of Formosa," a book brimming with fabricated details that nonetheless became an instant bestseller.
Confession and Later Years
In 1706, Psalmanazar's fame began to wane, and he confessed to close friends and later publicly that he had been deceiving everyone for his own amusement. He lived out the remainder of his life as a theologian, dying on May 3, 1763, but his final decades lacked the notoriety of his first two decades as the "Formosan" adventurer.
