George Psalmanazar (* 1679; "† 3. May 1763) stated the first native of Formosa (the today's Taiwan) to be, who came to Europe. For some years it could convince the public in Great Britain of it, however later than Hochstapler was unmasked.

Life

Around the year 1700 a very strange man appeared in northern Europe. It seemed to European kind, however Formosa maintained to come, lived after their strange calendar and prayed sun and moon on from the far island.

In the year 1702 it arrived in the Netherlands. There it met William Innes, which was Kaplan there in a unit of the Scottish army. That one maintained the heaths to the Christianity to have bekehrt and baptized it under the name George Psalmanazr (following the Biblical king of the Assyrer Shalmaneser). In the year 1703 it traveled over Rotterdam to London, in order to meet the there bishop.

In the London of the time at that time became famous the exotic foreigner with his strange behaviour. He ate raw meat with an enormous amount spices and slept upright sitting on a chair. It stated, by Jesuiten from Formosa to France to have been kidnapped, where it refused itself stepping the Roman catholicism.

In the year 1704 published Psalmanazar the book at Historical and Geographical Description OF Formosa, at Iceland subject ton the Emperor OF Japan, in which he described a number of further strangenesses. In it Formosa was a rich country with the capital Xternetsa. Humans went naked up to golden and silver buckles to covering the sex parts. The main food were queues, which hunted it with branches. Formosaner were thereafter polygam and the married man had the right to feed its wives as desired. Condemned murderers were executed, by being hung head over and fired at by means of arrows. They sacrificed each year the Gods the hearts of 18.000 young men, who became remaining body from the priests fed. They knew also horses and camels as means of transport. In the book also a Formosi alphabet is described.

The book was rather successful. There were of it two English editions, a French and German edition followed.

After it he was called briefly to the Oxford college. It began to translate religious literature into (its) formosische language and taught (its) Formosa niche culture and language. The bishop of London supports it. He regarded Dr. Samuel Johnson (a literary figure) as his friend. And it spoke before the Royal Geographical Society.

Psalmanazars occurrence remained not certainly. It could turn however most criticism away from itself. He explained its pale skin with the fact that he did not have to settle work in the sun as a member of the Oberschicht. It actually stated even to have underground lived. Jesuiten, which were actual as mission acres in Formosa, not believed against it, also because of their bad reputation in the anti-catholic tendency of that time. , He evaded to questions of members of the Royal Society, for example of Edmund Halley.

Innes ascended to the Oberkaplan of the English of armed forces in Portugal. Psalmanazar against it involved itself into some dubious business. In the year 1706 it admitted the deception, only opposite friends and finally confessed it it also to the public.

Psalmanazar lived up to its death as a writer. He worked some time as an employee of the army to it a Mitangestellter money for the study of theology gave. He learned Hebrew, became co-author of A general History OF Printing (1732) and wrote a set of articles for universal History. It cooperated also in the book Geography OF the World, in which it wrote over genuine conditions in Formosa and criticism at its swindle spread in former times practiced. It obviously became also increasingly more religious.

Under its writings is also note IR OF ****, Commonly Known by the name OF George Psalmanazar; A Reputed native one OF Formosa, which posthum publish became.

After these Autobiografie it was born 1679 in France and visited there a Jesuitenschule. Its activity ended there, when it resisted the rises of the lady of the house and became the pilgrim. First it, Irish pilgrim on the way stated to Rome to be. On the way it met however too many, which actually knew something about Ireland. Afterwards changed into the role of a Japanese Konvertiten, in order to finally spend itself as heath, which sounded still more exciting. It moved hungry by Europe, as a hero and sometimes as a soldier. It accepted the role of the Formosaners on urge from Innes, when the priest recognized its deception, however from the Hochstapelei to profit wanted.

Unfortunately Psalmanazar forgot to deliver its birth names.

Related links

• Orientalism as performance kind: The strand Case OF George Psalamanazar

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