Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo 1406

A portrait of Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo

Ann: Narrative of the Embassy of Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo (of Madrid) to the Court of Timour at Samarcand (1403-6)

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Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo was sent as an ambassador from Henry III of Castile to the court of Timour (Tamerlane) at Samarkand in 1403. This book contains a translated account of his journey, from Cadiz to Constantinople, across the Black Sea and then overland from Trebizond to Samarkand. It describes in detail court life in Timour's capital, and tells of the return of the embassy to Spain in 1406. He gives a description of a giraffe.

Taken from: Narrative of the Embassy of Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo to the Court ...By Ruy González de Clavijo

When the ambassadors arrived in the city of Khoi (1) they found in it an ambassador whom the Sultan of Babylon (2) had sent to Timour Beg (3) who had with him as many as twenty horses and fifteen camels laden with presents which the Sultan of Babylon (2) sent to Timour Beg (3). He also had six rare birds and a beast called j' omufa (giraffe) which creature is made with a body as large as that of a horse a very long neck and the fore legs much longer than the hind ones. Its hoofs are like those of a bullock. From the nail of the hoof to the shoulders it measured sixteen palmos (4) and when it wished to stretch its head it raised it so high that it was wonderful and its neck was slender like that of a stag. The hind legs were so short in comparison with the fore legs that a man who had never seen it before might well believe that it was seated although it was standing up and the buttocks were worn like those of a buffalo. The belly was white and the body was of a golden colour surrounded by large white rings. The face was like that of a stag and on the forehead it had a high sharp projection the eyes were large and round and the ears like those of a horse. Near the ears it had two small round horns covered with hair which looked like those of a very young stag. The neck was long and could be raised so high that it could reach up to eat from the top of a very high wall and it could reach up to eat the leaves from the top of a very lofty tree which it did plenteously.

(1) city of Khoi: Khoy, is a city in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

(2) Babylon: Ruins at approximately 85 kilometres south of present-day Baghdad. By the time this book got written it did not exist anymore.

(3) Timour Beg: (1336-1405) is also known as Tamerlane (Timur the Lame). He founded the Timurid dynasty and is one of Central Asia's most famous Mongol Conquerors.

(4) palmos: unit from Spain about 20 cm.