Marco Polo's Tales and Their Versions

The video explores Marco Polo's legendary journey to China, highlighting the enduring fascination with his adventures. It questions the authenticity of his tale, noting over 100 versions exist. Scholars at the British Library study these variations, revealing expansions and embellishments over time. The text's growth suggests later additions by unknown scribes, possibly without access to the original version.

What is Marco Polo famously known for?

• Writing the first cookbook

• Inventing the printing press

• Being a great explorer who traveled to China

• Being the first European to reach America

What mythical items did Marco Polo supposedly bring back from China?

• The secret of gunpowder

• Spaghetti ice cream and jewels

• The recipe for pizza

• A map of the Silk Road

What challenge do scholars face when studying Marco Polo's tale?

• No translations available

• Lack of any written records

• The story being banned in many countries

• Over 100 different versions of the story

Where does Francis Wood work, which houses many versions of the Polo text?

• The Vatican Library

• The British Library

• The Library of Congress

• The New York Public Library

How is the city of Fujo described in the different versions of Marco Polo's text?

• As a small village

• In a single paragraph in early versions

• As a mythical city

• As a modern metropolis

What additional stories are found in later versions of Marco Polo's tale?

• Descriptions of new continents

• Tales of lions and strange people

• Accounts of wars

• Stories about dragons

Why is it unlikely that Marco Polo made the additions found in later versions of his story?

• He never returned from China

• The additions were made after his death

• He lost all his notes

• He was not a writer

What have Polo scholars created to highlight differences in the story versions?

• A table of differences

• A fictional novel

• A documentary

• A new translation

What elements only appear in very late manuscripts of Marco Polo's story?

• Accounts of the Mongol Empire

• Details of the Silk Road

• Squares, doctors, magistrates, houses, and gardens

• Descriptions of the Great Wall

What is the conclusion about the embellishments in Marco Polo's story?

• They were likely added by unknown scribes over centuries

• They were removed in later versions

• They were all added by Marco Polo himself

• They were confirmed to be true by historians