The Famous Formosan: The Man Who Invented a Nation

The Famous Formosan: The Man Who Invented a Nation

By Mr Ghaz, February 18, 2010

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The Famous Formosan: The Man Who Invented a Nation

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Early in the 18th century a mysterious stranger captivated London’s fashionable society with spellbinding tales of human sacrifice and cannibalism. He called himself George Psalmanazar, a native of the far-off land of Formosa. History knows him as one the greatest impostors of his age.

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Aristocrats, churchmen, and scientists competed to wine and dine the strange young man, just to hear his stories. Formosa was an exotic, and few could have located it on a map. Today it is known as Taiwan, an island in the China Sea.

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Psalmanazar had appeared with a letter of introduction to the bishop of London from the Reverend William Innes, who was attached to a Scottish regiment stationed in the Netherlands. The letter had unfolded the amazing story of how Jesuits had kidnapped the youth from his Formosan homeland and taken him to France. Despite threats of torture, he had bravely resisted conversion to Catholicism and escaped to Holland, where he had met the chaplain whose zeal and dedication had brought the youth into the Protestant church.

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The story was pure fantasy, invented by Psalmanazar and elaborated upon by the mischievous chaplain. But the bishop – and every one of his associates – believed every word. Almost overnight Psalmanazar became a celebrity.

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The visitor was undoubtedly talented. He could converse with the bishop in Latin and could also speak a number of other languages. As a gift, he had brought the Church of England catechism translated into “Formosan.”