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The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries

R >> Richard Hakluyt >> The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries





De templis eorum et idolis, et qualiter se habent in officio deorum suorum.
Cap. 27.

Omnes sacerdotes eorum rasum habent totum caput et barbam; sunt vestiti de
croceo, et seruant castitatem, ex quo radunt caput: et viuunt pariter
centum vel ducenti in vna congregatione. Diebus quibus intrant templum,
ponunt duo scamna, et sedent è regione chorus contra chorum habentes libros
in manibus, quos aliquando deponunt super illa scamna: et habent capita
discooperta quandiu insunt in templo, legentes in silencio, et tenentes
silencium. Vnde cum ingressus fuissem apud Oratorium quoddam eorum, et
inuenissem eos ita sedentes, multis modis tentaui eos prouocare ad verba,
et nullo modo potui. Habent etiam quocunque vadunt quendam restem centum
vel ducentorum nucleorum, sicut nos portamus pater noster: Et dicunt semper
hæc verba: Ou mam Hactani: hoc est, Deus tu nosti; secundum quod quidem
eorum interpretatus est mihi. Et toties expectant remunerationem à Deo,
quoties hoc dicendo memoratur Dei. Circa templum suum semper faciunt
pulchrum atrium, quod bene includunt muro: et ad meridiem faciunt portam
magnam, in qua sedent ad colloquendum. Et super illam portam erigunt
perticam longam, quæ emineat si possint, super totam villam. Et per illam
perticam potest cognosci, quod domus illa sit templum Idolorum. Ista
communia sunt omnibus Idolatris. Quando ergo ingressus fui prædictam
Idolatriam, inueni sacerdotes sedentes sub porta exteriori. Illi quos vidi,
videbantur mihi fratres Franci esse rasis barbis. [Sidenote: Tyaræ
cartaceæ.] Tyaras habebant in capitibus cartaceas. Istorum Iugurum
sacerdotes habent talem habitum quocunque vadunt: semper sunt in tunicis
croceis satis strictis accincti desuper recte sicut Franci: et habent
pallium super humerum sinistrum descendens inuolutum per pectus et dorsum
ad latus dextrum sicut diaconus portans casulam in quadragesima. Istorum
literas acceperunt Tartari. [Sidenote: Chinenses ita etiam scribunt.] Ipsi
incipiunt scribere sursum, et ducunt lineam deorsum, et, eodem modo ipsi
legunt et multiplicant lineas a sinistra ad dextram. [Sidenote: Sortilegi.]
Isti multum vtuntur cartis et caracteribus pro sortilegio. Vnde templa sua
plena sunt breuibus suspensis. Et Mangu-cham mittit vobis literas in
idiomate Moal et literatura eorum. [Sidenote: Combustio mortuorum.] Isti
comburunt mortuos suos secundum antiquum modum, et recondunt puluerem in
summitate pyramidis. Cum ergo sedissem iuxta prædictos sacerdotes postquam
ingressus fueram templum et vidissem idola eorum multa magna et parua:
quæsiui ab eis quid ipsi crederent de Deo. Qui responderunt, Non credimus
nisi vnum Deum. Et ego quæsiui: Creditis quod ipse sit spiritus vel aliquid
corporale? Dixerunt, credimus quod sit spiritus. Et ego: Creditis quod
nunquam sumpserit humanam naturam: Dixerunt, minime. Tunc ego: ex quo
creditis, quod non sit nisi vnus spiritus, quare facitis ei imagines
corporales et tot insuper? Ex quo non creditis quod factus sit homo, quare
facitis ei magis imagines hominum, quàm alterius animalis? Tunc
responderunt, Nos non figuramus istas imagines Deo. Sed quando aliquis
diues moritur ex nostris, vel filius, vel vxor, vel aliquis charus eius
facit fieri imaginem defuncti, et ponit eam hic: et nos veneramur eam ad
memoriam eius. Quibus ego, Tunc ergo non facitis ista nisi propter
adulationem hominum. Immo dixerunt ad memoriam. Tunc quæsiuerunt à me quasi
deridendo: vbi est Deus? Quibus ego, Vbi est anima vestra? Dixerunt, in
corpore nostro. Quibus ego, Nonne est vbique in corpore tuo et totum regit,
et tamen non videtur? Ita Deus vbique est, et omnia gubernat, inuisibilis
tamen, quia intellectus et sapientia est. Tunc cum vellem plura ratiocinari
cum illis, interpres meus fatigatus non valens verba exprimere, fecit me
tacere. Istorum sectæ sunt Moal siue Tartari, quantum ad hoc, quod ipsi non
credunt nisi vnum Deum: tamen faciunt de filtro imagines defunctorum
suorum, et induunt eas quinque pannis preciosissimis, et ponunt in vna biga
vel duabus, et illas bigas nullus audet tangere: et sunt sub custodia
diuinatorum suorum, qui sunt eorum sacerdotes, de quibus postea narrabo
vobis. Isti diuinatores semper sunt ante curiam ipsius Mangu et aliorum
diuitum: pauperes enim non habent eos; nisi illi qui sunt de genere
Chingis. Et cum debent bigare, ipsi præcedunt, sicut columna nubis filios
Isræl, et ipsi considerant locum metandi castra, et post deponunt domos
suas; et post eos tota curia. Et tunc cum sit dies festus siue kalendæ ipsi
extrahunt prædictas imagines et ponunt eas ordinate per circuitum in domo
sua. Tunc veniunt Moal et ingrediuntur domum illam, et inclinant se
imaginibus illis et venerantur illas. Et illam domum nemini ingredi
extraneo licet: Quadam enim vice volui ingredi et multum dure increpatus
fui.


The same in English.

Of their Temples and idoles: and howe they behaue themselues in worshipping
their false gods. Chap. 27.

All their Priests had their heads and beards shauen quite ouer: and they
are clad in saffron coloured garments: and being once shauen, they lead an
vnmaried life from that time forward: and they liue an hundreth or two
hundreth of them together in one cloister or couent. Vpon those dayes when
they enter into their temples, they place two long foormes therein:
[Sidenote: Bookes.] and so sitting vpon the sayd foormes like singing men
in a quier, namely the one halfe of them directly ouer against the other,
they haue certaine books in their hands, which sometimes they lay downe by
them vpon the foormes: and their heads are bare so long as they remaine in
the temple. And there they reade softly vnto themselues, not vttering any
voice at all. Whereupon comming in amongst them, at the time of their
superstitious deuotions, and finding them all siting mute in maner
aforesayde, I attempted diuers waies to prouoke them vnto speach, and yet
could not by any means possible. They haue with them also whithersoeuer
they goe, a certaine string with an hundreth or two hundreth nutshels
thereupon, much like to our bead-roule which we cary about with vs. And
they doe alwayes vtter these words: _Ou mam Hactani_, God thou knowest: as
one of them expounded it vnto me. And so often doe they expect a reward at
Gods hands, as they pronounce these words in remembrance of God. Round
about their temple they doe alwayes make a faire court, like vnto a
churchyard, which they enuiron with a good wall: and vpon the South part
thereof they build a great portal, wherein they sit and conferre together.
And vpon the top of the said portall they pitch a long pole right vp,
exalting it, if they can, aboue all the whole towne besides. And by the
same pole all men may knowe, that there stands the temple of their idoles.
These rites and ceremonies aforesayd be common vnto all idolaters in those
parts. Going vpon a time towards the foresayd idole-temple, I found certain
priests sitting in the outward portal. And those which I sawe, seemed vnto
me, by their shauen beards, as if they had bene French men. They wore
certaine ornaments vpon their heads made of paper. The priestes of the
foresaide Iugures doe vse such attire whithersoeuer they goe. They are
alwaies in their saffron coloured iackets, which be very straight being
laced or buttened from the bosome right downe, after the French fashion.
And they haue a cloake vpon their left shoulder descending before and
behind vnder the right arme, like vnto a deacon carying the housselboxe in
time of lent. Their letters or kind of writing the Tartars did receiue.
[Sidenote: Paper. So do the people of China vse to write, drawing their
lines perpendicularly downward, and not as we doe from the right hand to
the lefte.] They begin to write at the top of their paper drawing their
lines right downe: and so they reade and multiply their lines from the left
hand to the right. They doe vse certaine papers and characters in their
magical practices. Whereupon their temples are full of such short scroules
hanged round about them. Also Mangu-Can hath sent letters vnto your
Maiestie written in the language of the Moals or Tartars, and in the
foresayd hand or letter of the Iugures. They burne their dead according to
the auncient custome, and lay vp the ashes in the top of a Pyramis. Now,
after I had sit a while by the foresaid priests, and entred into their
temple and seene many of their images both great and small, I demanded of
them what they beleeued concerning God? And they answered: We beleeue that
there is onely one God. And I demaunded farther: Whether do you beleue that
he is a spirit, or some bodily substance? They saide: We beleeue that he is
a spirite. Then said I: Doe you beleeue that God euer tooke mans nature
vpon him? They answered: Noe. And againe I said: Sithence ye beleeue that
he is a spirit, to what end doe you make so many bodily images to represent
him? Sithence also you beleeue not that hee was made man: why doe you
resemble him rather vnto the image of a man then of any other creature?
Then they answered saying: we frame not these images whereby to represent
God. But when any rich man amongst vs, or his sonne, or his wife, or any of
his friends deceaseth, hee causeth the image of the dead party to be made,
and to be placed here: and we in remembrance of him doe reuerence
thereunto. Then I replyed: you doe these things onely for the friendship
and flatterie of men. Noe (said they) but for their memory. Then they
demanded of me, as it were in scoffing wise: Where is God? To whom I
answered: where is your soule? They said, in our bodies. Then saide I, is
it not in euery part of your bodie, ruling and guiding the whole bodie, and
yet notwithstanding is not seene or perceiued? Euen so God is euery where
and ruleth all things, and yet is he inuisible, being vnderstanding and
wisedome it selfe. Then being desirous to haue had some more conference
with them, by reason that mine interpreter was weary, and not able to
expresse my meaning, I was constrained to keepe silence. The Moals or
Tartars are in this regard of their sect: namely they beleeue that there is
but one God: howbeit they make images of felt, in remembrance of their
deceased friends, couering them with fiue most rich and costly garments,
and putting them into one or two carts, which carts no man dare once touch:
and they are in the custody of their soothsayers, who are their priests,
concerning whom I will giue your Highnesse more at large to vnderstand
hereafter. These soothsayers or diuiners do alwaies attend vpon the court
of Mangu and of other great personages. As for the poorer or meaner sorte,
they haue them not, but such onely as are of the stocke and kindred of
Chingis. And when they are to remoue or to take any iourney, the said
diuiners goe before them, euen as the cloudie piller went before the
children of Israel. And they appoint ground where the tents must be
pitched, and first of al they take down their owne houses: and after them
the whole court doth the like. Also vpon their festiual dates or kalends
they take forth the foresayd images, and place them in order round, or
circle wise within the house. Then come the Moals or Tartars, and enter
into the same house, bowing themselues before the said images and worship
them. Moreouer, it is not lawfull for any stranger to enter into that
house. For vpon a certaine time I my selfe would haue gone in, but I was
chidden full well for my labour.


De diuersis nationibus, et de illis qui comedere solebant parentes suos.
Cap. 28.

Prædicti vero Iugures, qui sunt mixti cum Christianis et Saracenis, per
frequentes disputationes, vt credo, peruenerunt ad hoc, quod non credunt
nisi vnum deum. Et isti fuerunt habitantes in ciuitatibus, qui post
obediuerunt Chingis Cham: vnde ipse dedit regi eorum filiam suam.
[Sidenote: Patria Presbiter Iohannis.] Et ipsa Caracarum est quasi in
territorio eorum: Et tota terra regis siue presbyteri Iohannis et Vut
fratris eius circa terras eorum; Sed isti in pascuis ad aquilonem, illi
Iugures inter montes ad meridiem. Inde est quod ipsi Moal sumpserunt
literas eorum. Et ipsi sunt magni scriptores eorum: et omnes fere Nestorim
sciunt literas eorum. [Sidenote: Tangut populi fortissimi.] Post istos sunt
ipsi Tangut ad orientem inter montes illos, homines fortissimi, qui
ceperunt Chingis in bello. Et pace facta dimissis ab eis, postea subiugauit
eos. [Sidenote: Boues pilosis caudis: his similes sunt in Quinera Americæ
septentrionalis prouincia.] Isti habent boues fortissimos habentes caudas
plenas pilis sicut equi, et ventres pilosos et dorsa. Bassiores sunt alijs
bobus in tibijs, sed ferociores multum. Isti trahunt magnas domos
Moallorum: et habent cornua gracilia, longa, acuosa, acutissima: ita quod
oportet semper secare summitates eorum. Vacca non permittit se iniungi nisi
cantetur ei. Habent etiam naturam bubali quia si vident hominem indutum
rubeis, insiliunt in eum volentes interficere. [Sidenote: Tebet populi.]
Post illos sunt Tebet homines solentes comedere parentes suos defunctos, vt
causa pietatis non facerent aliud sepulchrum eis nisi viscera sua. Modo
tamen hoc dimiserunt, quia abominabiles erant omni nationi. Tamen adhuc
faciunt pulcros ciphos de capitibus parentum, vt illis bibentes habeant
memoriam eorum in iocunditate sua. Hoc dixit mihi qui viderat. Isti habent
multum de auro in terra sua. [Sidenote: Auri Abundantia.] Vnde qui indiget
auro, fodit donec reperiat, et accipiat quando indiget, residuum condens in
terra: quia si reponeret in arca vel in thesauro, crederet quod Deus
auferret ei aliud quod est in terra. De istis hominibus vidi personas
multum deformes. [Sidenote: Tangut homines magni sed fusci.] Tangut vidi
homines magnos sed fuscos. Iugures sunt mediocris staturæ sicut nostri.
Apud Iugures est fons et radix ideomatis Turci et Comanici. [Sidenote:
Langa et Solanga.] Post Tebet sunt Langa et Solanga, quorum nuncios vidi in
curia: Qui adduxerant magnas bigas plusquam decem, quarum quælibet
trahebatur sex bobus. [Sidenote: Solanisimiles Hispanis, et fusci.] Isti
sunt parui homines et fusci sicut Hispani: et habent tunicas sicut
supertunicale diaconi manicis parum strictioribus: et habent in capitibus
mitras sicut episcopi. Sed pars anterior est parum interior quàm posterior,
et non terminatur in vnum angulum: sed sunt quadræ desuper, et sunt de
stramine rigidato per calorem magnum, et limato in tantum, quod fulget ad
radium solis sicut speculum vel galea bene burnita. Et circa tempora habent
longas bendas de eadem materia assutas ipsi mitræ; quæ se extendunt ad
ventum sicut duo cornua egredientia de temporibus. Et quando ventus nimis
iactat eas plicant eas per medium mitræ superius à tempore in tempus: et
iacent sicut circulus ex transuerso capitis. [Sidenote: Tabula de
elephantino.] Et principalis nuncius quando veniebat ad curiam, habebat
tabulam de dente elephantino ad longitudinem vnius cubiti, et ad
latitudinem vnius palmi, rasam multum: Et quandocunque loquebatur ipsi
Cham, vel alicui magno viro, semper aspiciebat in illam tabulam, ac si
inueniret ibi ea quæ dicebat: nec respiciebat ad dextram vel sinestram, nec
in faciem illius cui loquebatur. Etiam accedens coram domino et recedens
nusquam respicit nisi in tabulam suam. [Sidenote: Muc populi.] Vltra istos
sunt alij homines, vt intellexi pro vero, qui dicuntur Muc, qui habent
villas, sed nulla animalia sibi appropriant: tamen sunt multi greges et
multa armenta in terra ipsorum, et nullos custodit ea. Sed cum aliquis
indiget aliquo, ascendit collem et clamat, et omnia animalia audientia
clamorem accedunt circa illum, et permittunt se tractari quasi domestica.
Et si nuncius vel aliquis extraneus accedat ad regionem illam, ipsi
includunt eum in domo, et ministrant ei necessaria, donec negocium eius
fuerit expeditum. Quia si iret extraneus per regionem, animalia ad odorem
eius fugerent, et efficerentur syluestria. [Sidenote: Magna Cathaya.] Vltra
est magna Cathaya, cuius incolæ antiquitus vt credo dicebantur Seres. Ab
ipsis enim veniunt optimi panni serici. Et ille populus dicitur Seres a
quodam oppido eorum. Bene intellexi, quod in illa regione est oppidum
habens muros argenteos et propugnacula aurea. In ista terra sunt multæ
prouinciæ, quarum plures adhuc non obediunt Moallis. Et inter [Footnote:
_Aliqua desiderantur_.]


The same in English.

Of diuers and sundry nations: and of certaine people which
were wont to eate their owne parents. Chap. 28.

But the foresayd Iugures (who liue among the Christians, and the Saracens)
by their sundry disputations as I suppose, haue bene brought vnto this, to
beleeue that there is but one onely God. And they dwelt in certaine cities,
which afterward were brought in subiection vnto Chingis Can: whereupon he
gaue his daughter in mariage vnto their king. [Sidenote: The countrey of
Presbiter Iohn] Also the citie of Caracarum it selfe is in a manner within
their territory: and the whole countrey of king or Presbyter Iohn, and of
his brother Vut lyeth neere vnto their dominions: sauing, that they
inhabite in certaine pastures Northward and the sayde Iugures betweene the
mountaines towardes the South. Whereupon it came to passe, that the Moals
receiued letters from them. And they are the Tartars principall scribes and
al the Nestorians almost can skill of their letters. [Sidenote: Tangut.]
Next vnto them, between the foresaid mountaines Eastward, inhabiteth the
nation of Tangut, who are a most valiant people, and tooke Chingis in
battell. But after the conclusion of a league hee was set at libertie by
them, and afterward subdued them. [Sidenote: Strange oxen.] These people of
Tangut haue oxen of great strength, with tailes like vnto horses, and with
long shagge haire vpon their backes and bellyes. They haue legges greater
then other oxen haue, and they are exceedingly fierce. These oxen drawe the
great houses of the Moals and their hornes are slender, long, streight, and
most sharpe pointed, insomuch that their owners are faine to cut off the
endes of them. A cowe will not suffer her selfe to be coupled vnto one of
them vnles they whistle or sing vnto her. They haue also the qualities of a
Buffe: for if they see a man clothed in red, they run vpon him immediately
to kill him. [Sidenote: The people of Tebet.] Next vnto them are the people
of Tebet, men which were wont to eate the carkases of their deceased
parents that for pities sake, they might make no other sepulchre for them,
then their owne bowels. Howbeit of late they haue left off this custome,
because that thereby they became abominable and odious vnto al other
nations. Notwithstanding vnto this day they make fine cups of the skuls of
their parents, to the ende that when they drinke out of them, they may
amidst all their iollities and delights call their dead parents to
remembrance. This was tolde mee by one that saw it. [Sidenote: Abundance of
golde.] The sayd people of Tebet haue great plentie of golde in their land.
Whosoeuer therefore wanteth golde, diggeth till he hath found some
quantitie, and then taking so much thereof as will serue his turne, he
layeth vp the residue within the earth: because, if he should put it into
his chest or storehouse, hee is of opinion that God would withholde from
him all other gold within the earth. I sawe some of those people, being
very deformed creatures. [Sidenote: The stature of the people of Tangut,
and of the Iugures.] In Tangut I saw lusty tall men, but browne and swart
in colour. The Iugures are of a middle stature like vnto our French men.
Amongst the Iugures is the originall and roote of the Turkish, and Comanian
languages. [Sidenote: Langa and Solanga.] Next vnto Tebet are the people of
Langa and Solanga, whose messengers I saw in the Tartars court. And they
had brought more than ten great cartes with them, euery one of which was
drawen with sixe oxen. [Sidenote: The people of Solanga resemble
Spaniards.] They be little browne men like vnto Spaniards. Also they haue
iackets, like vnto the vpper vestment of a deacon, sauing that the sleeues
are somewhat streighter. And they haue miters vpon their heads like
bishops. But the fore part of their miter is not so hollow within as the
hinder part: neither is it sharpe pointed or cornered at the toppe: but
there hang downe certaine square flappes compacted of a kinde of strawe
which is made rough and rugged with extreme heat, and is so trimmed, that
it glittereth in the sunne beames, like vnto a glasse, or an helmet well
burnished. And about their temples they haue long bands of the foresayd
matter fastened vnto their miters, which houer in the wind, as if two long
hornes grewe out of their heads. And when the wind tosseth them vp and
downe too much, they tie them ouer the midst of their miter from one temple
to another: and so they lie circle wise ouerthwart their heads. [Sidenote:
A table of elephants tooth.] Moreouer their principal messenger comming
vnto the Tartars court had a table of elephants tooth about him of a cubite
in length, and a handfull in breadth, being very smoothe. And whensoeuer
hee spake vnto the Emperor himselfe, or vnto any other great personage, hee
alwayes beheld that table, as if hee had found therein those things which
hee spake: neither did he cast his eyes to the right hand, nor to the
lefte, nor vpon his face, with whom he talked. Yea, going too and fro
before his lord, he looketh no where but only vpon his table. [Sidenote:
The people called Muc.] Beyond them (as I vnderstand of a certainty) there
are other people called Muc, hauing villages, but no one particular man of
them appropriating any cattell vnto himselfe. Notwithstanding there are
many flockes and droues of cattell in their countrey, and no man appointed
to keepe them. But when any one of them standeth in neede of any beast, hee
ascendeth vp vnto an hill, and there maketh a shout, and all the cattel
which are within hearing of the noyse, come flocking about him, and suffer
themselues to be handled and taken, as if they were tame. And when any
messenger or stranger commeth into their countrie, they shut him vp into an
house, ministring there things necessary vnto him, vntill his businesse be
despatched. For if anie stranger should trauell through that countrie, the
cattell would flee away at the very sent of him, and so would become wilde.
[Sidenote: Great Cathaya.] Beyond Muc is great Cathaya, the inhabitants
whereof (as I suppose) were of olde time, called Seres. For from them are
brought most excellent stuffes of silke. And this people is called Seres of
a certame towne in the same countrey. I was crediblie informed, that in the
said countrey, there is one towne hauing walls of siluer, and bulwarkes or
towers of golde. There be many prouinces in that land, the greater part
whereof are not as yet subdued vnto the Tartars. And amongst [Footnote:
Somewhat is wanting.]

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