And Their Houses Be
Made Round Of Staves, And It Hath A Round Window Above That Giveth
Them Light, And Also That Serveth For Deliverance Of Smoke.
And
the heling of their houses and the walls and the doors be all of
wood.
And when they go to war, they lead their houses with them
upon chariots, as men do tents or pavilions. And they make their
fire in the midst of their houses.
And they have great multitude of all manner of beasts, save only of
swine, for they bring none forth. And they believe well one God
that made and formed all things. And natheles yet have they idols
of gold and silver, and of tree and of cloth. And to those idols
they offer always their first milk of their beasts, and also of
their meats and of their drinks before they eat. And they offer
often-times horses and beasts. And they clepe the God of kind
YROGA.
And their emperor also, what name that ever he have, they put
evermore thereto, Chan. And when I was there, their emperor had to
name Thiaut, so that he was clept Thiaut-Chan. And his eldest son
was clept Tossue; and when he shall be emperor, he shall be clept
Tossue-Chan. And at that time the emperor had twelve sons without
him, that were named Cuncy, Ordii, Chadahay, Buryn, Negu, Nocab,
Cadu, [Siban], Cuten, Balacy, Babylan, and Garegan. And of his
three wives, the first and principal, that was Prester John's
daughter, had to name Serioche-Chan, and the tother Borak-Chan, and
the tother Karanke-Chan.
The folk of that country begin all their things in the new moon,
and they worship much the moon and the sun and often-time kneel
against them. And all the folk of the country ride commonly
without spurs, but they bear always a little whip in their hands
for to chace with their horses.
And they have great conscience and hold it for a great sin to cast
a knife in the fire, and for to draw flesh out of a pot with a
knife, and for to smite an horse with the handle of a whip, or to
smite an horse with a bridle, or to break one bone with another, or
for to cast milk or any liquor that men may drink upon the earth,
or for to take and slay little children. And the most sin that any
man may do is to piss in their houses that they dwell in, and whoso
that may be found with that sin sikerly they slay him. And of
everych of these sins it behoveth them to be shriven of their
priests, and to pay great sum of silver for their penance. And it
behoveth also, that the place that men have pissed in be hallowed
again, and else dare no man enter therein. And when they have paid
their penance, men make them pass through a fire or through two,
for to cleanse them of their sins.
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