Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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Hauing Felt The Turkish Forces When Hee
Wonne From Them Azou And Caffa, With Some Other Townes About The Euxine Or
Blacke Sea, That Were Before Tributaries To The Crim Tartar.
So that now
the Emperor of the Crims for the most part is chosen one of the Nobility
whom the Turke doeth commend:
Whereby it is brought nowe to passe, that the
Crim Tartar giueth to the Turke the tenth part of the spoyle which hee
getteth in his warres against the Christians.
Herein they differ from the Turkish religion, for that they haue certaine
idole puppets made of silke, or like stuffe, of the fashion of a man, which
they fasten to the doore of their walking houses, to be as Ianusses or
keepers of their house. And these idoles are made not by all, but by
certaine religious women which they haue among them for that and like vses.
They haue besides the image of their King or great Can, of an huge
bignesse, which they erect at euery stage when the army marcheth: and this
euery one must bend and bowe vnto as he passeth by it, be he Tartar or
stranger. They are much giuen to witchcraft, and ominous coniectures vpon
euery accident which they heare or see.
In making of mariages they haue no regard of alliance or consanguinitie.
Onely with his mother, sister, and daughter a man may not marrie, and
thougn he take the woman into his house, and accompany with her, yet be
accounteth her not for his wife till he haue a childe by her. Then hee
beginneth to take a dowry of her friends, or horse, sheepe, kine, &c. If
she be barren after a certaine time, be turneth her home againe.
[Sidenote: The Tartar nobilitie.] Vnder the Emperour they haue certaine
Dukes, whome they call Morseis or Diuoymorseis, that rule ouer a certaine
number of 10000, 20000, or 40000, a piece, which they call Hoords. When the
Emperour hath any vse of them to serue in his warres, they are bound to
come, and to bring with them in their Souldiers to a certain number, euery
man with his two horse at the least, the one to ride on, the other to kill,
when it commmeth to his turne to haue his horse eaten. [Sidenote: The
tartar diet.] For their chiefe vitaile is horse flesh, which they eate
without bread, or any other thing with it. So that if a Tartar be taken by
a Russe, he shall he sure lightly to finde a horse-legge, or some other
part of him at his saddle bowe.
[Sidenote: 1588.] This last yeere when I was at the Mosco, came in one
Kiriach Morsey, nephew to the Emperour of the Crims that nowe is (whose
father was Emperour before) accompanied with 300. Tartars, and his two
wiues, whereof one was his brothers widow. Where being intertained in very
good sort after the Russe maner, hee had sent vnto his lodging for his
welcome, to bee made ready for his supper and his companies, two very large
and fat horses, ready flayed in a shed.
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