Over The Head Of The
Lord There Is Placed An Image Or Puppet Of Felt, Which Is Called The
Masters
Brother, and a similar image over the head of the mistress, which
is called her brother; and a little higher
Between these, there is one very
small and thin, which is, as it were, the keeper of the house. The mistress
places at the foot of her bed, on the right hand, in a conspicuous place,
the skin of a kid, stuffed with wool, or some such material, and beside
that a small puppet looking towards the maidens and women. Near the door,
on the womens side of the house, there is another image, with a cows udder,
as the guardian of the women who milk the kine. On the masters side of the
door is another image, having the udder of a mare, being the tutelary deity
of the men who milk the mares. When they meet together for drinking, they,
in the first place, sprinkle the master's idol with some of the liquor, and
then all the rest in their order; after which a servant goes out of the
house with a cup of drink, and sprinkles thrice towards the south, making a
genuflexion between each, in honour of the fire, then towards the east, in
honour of the air, next towards the west, in honour of the water, and
lastly, towards the north, for the dead. When the lord takes the cup in his
hand to drink, he first pours a part on the ground; and if he is to drink
on horseback, he first spills a portion on the neck and mane of his horse.
After the servant has made his libations to the four quarters of the world,
he returns into the house, and two other servants are ready with two other
cups and salvers, to carry drink to the lord and his wife, who sit together
on a bed.
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