Indian Antiquary Vol 12

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 57

FEBRUARY, 1883.)
CHINGHIZ KHÅN AND HIS ANCESTORS.
when he shortly after died, the boy's mother, drum, and to get excited, and then bound who was furious, summoned them, and demand himself. The spirit then came in the dark, and ed an explanation. They laid the blame on gave him some of the meat to eat and also the nurse, Chirine, or Thirine, who had been gave him answers. On a certain occasion, as put to death. The outraged mother there- Rubruquis was told by the famous Parisian upon seized upon the son and daughter of silversmith, Magister Willelmus, who was at the accused nurse, and had them killed by a Manga's Court, a certain Hungarian ventured man and woman of her household. Mangu de- to secrete himself in the tent where this invocamanded where the children were, for he declared tion was going on, whereupon the spirit stood they visited him in his sleep. When he learnt on the outside of the tent, and shouted out that what had occurred he had the man decapitated he could not enter, inasmuch as a Christian who had killed the boy, and having hung his was present. He thereupon speedily withdrew head round the neck of the woman who had as they began to search for him." All this is killed the girl, had her beaten with heated assuredly exceedingly like what takes place at scourges, and put to death. He denounced his a spiritualist seance in the middle of the ninewife for daring to put a man to death without teenth century in the superior atmosphere of consulting him, had her confined, and put on London. short commons for seven days, and would have If fire fell from heaven apon any of their put her to death only that she was the mother of cattle or upon men, which often happened, some of his children. The Shamans professed to they deemed it was necessary to have recourse be able to control the weather, and Rubruquis to incantations for the purpose of purification. tells us that whert the cold became very great, They believed that, after death men lived in and their remedies were of no avail, they sought another world, and tended their flocks and ato out someone in the camp whom they accused and drank and lived otherwise as men do here. of witchcraft, and put him to death without When any one among them was mortally ill, scruple. On one occasion one of Mangu's con- they placed a spear in his tent, and wrapped cubines having fallen ill, the Shamans said their some black felt about it, and no stranger was incantations over a Teutonic slave belonging to thereupon to enter, and when & rich man her, which caused her to sleep for three days. On began to die, all left him, for no one who was awaking they asked her whom she had seen. She present at his death might enter the ordu of ventioned several people, whom they judged any chief or of the Emperor until the succeedwere in consequence about to die, but as she had ing new moon." The relatives and other not seen her mistress, they considered that she residents in the tent of a person who died had would recover from her illness. Rubruquis says to be duly purified after his death. This was he saw the slave when she was still suffering done by means of fire. They made two fires, from a headache caused by her three days and planted a spear by each, and hung a cord sleep. Rubruquis reports how on visiting a across, upon which they tied some pieces princess he found four swords half-drawn from of cloth (scissuras de bucarano). They then their sheathes, one at the head, the other passed the men, cattle, and tents, which reat the feet of the bed, and two others on quired purification underneath. Meanwhile a each side of the door; while hanging from the woman stood on either side sprinkling water and roof was a silver chalice, which he suggests chanting songs. If any one's cart was broken, had been plundered from a church in Hungary. or if any one fell, they had recourse to inThis was filled with ashes, on which was placed cantations. If any one was killed by lightning a black stone. All this was part of the hocus everybody and everything, including the tent, pocus of the Shamans. Some of these medicine beds, carts, felt, clothes, etc. had to be purified, men invoked spirits (demons), and assembled nor could any one touch them until this had those who wished to have an answer from them been done.“ Rubruquis also says that when any in a tent where they placed some cooked one was ill, a mark was put upon his tent so that meat. The Shaman then began to recite his no one might enter; and if it was a grandee, songs, to strike the ground violently with his sentries were posted round it at some distance, Rubraquis, pp. 325, 362-367. " Carpini, pp. 627 and 628.
- Carpini, pp. 632 and 633.