Indian Antiquary Vol 12

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 93

MABCH, 1883.)
CHINGHIZ KHÅN AND HIS ANCESTORS.
81
They advanood for some distance, threw their the man who held it made it run. Such & cups in the air, and spoke certain words, while consecrated horse, he says, was never mounted the one on his knees continued to pray. nor employed in any kind of work. When its Having repeated the ceremony three times, they master died it was sacrificed, and it was then refilled their cups, and this time threw them eaten by the Shamans and others." Pallas in front of them. Gmelin was told that, having gives us an account of a sacrifice which he saluted the god three times, he had been pleased witnessed among the Derbet Kalmuks and which to accept their civility, and to show how pleased was made for the recovery of a sick woman they were that he had deigned to visit the and for the good fortune of her husband, the Buriats they had thrown their cups towards officiating person being a Shamaness (Udugun). him. Meanwhile a man on the left of the A lucky day having been selected, a sheep was trees held a sheep which was to be sacrificed. taken into the hut and was put to death in the In order to make it more acceptable some spirit prescribed fashion, the breast-bone was then and milk mixed together were poured over its taken out with the skin upon it, the blood head. Two men then threw it down, a third and fat were collected together and the lower made an incision some fingers below its midriff jaw with the tongue, wind-pipe, gullet, lungs through which he thrust his hand and broke and heart all in one piece, together with the liver, the aorta, taking care none of the blood fell on were then placed in a cauldron. The sheep the ground. When the animal was cold its was then cut across into halves, the fore-half intestines were taken out, its blood was carefully was again split in two, the piece between the collected on a wooden plate, its skin was taken legs with the fat tail being detached as a tid-bit. off and its left forefoot and right hind foot | The whole of the flesh was then removed from were broken at the joint and the two others the bones, and was put into the cauldron and were cut off. A small triangular piece of the boiled, the right shoulder-blade with meat sternum was detached with some of the flesh upon it being alone left uncooked. The breaston it and covered with skin. The flesh was bono with the skin on it cut into stripe was now all taken off, and put in & cauldron with made into the shape of a triangle, and laid on the intestines, the latter having been first a the top of the other ingredients in the canldron. little washed. The bones and blood were Meanwhile night approached, which was the thrown into a pit, and the cauldron was put on time specially chosen for their practices by the fire. The small piece of breast-bone was the Shamans. An astragalus bone of a sheep roasted on the ashes, and divided among those (called shagai by the Kalmuks) was fastened officiating at the sacrifice, and two other con- to a red silken cord; one end of this was to siderable people from the guests, and eaten. The be held by the host, while the other was thrown meat and intestines when cooked were eaten with over the smoke-hole at the top of the yurt. great speed, wood was put on the pit which was The kettle was now removed from the fire, and set fire to in order to burn the bones. The skin standing opposite the door the Shamaness took was suspended as a memorial of the sacrifice." a figure of Buddha which had been taken from Kumiz and spirit were freely drunk during the a little box, made a lamp out of dough, and feast. Gmelin also describes the consecration of a put it before the figure. The boiled flesh horse which he witnessed. He says that he did was now taken in a great bowl by two men, not arrive until 5 o'clock in the afternoon, while who first put it near the door, and then held it the Buriats firmly believed that the consecration over the fire. The ears were detached from the would not be effective if performed after mid- head of the sheep and the hoofs from its feet. day," but what will not faith do among simple Then, with some of the skin and all the pluck souls," says our traveller. The Shaman declared they were put into a sack, in which and over it was not noon; they thereupon met solemnly, the rest the heart was placed, and the whole was and no longer doubted the validity of the put down near the sorceress. At the same time ceremony. The horse was a grey one. The some of the fat of the sacrificed animal, which Shaman pronounced some words over it, and was near the sick hostess, was put on the then gave it a gentle stroke with his hand, and trivet or tripod over the fire. While the host ** Op.cit. vol. III, PP. 22-25.
Op. oit. vol. III, pp. 32-88.