Communism -- Soviet Union; Mongolia -- Description and travel
At any rate all this makes it very easy to understand the attractions
for the great Mongol potentates. The strongest impression was produced
upon me by Karakorum, the place where the cruel and wise Jenghiz Khan
lived and laid his gigantic plans for overrunning all the west with
blood and for covering the east with a glory never before seen. Two
Karakorums were erected by Jenghiz Khan, one here near Tatsa Gol on the
Caravan Road and the other in Pamir, where the sad warriors buried the
greatest of human conquerors in the mausoleum built by five hundred
captives who were sacrificed to the spirit of the deceased when their
work was done.
The warlike Pandita Hutuktu prayed on the ruins where the shades of
these potentates who had ruled half the world wandered, and his soul
longed for the chimerical exploits and for the glory of Jenghiz and
Tamerlane.
On the return journey we were invited not far from Zain to visit a very
rich Mongol by the way. He had already prepared the yurtas suitable for
Princes, ornamented with rich carpets and silk draperies. The Hutuktu
accepted. We arranged ourselves on the soft pillows in the yurtas as the
Hutuktu blessed the Mongol, touching his head with his holy hand, and
received the hatyks. The host then had a whole sheep brought in to us,
boiled in a huge vessel. The Hutuktu carved off one hind leg and offered
it to me, while he reserved the other for himself. After this he gave a
large piece of meat to the smallest son of the host, which was the sign
that Pandita Hutuktu invited all to begin the feast. In a trice the
sheep was entirely carved or torn up and in the hands of the banqueters.
When the Hutuktu had thrown down by the brazier the white bones without
a trace of meat left on them, the host on his knees withdrew from the
fire a piece of sheepskin and ceremoniously offered it on both his hands
to the Hutuktu. Pandita began to clean off the wool and ashes with his
knife and, cutting it into thin strips, fell to eating this really tasty
course. It is the covering from just above the breast bone and is called
in Mongolian tarach or “arrow.” When a sheep is skinned, this small
section is cut out and placed on the hot coals, where it is broiled very
slowly. Thus prepared it is considered the most dainty bit of the
whole animal and is always presented to the guest of honor. It is
not permissible to divide it, such is the strength of the custom and
ceremony.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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