Scatalogic Rites of All Nations: A dissertation upon the employment of excrementitious remedial agents in religion, therapeutics, divination, witchcraft, love-philters, etc., in all parts of the globeBourke, John Gregory
Religion
Scatalogic Rites of All Nations: A dissertation upon the employment of excrementitious remedial agents in religion, therapeutics, divination, witchcraft, love-philters, etc., in all parts of the globe
Bourke, John Gregory
Scatology
“Grueber assures us that the grandees of the kingdom are very anxious
to procure the excrements of this divinity (i. e., the Grand Lama),
which they usually wear about their necks as relics. In another place
he says that the Lamas make a great advantage by the large presents
they receive for helping the grandees to some of his excrements, or
urine; for, by wearing the first about their necks, and mixing the
latter with their victuals, they imagine themselves to be secure against
all bodily infirmities. In confirmation of this, Gerbillon informs us
that the Mongols wear his excrements, pulverized, in little bags about
their necks, as precious relics, capable of preserving them from all
misfortunes, and curing them of all sorts of distempers. When this Jesuit
was on his second journey into Western Tartary, a deputy from one of the
principal lamas offered the emperor’s uncle a certain powder, contained
in a little packet of very white paper, neatly wrapped up in a scarf
of very white taffety; but that prince told him that as it was not the
custom of the Manchews to make use of such things, he durst not receive
it. The author took this powder to be either some of the Great Lama’s
excrements, or the ashes of something that had been used by him.”—(“A
Description of Thibet,” in Pinkerton’s “Voyages and Travels,” London,
1814, vol. vii. p. 559).
“Grueber, in his late account of his return from China, A.D. 1661, by
way of Lassa, or Barantola, as Kircher calls it (see Kircher, China
Illustrata, part ii. c. 1), but Grueber himself Barantaka (where, he
saith, no Christian hath never been) ... above all, he wondered at
their pope (the Grand Lama of Thibet), to whom they give divine honors,
and worship his very excrements, and put them up in golden boxes, as a
most excellent remedy against all mischiefs.”—(Stillingfleet, “Defence
of Discourse concerning Idolatry in Church of Rome,” London, 1676, pp.
116-120, quoted by H. T. Buckle, in his “Commonplace Book,” p. 79, vol.
ii. of his Works, London, 1872).
Turner, “Embassy to Thibet,” London, 1806, makes no reference to the use
of the excrements of the Grand Lama.
Friar Odoric, of Pordenone, visited L’hassa, Thibet, between A.D. 1316
and 1330 (see Markham’s edition of Bogle’s “Thibet,” London, 1879, p.
46). Markham believes that the Jesuit Antonio Andrada, “in 1624,” whom he
styles “an undaunted missionary,” “found his way over the lofty passes
to Rudok,” “climbed the terrific passes to the source of the Ganges, and
eventually, after fearful sufferings, reached the shores of the sacred
lake of Mansorewar, the source of the Sutlej.”—(Introduction to Bogle’s
“Thibet,” London, 1879).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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