The Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger, a Native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 1396-1427Schiltberger, Johannes
History
The Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger, a Native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 1396-1427
Schiltberger, Johannes
Timur, 1336-1405 -- Early works to 1800; Turkey -- History -- Bayezid I, 1389-1403; Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
nor can they save either the body or soul; and he converted the king of
Babilony and many people with him. Then the king took him, and gave him
power over the land; this he exercised; and when the king died, he took
the king’s wife, and became a mighty Calpha, which is as much as to
say, a Pope. He had four men with him who were well learned in Infidel
writings, and to each he gave an office. To the first, he gave charge
of ecclesiastical jurisdiction; to the other, lay jurisdiction; the
first, was named Omar, the other, Otman; the third was named Abubach,
to whom he gave charge of weights and manufactures, so that he was over
them, and each one should be faithful in his work. The fourth was named
Aly; he made him chief over all his people, and sent him into Arabia
that he should convert Christians, because Christians were there at the
time; but if any would not be converted, then he should compel them
by the sword. We read in the Infidel book, Alkoray, that in one day
ninety thousand men were killed for [the sake of] Machmet’s doctrine,
and the whole of Arabia was converted. Machmet gave them a law, how
they were to conduct themselves before God, who had created heaven and
earth. And the law of the Infidels begins in this way. First, when
a boy was born, when he comes to be thirteen years old, he must be
circumcised, and he has instituted five daily prayers, which must be
daily repeated. The first prayer is when the day breaks; another, in
the middle of the day; the third, at the time of vespers; the fourth,
before the sun goes down; the fifth, when day and night part. With
the first four, they praise God, who has made heaven and earth; with
the fifth, they pray to Machmet, that he will intercede for them with
God. And they must go into the temple at certain times of the day; and
when they want to go into the temple, they must wash the mouth, then
the hands, feet, ears, and eyes. And when any one has sinned with his
wife, he cannot go into the temple, until he has washed his whole body;
this they do in the same belief as we Christians who confess; and the
Infidels believe that, after they have washed, they are as pure as
Christians, who, with full penitence, have confessed to the priest. And
when they want to enter the temple, they take off their shoes and go
in bare footed; they cannot take in any arms, or weapons that cut, and
they do not allow any woman in the temple, so long as they are inside;
and when they go into the temple, they stand near each other, with
their hands close to each other; and they bend and kiss the ground,
and their priest sits on a seat before them, and begins a prayer which
they repeat after him. It is also to be noted, that in the temple
no one speaks to another, nor looks at another, until the prayer is
ended. In the temple they do not put one foot far from the other, but
keep them close together; they do not go to and fro, nor look here and
there, but they stand still in one place, and keep their hands together
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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