The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
With whom the Scithians couenaunt or make League: after this manor thei doe
it. They fille an earthen panne with wine, and of the parties that shall
strike the League or couenaunte, thei drawe a quantitie of bloude, whiche
thei mingle therwith. Then diepe thei into the panne their Curtilasse, then
shaftes, their axe, and their darte. That done, thei wishe vnto them selues
many terrible curses and mischiefes, if thei holde not the league or
couenaunte. And then drincke thei the wine. And not thei onely that strike
the couenantes, but also those that are moste honourable in their
compaignie.
The bewriall of their kynges is aftre this maner; where the Kyng dieth,
those that are of his bloude, rounde his heare, cutte of one of his eares,
slice his armes rounde aboute, all to begasshe his foreheade and his nose,
and shoote him through the lifte hande, in thre or fowre places. Then laie
thei the corps in a Carte, and cary it to the Gerrites, where the
Sepulchres of all their Kynges are. And thei dwell vpon the floude
Boristhenes, about the place wher it becometh first saileable. This people
when thei haue receiued it, trenche out a square plotte in the ground very
wide and large. And then rippe the bealy of the corps, and bowelle it
cleane: clensyng it and drieng it from all filthe, and fille it vp with
Siler Montanum, Frankencense, Smallache siede, and Anise siede, beaten
together in a Mortre. And when thei haue sowed it vp againe close, thei
ceare the whole bodie, and conueighe the same in a Carte, to the nexte
people vndre the gouernaunce of the Scithians, whiche with honour receiue
it, and conueigh it vnto the nexte of their dominion: and so from one to
another, vntle it haue passed rounde aboute, to as many peoples as are of
their dominion, and be comen againe to the place of bewriall emong the
Gerrites, whether it is accompanied with a certain of all the peoples, to
whom it hath comen, as thei gathered encreace from place to place. Thei,
aftre what tyme thei haue laied the corps, cophine and all, vpon a bedde of
state, amid the square afore mentioned: sticke doune their iauelines and
speares aboute him, and with stickes laied ouer from one to another, frame
as it ware a Cielyng, whiche thei couer with a funeralle palle. Then in the
reste of the voide space, that yet remaines in the Cophine made for the
nones: thei berwrie one of his dierest lemmans, a waityng manne, a Cooke, a
Horsekeper, a Lacquie, a Butler, and a Horse. Whiche thei al first
strangle, and thruste in, together with a portion of all sortes of plate,
and of euery suche thyng as appertained to his housholde, or body. And when
the yere comes about, then do thei thus. Thei take of those that ware
nerest about the Kyng (now there are none aboute the king, but thei be
Scithians free borne, and suche as his self doth commaunde: for he maie be
serued with no bought slaue) of those take thei fiuetie and as many of his
best horses.
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