Travels Of Marco Polo: Fifty Eight: Kardandan

When a man departs from Karazan, and travels westward, he enters a province named Kardandan, inhabited by idolators, and subject to the great Khan.  The chief city is called Vociam.  All the people have their teeth, both upper and lower, covered with gold, thus the teeth appeared to be made of gold.  The men are soldiers, and regard nothing but war.  The women and slaves perform all the works.  When a lady has been delivered of a boy, the husband goes to bed taking the child with him, and remains there for forty days.  He thus allows rest to the mother who is only obliged to suckle the infant.  All his friends then come to make a festival.  When the wife rises, she manages the domestic affairs, and serves her husband, still lying in the bed.  They eat all kinds of flesh both raw and cooked, and rice dressed along with it.  They make very good wine of rice, added with spices. They have money of gold and porcelain, and give a bar of gold for five bars of silver.  There are no mines of silver within five day's distance, and so this exchange gives huge profits to the merchants. This people have neither idols nor churches, but adore the master of the house, and say of him, "we are his, and he is our God."

They have neither letters nor writing, which is not wonderful, because they live in an unfrequented place, that cannot be visited in summer on account of air, which is then corrupted and pestilent that no foreigners can live there.  Whenever they have dealings together, they select a piece of timber, square or round, cleave it in the middle, and each takes a half; this must be done before two, three or four witnesses.  When the payment comes, one who receives the money gives his half of the wood.  In all this province there is no physician, but when anyone is sick doctors and exorcists of evil spirits are sent for.  They come to the patient, begin their incantations followed by beating instruments, singing and dancing.  In a short time one of them falls upon the ground, foams at his mouth, and becomes half dead and the devil enters into his body.  Other magicians then ask him what is the cause of patient's illness.  The person who is possessed of devil then announces that the patient has caused displeasure to such and such spirit, who is therefore tormenting him. Then they say, "we beseech you to pardon him, and take in compensation for his blood, the presents which we now exhibit." Then if the sick man is to die, the spirit in the body of magician says, "the spirit has been wronged to such an extend,  that he will not spare for anything in the world".  If on the other hand a cure is to take place, the devil in the magician says, "take so many sheep and so many dishes of rich pottage, and make a sacrifice of them to the angry spirit."  The relations of the patient do everything thus ordered.  Then there is a merry feast for every man and woman.  The feast is followed by singing and dancing in praise of spirit.  They burn incense and myrrh with which they fumigate  and illuminate the whole house.

When they have acted in this way for about an hour, the first magician falls down, and they inquire if the sick man is now pardoned and will be cured.  It is then answered that he is not yet pardoned, but something more must be done, after which forgiveness will be granted.  When this is obeyed, the man possessed of spirit says "he is pardoned and will be cured immediately." The company then exclaim, "the spirit is on our side" and having eaten the sheep and drunk the pottage with great joy and festivity, they return to their homes.

End of the Section 





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