Marco Polo's Voyage to Indian Seas: 03: The Idolaters of Zipengu

The idolaters of Cathay, Manji, and of these isles, have all a uniform worship; their idols have heads respectively of dog, hog, the sheep and various other animals.  Some have a head of four faces, others three heads, one in the proper place, and one on each shoulder.  Certain images have four, ten, and even thousand hands, and these last are held in great reverence.  When the Christians ask them why they form idols in so strange a manner, they reply, "our ancestors left them to us, and we will leave them to our children."  The actions of these beings are so various and diabolical, and they must not be mentioned in this book, because it would be a wicked thing for Christians to read them.  I shall only mention, that any idolaters of these isles, when he captures an enemy, who cannot pay a ransom in money, invite his friends, who cook and eat the prisoner, reckoning his flesh the most delicate food that can be obtained.

End of the Section 

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