Marco Polo's Voyage to Indian Seas: 22: The Legend of St Thomas

This is a small town of Maabar containing few inhabitants, and seldom visited by merchants, there being a little trade, and the roads difficult.  Many Christians and Saracens, however, resort thither in pilgrimage, the latter esteem him a great saint, and even assert that he was a Mohammedan.  But I will now relate a wonder. The Christians who repair to the shrine, take from the place red earth, carry it into their country, and give a small portion to any person sick of fever, who is presently cured.  But I have now a miracle to tell; for about the year 1288, a baron of this district had a great quantity of rice, and filled with it all the houses around the church. The pilgrims having no place to lodge, prayed him much to desist; but being fierce and proud, he paid no regard to his entreaty.  Next night, accordingly Messer St Thomas appeared to him, with a fork in his hand, which he thrust forcibly against his throat causing severe pain, and saying, "If you do not forthwith empty my houses, you shall die an evil death." He disappeared.  The baron rose early in the morning, related the apparition, and caused all buildings to be emptied. The Christians greatly rejoiced, and honoured the apostle. Not only this, persons suffering from various infirmities were cured.  One day the apostle had left his hermitage, and was engaged in prayer.  Around this place were numerous peacocks, here they are more than elsewhere. Now an idolater, gaui, aiming at one of these birds, let fly one of his arrows, without seeing the saint, and it struck on his right side.  Finding himself thus wounded, he adored his Creator, and soon expired. It was told that before coming here, he had converted many people in Nubia.

When a child is born in this province, they anoint him every day with the oil

of sesame which makes him blacker, than at the time of his birth.  The persons more tinted are more honoured.  These people paint god and all other idols black and their devils white as snow.  The men who go to battle place such a faith in ox as a holy thing, that they take the hair of wild bull, and if they fight on a horse, attach it to his neck, if on foot to their sheild, thinking themselves better secured against every danger. Hence the hair of the animal sells at a considerable price.

Notes:- 

This chapter sheds more light on the narrative of Marco Polo. From Masulipatam he returned; from Srilanka to Masulipatam he travelled northwards; from Masulipatam to Maabar he travelled southward. He must have based his account on some medieval and ancient sources. There were Sutas of Great Indian Epic stories. They were the main source of entertainment in ancient times. Professionally they were chariot drivers, and it gave them enough chances to get in contact with people of distant places, and they shared their experiences with the public, and this must have been his pastime, as well the pastimes of his audience.

In Celtic areas of Northwest Europe there were bards. They were a three in one: the story teller, the poet, and the composer. They were found in Ireland, Scotland, Wales.

A griot was a West African Four-in-one: a story-teller, musician, poet and historian.

Ashik or ashug was a singer poet story teller of Middle East.

Pingshu or Pinghua is Chinese art of story telling. 

In middle ages story tellers or troubadours or minstrel were found in market places. In Venice also, such story tellers were in abundance.

Story telling was intertwined with city's culture.  Bustling public squares, gondolas gliding through canals, and private homes of lords had become a scene of story telling. It was a place where Venetian merchants and sailors shared their adventures.  Venetian trader's experience on the trading routes, and in hitherto unknown lands and over sea proved to be enchanting for the listeners.

When the printing came into existence, Marco Polo, who was alien to the art of writing and his prison mate Rustichello da Pisa in the lonely hours must have planned to write this book, and when it was published it must have served as a blueprint for the grooming story-tellers. 

I do not think Marco Polo had visited all the places he had narrated. Some of the places, like Maabar he had visited, but some other he never visited.

Maabar is a region somewhere around Coromandal coast.