Chapter 18 |
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Chapter 20
OF THE DOOMS MADE BY ST. THOMAS'S HAND. OF DEVOTION AND SACRIFICE
MADE TO IDOLS THERE, IN THE CITY OF CALAMYE; AND OF THE PROCESSION
IN GOING ABOUT THE CITY
FROM that country men pass by many marches toward a country, a ten
journeys thence, that is clept Mabaron; and it is a great kingdom,
and it hath many fair cities and towns.
In that kingdom lieth the body of Saint Thomas the apostle in flesh
and bone, in a fair tomb in the city of Calamye; for there he was
martyred and buried. And men of Assyria bare his body into
Mesopotamia into the city of Edessa, and after, he was brought
thither again. And the arm and the hand that he put in our Lord's
side, when he appeared to him after his resurrection and said to
him, NOLI ESSE INCREDULUS, SED FIDELIS, is yet lying in a vessel
without the tomb. And by that hand they make all their judgments
in the country, whoso hath right or wrong. For when there is any
dissension between two parties, and every of them maintaineth his
cause, and saith that his cause is rightful, and that other saith
the contrary, then both parties write their causes in two bills and
put them in the hand of Saint Thomas. And anon he casteth away the
bill of the wrong cause and holdeth still the bill with the right
cause. And therefore men come from far countries to have judgment
of doubtable causes. And other judgment use they none there.
Also the church, where Saint Thomas' lieth, is both great and fair,
and all full of great simulacres, and those be great images that
they clepe their gods, of the which the least is as great as two
men.
And, amongst these other, there is a great image more than any of
the other, that is all covered with fine gold and precious stones
and rich pearls; and that idol is the god of false Christians that
have reneyed their faith. And it sitteth in a chair of gold, full
nobly arrayed, and he hath about his neck large girdles wrought of
gold and precious stones and pearls. And this church is full
richly wrought and, all overgilt within. And to that idol go men
on pilgrimage, as commonly and with as great devotion as Christian
men go to Saint James, or other holy pilgrimages. And many folk
that come from far lands to seek that idol for the great devotion
that they have, they look never upward, but evermore down to the
earth, for dread to see anything about them that should let them of
their devotion. And some there be that go on pilgrimage to this
idol, that bear knives in their hands, that be made full keen and
sharp; and always as they go, they smite themselves in their arms
and in their legs and in their thighs with many hideous wounds; and
so they shed their blood for love of that idol. And they say, that
he is blessed and holy, that dieth so for love of his god. And
other there be that lead their children for to slay, to make
sacrifice to that idol; and after they have slain them they spring
the blood upon the idol. And some there be that come from far; and
in going toward this idol, at every third pace that they go from
their house, they kneel; and so continue till they come thither:
and when they come there, they take incense and other aromatic
things of noble smell, and cense the idol, as we would do here
God's precious body. And so come folk to worship this idol, some
from an hundred mile, and some from many more.
And before the minster of this idol, is a vivary, in manner of a
great lake, full of water. And therein pilgrims cast gold and
silver, pearls and precious stones without number, instead of
offerings. And when the minister of that church need to make any
reparation of the church or of any of the idols, they take gold and
silver, pearls and precious stones out of the vivary, to quit the
costage of such thing as they make or repair; so that that nothing
is faulty, but anon it shall be amended. And ye shall understand,
that when [there be] great feasts and solemnities of that idol, as
the dedication of the church and the throning of the idol, all the
country about meet there together. And they set this idol upon a
car with great reverence, well arrayed with cloths of gold, of rich
cloths of Tartary, of Camaka, and other precious cloths. And they
lead him about the city with great solemnity. And before the car
go first in procession all the maidens of the country, two and two
together full ordinatly. And after those maidens go the pilgrims.
And some of them fall down under the wheels of the car, and let the
car go over them, so that they be dead anon. And some have their
arms or their limbs all to-broken, and some the sides. And all
this do they for love of their god, in great devotion. And them
thinketh that the more pain, and the more tribulation that they
suffer for love of their god, the more joy they shall have in
another world. And, shortly to say you, they suffer so great
pains, and so hard martyrdoms for love of their idol, that a
Christian man, I trow, durst not take upon him the tenth part the
pain for love of our Lord Jesu Christ. And after, I say you,
before the car, go all the minstrels of the country without number,
with diverse instruments, and they make all the melody that they
can.
And when they have gone all about the city, then they return again
to the minster, and put the idol again into his place. And then
for the love and in worship of that idol, and for the reverence of
the feast, they slay themselves, a two hundred or three hundred
persons, with sharp knives, of the which they bring the bodies
before the idol. And then they say that those be saints, because
that they slew themselves of their own good will for love of their
idol. And as men here that had an holy saint of his kin would
think that it were to them an high worship, right so then, thinketh
there. And as men here devoutly would write holy saints' lives and
their miracles, and sue for their canonizations, right so do they
there for them that slay themselves wilfully for love of their
idol, and say, that they be glorious martyrs and saints, and put
them in their writings and in their litanies, and avaunt them
greatly, one to another, of their holy kinsmen that so become
saints, and say, I have more holy saints in my kindred, than thou
in thine!
And the custom also there is this, that when they that have such
devotion and intent for to slay himself for love of his god, they
send for all their friends, and have great plenty of minstrels; and
they go before the idol leading him that will slay himself for such
devotion between them, with great reverence. And he, all naked,
hath a full sharp knife in his hand, and he cutteth a great piece
of his flesh, and casteth it in the face of his idol, saying his
orisons, recommending him to his god. And then he smiteth himself
and maketh great wounds and deep, here and there, till he fall down
dead. And then his friends present his body to the idol. And then
they say, singing, Holy god! behold what thy true servant hath done
for thee. He hath forsaken his wife and his children and his
riches, and all the goods of the world and his own life for the
love of thee, and to make thee sacrifice of his flesh and of his
blood. Wherefore, holy god, put him among thy best beloved saints
in thy bliss of paradise, for he hath well deserved it. And then
they make a great fire, and burn the body. And then everych of his
friends take a quantity of the ashes, and keep them instead of
relics, and say that it is holy thing. And they have no dread of
no peril whiles they have those holy ashes upon them. And [they]
put his name in their litanies as a saint.
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