Pilgrimage, Book 3 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Of the Religious Votaries amongst the Turks, and of their Saints.
TO proceed vntounto the differences of opinion amongst the Turks: Septemcastrensis (who liued very many yeares amongst them) saith, that although they consent against CHRIST, yet doe they much dissent among themselues, wresting the Alcoran to their purposes, and scarcely one of a hundreth agreeing with his fellow about Mahomet and their Lawe. And besides their differences in Ceremonies, there are, saith he, foure sects differing in maine grounds of Religion: which would not be appeased without bloud, if they feared not the higher power, and were not thereby kept in awe. One of these sects is that of the Priests, holding, that none can be saued, but by the Lawe of Mahomet. The second of their religious Dermschler, reputed the successors of the Saints, the friends of God and Mahomet, who are of opinion, that the Lawe profiteth nothing, but the grace of God: and these ground their opinions on miraculous illusions, of which hee reporteth one in the time of Amurath the second, who examining this contention betwixt these Seculars and Regulars, and being purposed to giuegive sentence in the behalfe of the Priests, and against the religious, one of these Dermschler aVisions and Apparitions among the Turkes aswell as among the Papists.appearing to him in a vision, (others also ground Faith on Visions) and deliuering him out of a great danger, altered his minde: for going to the stoole in the night, the boords gaue way, and he fell in, staying on a crosse timber, where this religious man in their wonted habite appeared to him, and bid him now vse the help of his Priests for his deliuerance. This after so affected the King, that himselfe became a religious man till the necessity of State-affaires compelled him to resume his gouernment. (He that listeth may compare with this Dunstans deuises for his Regulars:) The third he calleth Czofilar speculatiue men, which Sect is founded on Tradition, holding that they are saued by Merit, without Law or Grace. These are very earnest in prayers, neuer ceasing; and meeting in the night, and sitting in a Circle they begin to say, Layla illalach, with shaking their heads till they fall down senselesse: these three sorts are manifest to the people, and as it were of equall esteeme with them: The fourth are called Horife that is, Heretikes, holding, that eueryevery man is saued in his owne Lawe, and all Lawes to be alike good to the obseruers: these are burned if they be taken.
Strange it is, that hee reporteth of the miraculous workes of some of them, that they may seeme (as hee saith) incarnate Deuilles: Some going naked, with their priuities onelyonly hidden, and some of these are impassible, besides the violence of Winter and Summer, induring, like stones, the branding with fire or wounding with sword: Some seldome eate or drinke, and some, not at all: others, but from hand to mouth; some are perpetually silent, hauing no conuersation with men, of which hee saith he sawe one: and some hauehave their supernaturall traunces or rauishments: Some dwell amongest men, some by themselues apart, and some in wildernes: Some keep hospitality in Cities, atleast to harbour men, if they hauehave not foode for them: some carrying about water in leather bagges, giuing it to all, and demanding nothing for the same, except any voluntarily gratifie them. Some inhabite at the Sepulchres of the Saints, keeping the same, and liuing on the vowes and offerings of the people, not obseruing the washings and ceremonies of the Lawe. As concerning those Water-carriers, Nichalas Nicholay saith, that hee hath seene in a morning at Constantinople fifty of those Sacquas (so he calleth them) in a company, all furnished with their scrippes of leather full of Cisterne or Fountaine-water hanging on their side, with Cuppes of fine Corinthian latten guilded and damaskined, bearing in the same hand a Looking-Glasse, which they hold before the eyes of them whome they giuegive to drinke, admonishing them to thinke on Death: and if any giuegive them any thing, they out of a Violl cast on their faces sweet smelling water. He telleth of some that would seeme to liue a solitary life amongst beasts, but indeed liue in shoppes in most popular Cities, the walles whereof are couered with skinnes of diuers beasts, and vponupon the hornes thereof they hang tallow candles. In the middest of this their sacred shoppe standeth a stoole couered with a greene cloth, and vponupon the same a great latten candlesticke, without any candle. Moreouer, they hauehave painted a Cimiterre hung in the middest, in memory of Haly, who forsooth with his sword cut the rocks in sunder: and they breed vp with them, beasts, as bulles, beares, harts, rauens, eagles; so that in stead of their liuing with beasts, beasts liue with them. And if sufficient be not brought to their shoppes, they with one of these beasts in their hand goe about the streetes begging.
In the army of the Turkes that assaulted Malta in the yeare 1565. were bKnol.p.794.thirteene thousand of a certaine kinde of men amongst the Turkes, which liue of the reuenues of the Church, who had at Constantinople cTurkish Decij.vowed their liues for their superstition. Antonie Pagifetta dKnol.pag.834reporteth, that as the Emperors Ambassadors were conueyed from the presence of the great Turke to their lodging, by the Ianizaries and their Aga, there were amongst them certaine religious men called Haagi which vse to follow the Ianizaries, who continually turning about, and in their going, singing, or rather howling certaine Psalmes or Prayers for the great Sultans welfare, made them wonder that they fell not downe for giddinesse.
But amongst all their orders of Religion, Nicholas Nicholai, eM.N.l.3.c.15 & Christoph. Richerius.and before him Menavina, reckon foure which are most common amongst them, the Giamailer, the Calender, the Dervisi, and the Torlachi.
The Giamailer are for the most part, faire yong men, of rich houses, which giuegive themselues to trauell through diuerse Regions, at other mens charges, vnderunder colour of Religion: carrying with them none other apparrell then a little Cassocke of Purple colour, girt with a girdle of silke and golde: vponupon the ends whereof-hang certaine cimballs of siluer mixt with some other cleare-sounding mettall, and they doe ordinarily weare sixe or seuen of these about their girdles, and vnderunder their knees. Instead of a cloake they are couered with the skinne of a Lion or Leopard, beeing whole and in his naturall haire, which they make fast vponupon their breast, by the two former legges. All the rest of their bodies are bare: sauing that they weare-great Rings on their eares, and a kinde of sandalls on their feete, their haire groweth long like womens, disheueled ouer their shoulders. They beare in one of their hands a Booke, written in the Persian language, full of amorous Sonnets. And thus with their voyces and cimbals, they make pleasant musicke, especially if they meet some faire stripling, whom they set in the middest of them, and incompasse with their morice-musicke. These are the Pilgrimes of louelove; and vnderunder pretext of Religion do draw vntounto them the hearts of women and yonglings, and are called the men of the Religion of louelove; vntounto which order of Religion youth is prone more then enough. The partakers of their musicke ordinarily impart to them of their coine.
The Calender fNic.Nic.16.is of a contrary profession to the former glorying of abstinence and chastitie. They hauehave for their dwelling certaine little Churches, which they call Techie, ouer the gates whereof they doe write these or like words, Coedanormas, dil ersin cusciunge al, cachecciur: that is, they which will enter into their religion, must doe workes liketheirs, and remaine in their virginitie. These Calenders are clothed with a little short coat without sleeues, after the fashion of a haire-cloth, made of wooll and horse-haire, and do not let their haire grow long, but cut the same, & couer their heads with felt-hats, like the Priests of, Graecia, about which hang certaine strings, about the breadth of an hand, made of horse-haire: in their eares, and about their necks and armes they weare great rings of iron. They pierce the skin vnderunder their priuy member, thrusting thorow the same a ring of an indifferent bignes & weight, to bar them from venerie, if they were thereunto otherwise willing. They also goe reading of certaine songs, made by one of their Order, called Nerzimi, the first Saint and Martyr, after their reckoning, of their religion, who for certaine words spoken against the law of Mahomet, was in Azamia flaide quicke. Menauino gLib.2.cap.10.saith, he had read some of his writtings agreeing with the Christian faith in many points. Some hPolicy of the Turkish Empire.say, he was martyred for confessing CHRIST.
The Deruis goe bare-headed, and cause their head and beard to be cut with a rasor, and all the hairie parts of their bodie: and burne also their temples with a hot iron, or an old peece of cloth burnt; hauing their eares pierced, wherein they do weare certain great rings of Iasper. All their cloaths are two sheepes or goats skins, the haire thereof being dried in the Sun, one before, and the other behind, embracing the body in forme of a girdle, otherwise naked, Winter and Summer. They dwell without the Cities in Suburbs and Villages. Thus vnderunder the colour of Religion they roame vp and downe, and make no conscience to rob, kill, and murther, if they find themselues the stronger (with a small hatchet which they beare vnderunder their girdle) all men of whatsoeuer law ornation. They are fornicators, and most detestable in that most detestable sinne of Sodomie. For shew of holinesle they eate of a certaine herbe iThis seemes to be the same hearbe which Menauixo calleth Asseral.called Matslach, the violent operation whereof maketh them to become madde, so as through a certaine furie, they with a certaine knife or rasor, doe cut their neckes, stomackes and thighes, vntill they be full of most horrible wounds; which to heale, they lay vponupon them a certaine hearbe, letting it lie vponupon their hurt, vntill it be altogether consumed into ashes, suffering in the meane time extreame paine with maruellous patience. Thus doe they imitate their Prophet Mahomet, who, through abstinence in his denne, fell into such a furie (say they) that he would hauehave throwne himselfe from the toppe of it. And therefore fooles and madde men are in great reuerence: yea they account such for Saints: and if such madde men strike or robbe them, they take it in good part, and say they shall hauehave good lucke after it. They erect stately monuments ouer such madde mens graues, as at Aleppo, kBiddulph ep. Fooles are esteemed beloued of God: if such be Christians they circumcise them by force, and esteeme them Saints saying. God hath made him a foole, thus to bee saued by their meanes.one Sheh Bonbac (who being madde, went alwaies naked) being dead, they built an house ouer his graue, where to this day (saith our Author) there are lampes burning day and night, and many of these Daruises there maintained, to looke to his sepulchre, and to receiue the offerings of such as come, as many doe euerie weeke out of Aleppo. If any be sicke or in danger, they vow to offer money or other things to Sheh Boubac if they recouer.
The same account they make of one Sheh Mahammet a madde man, yet liuing in Aleppo, going naked with a spitte on his shoulder. Men and women will come and kisse his hand, or some other part of his bodie, and aske him counsell, for they hold that madde mens soules are in heauen-talking with GOD, and that he reuealeth secrets to them. And euen the Bassaes themselues will kisse and consult with this Oracle. Hard I deeme it to say whether is the madde man. In a late victorie against the Christians, they affirme that this Sheh Mahammet was seene in the field many thousand miles distant, fighting against their enemies, whom by his helpe they ouercame.
But to returne to our Daruises, this our Author saith, that oftentimes great Bassaes, in displeasure with the Emperour, will retire themselues into this Order, as the Hospitall and Sanctuarie of their diseased and dangerous state. Their witnesse is of better account then any other mans, although he were an Emir, or of the kindred of Mahomet. They liue of almes, as the other Religious doe, which they begge in the name of Haly. They hauehave lNic Nichol.in Natolia a sepulchre of a Saint called by them Scidibattal, who (say they) conquered the most part of Turkie, and about the place of the sepulchre is an habitation & Couent, where, aboue fiue hundred of these Deruises dwell: and there once in the yeare they keepe a generall assembly, in which their Superiour (whom they call mThat is, the Father of fathers.Assambaba) is present and President; their Counsell or Chapter consisting (saith Menauinus) of aboue eight thousand of their Order. One of these Deruislars nKnolles p.463.drawing neere vntounto Baiazet the second, as if he would hauehave receiued an almes of him, desperatly assailed him with a short Scimitar, which he closely hid vnderunder his hypocriticall habit. But Baiazet by the starting of his horse (afraid of this hobgoblin) auoided the deadly blow, but not vnwounded: neither had he so escaped, had not Ishender Bassa with his horse-mans Mace presently strucke downe the desperate villaine, as he was redoubling his blow, who was forthwith rent in peeces by the souldiers. Baiazet thereupon proscribed all them of that superstitious Order, and banished them out of his empire. The like (as Septem castrensis saith) they had attempted against Mahomet his father in his youth, while Amurath was yet liuing. And in our dayes Mehemet or Muhemet, the great Visier Bassa, who swayed almost wholly and only that mightie Empire (as appeareth in the historie of that State) in the dayes of Solyman, Selym, and Amurath, and as Master Harborne relateth, was esteemed to possesse two and twentie millions of gold, was not assaulted only, but murthered by one of these Deruislers. For whereas it is a custome of the great men, that at ordinary houres all their Chaplaines, or Priests, assemble themselues in the Diuano, there together mumbling their superstitions: and this Deruisler oKnol.Turk. Hist p950.ordinarily thither admitted, vponupon an old grudge, for that Mehemet had before depriued him of a souldiers place and pension, when the Visier sate there to giuegive publike audience, sitting right against him, after his Mumpsimus finished, the Visier reaching vntounto him his wonted almes, he with a dagger closely before prouided, stabbes him into the breast, and was therefore of Mehemets slaues with exquisit torments done to death. In their great Counsell before mentioned, there are yong men clothed in white, which tell the most memorable obseruations in their trauailes, which they present to the Assambaba in writing, subscribed with their names. On the Friday they vse after prayer and eating, the herbe pAsseral is an herbe, that maketh men merry, as if they were drunkon.Asseral, to reade the same with daunces, and after their daunce (which is about a huge fire, made of as much wood as an hundred beasts can carrie) they cut the skinne of their armes, legges, or breasts, engrauing some figure thereon, whereto they after apply ashes and vrine: In the doing hereof they vtter this speech: This I cut for the louelove of such a woman. VponUpon the last day of their feast, they take leaue of their Gouernour, and depart in troupes like souldiers with banners and drummes; and so returne to their owne Monasteries.
The Torlaquis by other called Durmislurs, cloath themselues with sheepes and goats skins, like vntounto the Deruis: aboue the same they wrap about them in maner of a cloake the skin of a great Beare, with the haire, made fast vponupon their stomacke with the legs: vponupon their heads they weare a white bonnet of felt folded with smal plaits, hauing the rest of their bodies altogether naked. They also burne their Temples as the former. A beastly generation. For they know not, nor will learne to reade, write, or doe any ciuill profitable act, but liue idly vponupon almes, roaguing thorow the Countrey alone, and in troupes thorow the deserts, robbing such as they meet handsomely apparelled, causing them to goe as they doe, naked. They professe palmistry and fortune-telling, the people feeing and feeding them for such vanities. And sometimes they cary with them an old man, whom they worship as a God: lodging themselues neere the best house of the towne where they come. And there this new numen, and old impostor, faining himselfe rauished in spirit, pronounceth graue words and spirituall commandments; at sundry times lifting vp his eyes to heauen, and after turning to those his disciples, willeth them to carry him from thence, for some eminent iudgement there to be executed, as is reuealed to him. They then pray him to auert that danger by his prayer, which he accordingly doth: which the people (deluded by their hypocrisies) reward with large beneuolence, at which they after amongst themselues do merrily scoffe. They eate also of the herbe Ma…slatz, and sleepe vponupon the ground naked of cloathes and shame, and commit also abominable Sodomitrie. And thus much of their misorderly orders of an irreligious Religion. He that will reade more at large of them, let him reade the booke of the Policie of the Turkish Empire, which out of Menauino discourseth more largely of these things, and other the Turkish rites.
Septemcastrensis qCap.15.telleth of certaine Saints of exceeding estimation for holinesse, whose sepulchres are much frequented of deuout Votaries: as that of Sedichasi (which signifieth a holy conquerour) in the confines of Caramania. Another is called Hatsehipettesch that is, the Pilgrims helpe. Another rAssich is the Goddesse of louelove with the Georgiou…z.Ascik passa who helpeth in louelove-matters, and for children, in barrennesse. Another, Van passa, for concord: and Scheych passa, in trouble and affliction: and Goi or Muschin or Rartschin passa, inuoked for their cattle: and Chidir elles for trauellers, to whom he sometime appeareth as a traueller; and any one that hath extraordinarily liued, is imputed a Saint after his death.
They hauehave many whose names I remember not (saith he) in like reuerence with them, as are the Apostles with vsus. When they would seeke for things lost, they goe to one Saint; when they are robbed, they go to another; and for the knowledge of things secret, they repaire to a third. They hauehave their Martyrs, and Miracles, and Reliques. Thus they tell of certaine religious men condemned wrongfully, for suspicion oftreason, to the fire; which they entred without harme (as sDan.3 27.those three companions of Daniel) and their shooes were hanged vp for a monument. Their Nephes ogli that is, soules or persons begotten of the holy Spirit (such is their fancie) without seede of man, they hold in such reputation, that they account themselues happie, which can doe them any good, yea that can touch them: and if their haires be laid vponupon any, they say that their sicknesses are cured.
In this reputation of sanctity they hauehave a certaine old woman, which hauing a dog with her (in her pilgrimage to Mecca) ready to die for thirst, made water in her hand, and gaue it to the dogge: which charitable act was so highly accepted, that a voice was presently heard from heauen, saying, This day thou shalt be in Paradise. And at the same time she was caught vp bodie and soule into heauen: and hereupon are they liberall to their dogges. If this crosse an opinion, which some Saracens hold, that women come not to Paradise, no maruell, seeing falsehood is commonly contrary both to the Truth, and it selfe. He that would reade the miraculous tales which they tell of their Saints, may hauehave recourse to that namelesse Author, which of his countrey is called, and heere often cited by the name, Septemcastrensis: who telleth tSeptemcast… cap.18.of his Master and his Mistris their deuotion and vowes to Goi and Mirtschin, for preseruation of their cattell, sometimes miraculous (so readie is the Diuell with his sauing destruction, and destroying preseruation) yea he saith, that the Diuell doth turne himselfe amongst them into an Angell of light, with such effectuallillusions, that there are seene, or (at least) beleeued amongst them, the dead raised to life, diseases of all sorts cured, secrets of the hearts disclosed; treasures, long before hidden in the ground, reuealed: and besides, such oftentation, and shew of dissembled holinesse, that they may seeme not to come short of the Fathers and Apostles in that behalfe: if bodily exercise were the triall of sanctitie.
Busbequius uBusbequius epist.1.tels, that they hauehave like conceit of one Chederles, amongst them, as some superstitious persons hauehave of Saint George and the Turkes affirme to be the same: The Deruis hauehave a great Temple dedicated in his honor at Theke Thioi, not farre from Amafia, the chiefe Citie of Cappadocia. The Countrey and both Legends agree, for the killing of the Dragon, deliuering the Virgin, &c. They say that he trauelled many coū tries, and at last came to a riuer, the waters wherofyeelded immortality to the drinker, and now cannot be seene. Chederles hereby freed from death, rides about eueryevery where on his horse (which thence also dranke in immortality) & delighteth in battels, taking part with the best cause: & to make vp the tale, they say he was one of the cōpanions of Alexander *Alexander Mug. was also one of their Saints.the Great; they affirme, that Alexand was Salomons chiefe captaine, & Iob his high steward. In that Moschee or Temple at Theke Thioi is a fountaine of water, which they say, sprang vp of the staling of Chederles horse. Like stories hauehave they of his horse-keeper, & nephew, whose sepulchers they shew, where deuout pilgrims obtaine many blessings. They shew for reliques the peeces of the shooes which Chederles his horse brake in that Dragon-fight, and vse the same in drinke against agues and headaches. These places are full of Dragons and Vipers. Sultan Murat Chan, xLeuncla.hist.Musul.lib.14.or Amurath the second in a battaile against the Christians, vsed this prayer, O righteous GOD, giuegive vsus strength and victorie, O Muhamet, O Mustapha the top of glory, by abundance of miracles, by the abundance of Gaib-erenlers, which are friends to the Musulmans, and walke inuisible, by the abundance of the Cheders, grant vsus victory. In the time yLeuncla.hist.Musul.lib.4.of Vrchan, or Orchanes the sonne of Ottoman, they say these Gaib-erenlers appeared on white horses in a battel against the Christians, & slew them. These (they say) are friends to the Islams, that is, Catholike, or right-beleeuing Musulmans, and are diuine protectors of the Imania or Mahumetan law. Such tales you may reade in the Spanish relations of the West Indies, as at the battell of Tauasco, zHistorie of the West Indies.Lop. de Gom.where a strange horse-man discomfited the Indians, &c. And our inuocation of GOD and Saint George, is rather Turkish, then truly Christian: For GOD alone aPsal.144.2.is our strength, which teacheth our hands to fight, and our fingers to battell: and *Psal.73.25.whom hauehave I in heauen but thee, and I hauehave desired none … earth with thee? As for George and Chederles I know them both alike in matter of Inuocation, saue that it is worse to abuse to impietie a Christian name then a Turkish: and King Edward the third seemed to inuoke Edward as much as George, Ha Saint Edward, ha Saint George (saith Thomas Walsingham). But that of George is rather an Embleme of eueryevery Christian, as not onelyonly the heroique Muse of our Spenser bSpensers Redcrosse Knight in the Fa.Q.in Poeticall fiction: but the Diuiner of great Diuines cRainold.de Rom Eccl. Idololat.lib.1.cap.5.in their iudiciall censure hauehave manifested. It seemeth that the Chederles, and Gaib-erenlers are diuers: and perhaps that Martiall nation in conquest of the Christians of those parts, would soone reconcile themselues to that martiall Saint, and drinke in those further deuotions which his horse pissed. Such Emblemes were those of Christopher, Catherine, George, which the Papists inuocate as Saints; an error proceeding from those pictures (as it seemeth) in Churches, according to that of the Prophets, dIerem.10.8.The stocke is a doctrine of vanitie, and eHabac.2.18.the Image a teacher of lies. The ruder posteritie in that mist of Antichrist, and smoake from the bottomlesse pit not being able to discerne an Emblem and History asunder, hauehave made S. George the Mars fBap.Man: Fast.lab.a.of the Christians, quem nostra iuuentus Pro Mauorte colit. Bellarmine gRel.de Eccles. Tri.lib.1.20.strugleth much, rather then he will lose his Saint, and yet confesseth the History Apocryphal. Baronius hBaron,…. in …. R…m.A….23.his fellow Cardinal, but beyond in truth, acknowledgeth it an image of a symbole, rather then of a history, which I acobus de Voragine without good authority, in his Golden Legend maketh historicall. He saith the Virgin representeth some Prouince, which imploreth the Martyrs help against the Diuell. But Hypcriue iHyp. derat. stud. I ….lib.3.cap.7.and Vallauicentius Posseuini interprete it more fitly to signifie the Church assaulted by the Diuel, protected by the Christian Magistrate: in which respect our Defender of the Faith may iustly betermed the Patron of that renowned Order, which hath now learned their George to be symbolicall, not a Cappadocian, & as Princes of *foreignGods husbandry. which gaue name to S. George, to fight against the Dragon, and the beast with hornes like the Lambe, but speaking like the Dragon. foreignAs for the Popish George, Baronius also hath another originall from the Arrians, worshipped of them for a Martyr. 1.Cor.3.But if any would be further acquainted with this Knightly Saint, let him resort to Doctor Rainolds his larger Historie.