Pilgrimage, Book 5 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Of the Religion in Pegu, and the Countrey thereunto subiect.
THeir Varellaes or Idoll-Temples in the Kingdome of Pegu are many. aR.Fitch. Cas.Fred…rike.They are made round like a Sugar-Loafe or a Bell: some are as high as a Church or a reasonable Steeple, very broad beneath: some a quarter of a mile in compasse: In the making of them, they consume many Sugar-Canes with which they couer them from the top to the bottom. Within, they be all earth, done about with stone. They spend thereon much Gold, for they be all guilded aloft, and many of them from the top to the bottome: and eueryevery ten or twelue yeares, they must be new gilded, because the raine consumeth off the Gold, for they stand open abroad. Were it not for this vaine custome, Golde would heere be good-cheape. About two daies iourney from Pegu, there is a Varelle, bCas.Balby saith that many of these Vareles were burned, together with foure thousand housand houses in Pegu by negligence of a Portugall Marriner.or Pagode, which is the Pilgrimage of the Pegues. It is called Dogonne, and is of wonderfull bignes, and all gilded from the foote to the top. This house is fifty fiue paces in length, and hath in it three Iles or Walkes, and forty great Pillars gilded, which stand betweene them. It is gilded with golde within and without. There are houses very faire round about for the Pilgrims to lie in: and many goodly houses for the Tallipoies to preach in, which are full of images both of men & women all ouer gilded; I suppose it the fairest place in the world. It standeth very high, and there are foure waies to it, which all along are set with Trees of Fruits in such wise, that a man may goe in the shade aboue two miles in length. And when their Feast-day is, a man can hardly passe by water or by Land for the great prease of people, which resort thither from all places of the kingdome. There are on the shore of Dogon two Statues, which from the head downeward represent yongmen, but hauehave the faces of Diuels, and two winges on their backes. In Pegu there is a Varelle or Temple, like to this, which the King frequented to doe his holies therein, mounting vp Staires at the foote whereof were two Tigres gaping wide, seeming as if they had beene aliue. Besides the many Magazins (or Treasuries full of Treasure) which the late Bramen King had, hee had neere vntounto the palace a Court walled with stone, the gates whereof were open eueryevery day. Within this Court are foure guilded houses couered with Leade: and in eueryevery of them certaine Idols of great value. In the first house was a great Statue of Gold, and on his head a crowne of Gold; beset with rare Rubies, and Sapphires, and about him foure little children of Gold. In the second house is another of Siluer, as high as an house, set as it were sitting on heapes of money, crowned, his foote is as long as a man. In the third house there is the like Idol of brasse, and in the fourth, of Ganza, (which is their money mettall, tempred of Leade and Copper) In another Court not farre from this, stand foure other Colosses, or huge images of Copper, in houses gilded faire, as they are themselues, saue the head. Balby cBalby c.38.tels of fiue made of Ganza, so monstrous, that the toes of their feete were as bigge as a man, and fitting crosse-legged were yet as high as one could hurle a stone, and were all gilded. Fernandes dFernandes Epist.relateth of threescore and seuen Images of Gold, richly adorned with Iewels, and three hundred threescore and six Combalengas or Gourds of Gold, molten by the Kings Father, each weighing a hundred and fourescore pound; besides his other treasures; to conceale which hee slew two hundred Eunuches his attendants.
Their Tallipoies, eR. Frith.before they take orders, goe to schoole, till they bee twenty yeares olde or more: then they come before a Tallipoie, appointed for that purpose, whom they call Rowli. Hee (as cheefe and most learned) examineth them many times, whether they will leaue their friends, and the company of all women, and take vponupon them the habit of a Talipoy. If hee be content, then he rideth vponupon an horse about the streetes, very richly apparelled, with Drummes and pipes to shew that hee leaueth the riches of the world to be a Tallipoie. In few daies after, hee is carried vponupon a thing like an horslitter, which they call a Serion vponupon ten or twelue mens shoulders, in apparell of a Tallipoy, with Pipes and Drummes and many Tallipoies with him and all his friends: which accompany him to his house, standing without the towne, and there leaue him. EueryEvery one of them hath his house which is very little) set vponupon six or eight postes, to which they ascend on a Ladder of twelue or fourteene steppes. These houses are commonly by the high-waies side, and among the Trees, and in the Woods. They goe stangely apparelled with one Camboline or thinne cloth next to their body, of a browne colour; another, of yellow, doubled many times vponupon their shoulders. These two be girded to them with a broad girdle: and they hauehave a skinne of Leather hanging on a string about their neckes, whereon they sit bare-headed, and bare-footed, with their right armes bare, and a broad Sombrero or shadow in their hands to defend them in Summer, from the Sunne, and in Winter, from the Raine.
They goe with a great pot made of wood or fine Earth, and conered, tied with a broad girdle vponupon their shoulder, which commeth vnderunder their arme: wherewith they goe to begge their victuals which they eate, which is Rice, Fish, and Hearbes. They demaund nothing, but come to the doore, and the people presently doe giuegive them one thing or other: they put altogether in their pot. They keepe their Feasts by the Moone: and at a new Moone is their most solemne Feast: and then the people send Rice and other things to that Kiack or Church, of which they be: and there all the Tallipoies of that Church meete and eate that which is sent them. They preach against all abuses, and many resort vntounto them. When they enter into their Kiack at the doore there is a great iarre of water, with a Cocke or a Ladle in it, and there they wash their feete, and then enter in, lifting vp their hands to their heads, first to their Preacher, and then to the Sunne, and so sit downe. When the Tallipoies preach, many of the people carry them gifts into the pulpit, where they sit & preach. And there is one which sitteth by them to take that which the people bring, which is diuided among them. They hauehave none other ceremonies nor seruice that I could see but onelyonly preaching.
Boterus fG.B.B.l.part 3 Arthus pag. 319.saith, that they hold an innumerable multitude of worlds successiuely one after another, and also innumerable number of Gods: but not all at once. They imagine that fiue hauehave gouerned this present world, whereof foure are passed aboue two hundred yeares agoe. Now they are without a God, and expect the fift many ages hereafter: after whose death, they conceiue that the world shall perish by fire, and then another world shall follow, and other Gods to rule it. They reckon likewise in the number of their Gods certaine men, which yet hauehave first passed into fishes, beasts, and birds of all sorts. After death they beleeue three places, one of pleasure; (like the Mahumetane Paradise) another of torment; the third, of annihilation, which they call Niba. The soules after their phantasie abide in the two former places, whence they returne so often into this life till at last they be holden worthy that Niba. He addeth, that they hauehave Couents, or Colledges of Priests, which liue three hundred together, or more in one place, hauehave no vse of women, are harbourers of strangers, and liue some of almes, some of rents. They hauehave like Nunries also for the women. There is supposed to be in one Idol-sanctuarie (whereof they hauehave many) 120000. Idols. They fast thirty dayes in the yeare: in which they eate nothing till night. They are of opinion, that he which in this world robbeth another man shall in the next world be his seruant for recompence. They hold it a sinne also to kill a liuing creature, although this bee not strictly obserued amongst them. Some Iewes are of opinion that this people descended of those Israelites vvhichwhich Solomon sent to Ophir, which they place in this Kingdom. gPart 1.l.2.But the Peguans themselues ascribe their originall to a dogge, and a China-woman, which escaped shipwracke.
The Diuell is highly worshipped of these Pegusians, hCaspar. Balby. Got. Arthus. histor. Indiae. Pag. 321.to whom they erect a stately Altar, and adorne it with varietie of flowers, and meates of all sorts, so to see and feede him that hee should not hurt them. This is principally done when they are sicke: for then they make vowes, and build Altars, which they couer with clothes and flowers. They entertaine him also with diuersitie of musicke, and appoint him a Priest whom they call the Deuils Father, which procureth his rites and musicke. Some, as soone as they arise from their beds, bring a basket of rice, and meates, and a burning Torch in their hands, running vp and down in the streets, openly professing to feede the diuel to preuent harme from them that day. And if dogges follow them, they hold them to be sent of the Diuell to deuoure those meates in his name. Some will not eate, till they hauehave first cast something behinde their backes to the Diuell. And in the country-villages some of the richer inhabitants leaue their houses furnished with store of foode three moneths space to be inhabited of him, keeping meane while in the fieldes: that so the other nine monethes they may be out of his danger. And howsoeuer the Talopois preach against this diuellish deuotion, yet they cannot reclaime the people. The Talipoies eueryevery Monday, arise early, and by the ringing of a Bason call together the people to their Sermons, which are of Iustice to man, but nothing of Religion to God. They wash themselues often, iC. Balby C, 39.and the water, wherewith they are washed, the people account holy, and reserue it for their drinke.
They hauehave many feasts very solemnely obserued. kSapan. GiachieOne Feast (called Sapan Giachie) is kept twelue leagues from the Citie: whither the King rides in a triumphall Chariot, with his Queene in exceeding pompe, his Nobles attending. Another lSapan Catena.is kept in Pegu, against which day all the Courtiers prouide them certaine pillars or Images of diuers formes, kept closely, that none may see what others hauehave prouided, till the day. These are made of Indian Reedes, carued and guilded, and on the feastinall presented to the King, who praiseth the most artificiall of them. All that night huge lights of waxe are burnt in honour of their Idol, whose Feast it is, that all may see to hauehave accesse to him, to which end the Citie-Gates are left open. But none may approch vntounto him empty-handed. They hauehave mSapan Daichea Feast of watering celebrated in the olde Citie, where the King, Queene, and his Children, with Rose-water sprinkle one another. And all the Captaines likewise besprinkle each other, that they seeme as wet as if they came out of a Riuer. It is said of the last Kings father, that when the people were thus washing, hee would send amongst them an Elephant, which slew many of them, whereat he laughed; the people lamented. An other feast nSapan Dunan.they hauehave, wherein they hauehave a triall of their shippes, which can saile best: this feast lasteth a month: A fift feast oSapan Giaimoseg…enon.is called Gia…noseg…enon, in honour of a certaine Idoll; they hauehave many other feasts, but these the most solemne. Antony Correa, a Portugall, concluding a league with the King of Pegu, the Kings Deputy caused the articles of accord, written in Portugall and Pegu languages with golden letters, to be read aloude, and then rent the scrole, and with a few leaues of an odoriferous tree, caused the same to bee burned to ashes, vponupon which hee layed both hands of the Priest, who in the name of the King, sware to those Articles. These things being done with great attention and silence, Correa. loath in a superstitious fancie, to defile Holle Writ, with confirmation of an oath to a Gentile, sware on a Booke of amorous Sonnets, to keepe inuiolable the said Articles.
In the yeare of our Lord 1585. the King of Aua rebelling, (as is before shewed) the King of Pegu, by single combate, slew the traitor. The fight was on Elephants, in which the Pegusians Elephant, and the Auan Prince, died. The liuing Elephant was preferred to the place of the former; but in fifteene dayes space (let the beastlinesse of men imitate the humanity of a beast) he sorrowed so pCaspar Balby was there with other Merchants, which saw him weeping.for his Maister, that nothing might comfort him. And although hee had continually two seruants attending him, and telling him of his amended estate vnderunder a mightier maister, yet would hee scarce cease to weepe, or beginne to eate, till his fifteene dayes exequies were finished.
Bomferrus a Franciscan spent three yeares in learning the Pegu's language, and mysteries, that he might preach the Christian Religion amongst them, but was soone forced to giuegive ouer and returne into India. For they could not endure to heare anie better knowledge then they had.
Crocodiles and Ap…s qC. Balby.are accounted holy and sacred creatures, for which cause Apes multiply exceedingly; none taking them, except for the vse of their Varelles or Temples, where they tie them, and keepe them with diligent réspect. And though the Crocodiles in the Towne-ditch deuoure men daily, yet in a blinde zeale they will drinke no other water, and account their soules certainely saued, whose bodies are thus certainely lost and deuoured of those beasts, which sometimes are thirtie foote in length.
The Kings, subiect to the King of Pegu, did their homage, and presented themselues before him, kneeling, yea they not onelyonly kneeled to him, but to his white Elephants also. When the King dieth, they make two shippes with golden couers, and betwixt them erect a golden Theater; in which they place the corpse, applying thereto muske, and the most sweet woods, with other things: and so set forth the same to Sea, setting that Theater or Pagcant on fire. In one of the shippes are Talapoies, which sing till they thinke the body consumed to ashes. Then do they make a masse or lumpe of these ashes and milke, and commit the same to Sea in the hauen of Sirian at an ebbing water: the bones which remaine they carry to an other place, and there erecting a Chappell, doe bury the same therein. After this they returne to the pallace, and, according to the accustomed rites, inaugurate the new King. The father of that King (whose tragedie yee hauehave heard) had his bones buried in Dogon.
In Dagin or Dacin, as certaine Merchants at Martaban told our Author rBalby ca.42.,That if the King be in louelove with a maide, he asketh her fathers consent, which yet few will graunt, because he is still tied to maintaine his daughter; the King allowing no expenses to his wife. In some places of that kingdome are men-eaters, called Batacchi, which when their parents grow olde, kill them, and eate them as great dainties. When the King hath condemned a man for some crime, these are his executioners, who in the presence of the king cut off his head, hands and feete, and adding pepper and salt, eate his flesh raw. He is called the king of Assi, and is of great power, hath many ships, much pepper, and is a sworne enemy to the Portugalls, working all the euill he can to Malacca. If the father knoweth the sonne to be guilty (or the sonne the father) of some grieuous crime, he may slay him, but must after giuegive account to the king; and if he allow the fact, all is will; otherwise he is liable to punishment.
In Iamahey or Iangoma (fiue and twenty daies iourney from Pegu) when the people be sicke, they make a vow, to offer meate vntounto the deuil, if they escape: and when they be recouered, they make a banquet, with many pipes, and drummes, and many other Instruments, and dauncing all the night. Their friends bring them presents, Cocos, figges, Arrecaes, and other fruits; and with great dancing and reioycing, they offer to the deuill, and say, they giuegive the deuill to eate, and driue him out, and to this end in their dancing they crie and hollow very lowd. Likewise, when they be sicke, a Tallipoy or two, eueryevery night doth sit by them, and sing, to please the deuill, that he should not hurt them. When one is dead, he is carried vponupon a great frame, made like a Tower, with a couering all gilded, made of canes, carried by foureteene or sixteene men, with great minstrel sie to a place out of the Towne, and there is burned. Hee is accompanied with all his friends and neighbours, all men: and they giuegive to the Tallipoies, or Priests, many mattes and cloth: and then returne to the house, where they feast it two dayes: which being expired, the women accompany the wife to the place where he was burned, and there spend a while in mourning: then doe they gather the peeces of bones, which be left vnburned, and burie them, and then returne to their houses. The neere of kindred doe also shaue their heads, both men and women.