Pilgrimage, Book 4 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Scythians, Sarmatians, and Seres, and of their Religion.
VNderUnder the name of Scythia, is contained a very great part of the world: It was diuided into Scythia Europea, and Asiatica. Pliny aPlind.4.c.12.saith, that this name reacheth vntounto the Sarmatians and Germans, and to those farthest nations, which were vnknowne to other men. And Strabo in his first booke saith, that all knowne regions towards the North were called Scythians or Nomades: and in his eleuenth booke he affirmeth, that the Greekes called all those Northerne Nations, Scythians, and Celtoscythians. Those beyond the Adriatike and Pontike seas, and the Riuer Ister or Danubius, were called Hyperborei, Sauromatae and Arimaspi: those beyond the Caspian sea, Sacae and Massagetae. Some bScytha foreign. Calius li.18.24.will hauehave this name to be giuen them foreign, which signifieth to be angrie: Others of their Shooting, cPlin.l.7.c.56. saith that Scythes, son of Iupiter, inuented the bow and arrowes.called still of some of those Nations, and in some other languages Schieten, of which our word Shoote is deriued: Mela in his third booke and fifth chapter, calleth them all Sagae: and in the fragment which beareth the name of dCat… Annij de orig, & ap. A Riccobo…Cato de Originibus, is mentioned Scythia Saga: this word Saga, Berosus ePseudo-Berosus.lib.2. & 3. & 5.interpreteth a Priest: saying, that Noah left to the Scythian Armenians his rituall bookes, which only Priests, and that only among priests, might reade, who were therefore called Saga, as Noah himselfe had beene. These peopled the countries from Armenia to the Bactrians, all which place was called Scythia Saga: ouer which Sabatius reigning in the time of Iupiter Belus, Araxa with his sonne Scytha possessed all from Armenia Westward, to Sarmatia in Europe. The Graecians fable Hercules to be the father of these Nations, begetting fHerod.lib.4. Diod.Sic.lib.….Scythes on a monster, whose vpper halfe resembled a woman, the nether part a Viper. It were an endlesse and boundlesse worke, to seeke and set out the true and proper beginnings and bounds of this so large a Tract of the world, called Scythia: the particular Nations of them would be but harsh to recite out of Pliny, Mela, Strabo, and others: the multitude whereof he that will may finde in gOrtel.Thes.Ortelius his Thes…rus collected together. The Sarmatae, or Sauromatae, are sometime made one peculiar people of the Scythians: and sometimes the names are confounded, Sarmatia also being diuided into Europaea and Asiatica, whereof the one is interpreted by hOliu.is Melt. Ortel. Thes. geo.Oliuerus, Polonia, by Ortelius, Russia, and the other Tartaria.
Goropius iGorop. Beccesel.in his Beccesel…ua admiring his owne language, coniectureth that while Nimrod and his company fell to Babel, or after our pronunciation, Babble at Babel, others, namely, the Cymbrians, or posteritie of Gomer, stayed stil in Margiana, a country fruitfull of Vines; whither he imagineth Noah descended out of the Arke, and there abode after the Floud. These he supposeth, being not at Babel, retained their old and first vniuersall language. But Margiana growing too little for their multiplied numbers, they wer forced to send out Colonies. And thus the Saxons, Tectosages, Sauromatae, Getes or Gothes, the Danes, Galles, and other Scythian Nations, the true posteritie of Gomer, and keepers of the first languge, as he by Dutch Etimologies gathereth, peopled both Scythia and Sarmatia in Asia, and Europe together with all Germany, France, England, Norway, Denmarke, and some parts of Asia Minor. He that will be further informed of his Reasons, let him reade his Saxonica Getodanica, and other Treatises of his Becceselanian Antiquities.
kPtol.lib.3.c.5.Ptolomey distinguisheth Scythia from Sarmatia: he confineth Sarmatia Europaea with the Sarmatian Ocean, and the land vnknowne on the North: with Vistula on the West: the Easterne border is Tanais: from whence vntounto the Hircanian sea Eastward, is Sarmatia Asiatica, on the North abutting on the vnknowne parts of the earth, on the South with the Euxine sea, and a line drawne right from thence to the Caspian sea. Scythia is by lPtol.l.6.c.14.him placed to the East of Sarmatia, diuided by the hill Imaus, extending vntounto the region called Serica, hauing on the North vnknowne places; on the South, the Sacae, Sogdiana, Margiana and India. But our purpose is to take them here in their more generall sense, vnderstanding all the North parts of Asia, now Tartaria Asiatica, (for of Europe, sauing wherein the Europaean Scythians agree with the Asian, we are not now to speake:) And of these, first to consider their ancient Scythian rites, and in the next place their later Tartarian appellation and religion.
Iustin mIustin.lib.2.out of Trogus relateth the arguments vsed of the Egyptians and Scythians, each seeking to challenge to themselues, to be the ancientest of Nations, in which quarrell the Scythians preuailed. Their manners and customes he thus reporteth. They hauehave no limitation of lands, nor tillage, nor house, but alwayes wander thorow places not inhabited, feeding their heards and flockes. They carry their wiues and children with them on carts, which also being couered with hides, they vse for houses. No offence is more hainous amongst them then theft: gold & siluer they as much contemne, as others desire. Milke and hony is their food; their cloathes, skins of beasts, for the vse of wooll they know not. They hauehave three times sought the Empire of Asia, neuer conquered of others. They chased Darius the Persian King out of their coasts: they slew Cyrus with all his army: they ouerthrew Zopyron a Captaine of Alexander the Great with all his forces. They only heard of, neuer felt the Roman armes, and themselues founded the Parthian Empire.
That which credulous & fabulous antiquitie hath reported, of the monstrous peoples inhabiting the Northerly and vnknowne parts of Scythia, is not heere to be recited, the countries being at this time discouered, and knowne to hauehave no such men, as either by nature are balde and flat nosed, with huge chins; or hauehave but one eye, where there are also Gryphons keepers of their treasures, or men with goats feet: or other monsters of men, which Pliny, nPlin.lib.7. Solinus cap.20.Herodotus and others, hauehave rather mentioned then beleeued; Mandeuil and Munster following them in like relations. Next to these both in place and credit, we may reckon the Hyperboreans, of whom the Delians oHerod.lib.4. Pius secundus in historie Asiae, confuteth this tale.report that they sent to Delos virgins with sacrifice to Lucina, bound vp in wheat-straw: through so many nations inhabiting betweene. Of the Issedones is reported, that when one dieth, his kindred bring thither beasts, which they kill, and cut, and dresse, and eat together with the flesh of the dead man, whose skull also they keepe and gilde, vsing it as an idoll, to which they performe yearely ceremonies: mese exequies doth the sonne there performe to his dead father. Generally of the Scythian religion thus. Of the gods, they worship first Vesta, whome they call in their language Tabits: next of all Iupiter, in their speech Papeus, and the Earth supposing her to be the wife of Iupiter, and call her Apia. In the next place they worship Apollo and Venus, by the names of Oetosyrus, and Artimpasa, and Mars and Hercules. Some of them sacrifice also to Neptune or Thamimasades. Images, Altars and Temples, they thinke ought not to be made, except to Mars. Their manner of sacrificing is generally this: The sacrifice is presented with the fore-feet bound, the Sacrificer at his backe hauing laid aside his holy vestment, woundeth the same, and while it falleth, calls vponupon that god to whom he sacrificeth; and then putteth a halter about the necke, and strangleth it, without kindling any fire, or vowing, or other ceremony, and flayeth it; the flesh plucked from the bones, he casteth into a great Caldron, the bones he vseth for fewell to seeth the same (for wood the countrie doth not yeeld:) And if they hauehave not any such vessell, they put all the flesh with water into the paunch, and so the beast doth seeth it selfe. After it is boyled, he which sacrificed offereth the libaments, or offerings of the flesh and and inwards: their sacrifices are, besides other beasts, especially of horses.
Their Temples to Mars they builde on this manner. Scythian Temples.They heape together bundles of twigs three furlongs in length and bredth, & aboue on them is made a square plaine, three sides thereof are vpright, the fourth is made slope, and bending-wise thereby to get vp: thither they bring eueryevery yeare an hundred and fifty waines of twigs to supply the waste of them. Vnderneath this work is erected an old iron sword, and this is their image of Mars, to which they offer yearly sacrifices, both of other cattel and of horses: and more to this blade then to other gods. Of their captiues they offer one of an hundred, but after another manner. For after they hauehave offered wine on their heads, they kill them by a certaine vessell, and after lifting them vponupon that their heape or Temple, they embrew the Sword-god with the bloud. This they doe aboue: beneath in the Temple they cut off all the right shoulders of the slaine men, and hurle them vp in the aire together with the hands; wheresoeuer the hand shall fall, there it lieth, and the dead bodie apart. When they hauehave performed all their solemnities they depart. Swine are so odious to them, that they will hauehave none of them nourished in their countrey.
There are among them Diuiners, whose rites are these. Scythian diuination.They bring great bundles of willow twigges, which they lay on the ground, and vntie, and laying them asunder one by one, diuine. Some of them practise diuination with the leaues of the Teiltree, which they fold and vnfold in their hands. The King, when at any time he falleth sicke, sendeth for three choice men of those diuiners; who for the most part name some man vntounto him, which hath forsworne himselfe, hauing sworne by the Kings throne, an oath vsed of the Scythians: presently the man is brought forth, who, if he denieth what their art hath accused him of, the King sendeth for twice the number of diuiners: or if they by new practise of their art finde him guiltie, his head is cut off, and the first diuiners share his goods: but if they shall absolue him, more diuiners are sent for; and if the most of them doe absolue him, then those three first are thus done to death. They lade a waine with twigges, and binding the diuiners hand and foot, and stopping their mouthes, cast them into the waines, and set all on fire, burning oxen waine and men together, vnlesse some of the oxen by the burning of their harnesse escape. This punishment inflict they on their false Prophets. They make their leagues with other nations in this sort. They powre wine into a great bowle, mixing therewith the bloud of them which ioyne in league, cutting some part of the bodie with a knife or sword; and then dippe in that bowle or mazer a sword, arrowes, an axe, a dart, and after curse themselues with many words, last of all drinking the wine.
Their Kings are buried amongst the Gerrh…, with many ceremonies carrying the dead bodie through all the countries ouer which hee raigned, which cut and shaue themselues; and with him is buried his best beloued Paramour, his Cup-bearer, Cook, Master of his horse, Waiter, Messenger, Horses, and the first fruits of all other things, and also golden cuppes: and then cast on earth, making a very great hill.
When the yeare is gone about, they take fiftie of his principall attendants, which are not slaues, but free-borne Scythians, and strangle them with so many horses of the best, and fasten the dead men on the dead horses with much solemnitie. But to relate all the particulars hereof, and their burialls also of priuate men (whose dead bodies are carried about fortie dayes, from one friend to another, entertained eueryevery where with feastes, &c.) would be too tedious.
The Scythians so farre hate forren rites and religions, that Anacharsis, a Scythian Philosopher, hauing trauelled through a great part of the world, and vowed to the mother of the gods, if he returned home in safetie, that he would sacrifice to her with such rites as hee had seene obserued in Cyzicus: in the performance of his vow, was slaine by King Saulius.
Scyles pPh.Camerar. Med. hist. Cent.1.58. yet tho Turkes (their of-spring) hold diuers religions.also being King of the Scythians, when he brought in forren rites, and obserued the madde Bacchanal solemnities, which he had seene among the Greekes, lost both his kingdome and life. qAthenaeus lib.12. cap 8.They cut off the noses of men, and imprinted pictures in the flesh of women, whom they ouercame: and generally their customes of rHerodot lib.4.warre were bloudie: what man soeuer the Scythian first taketh, he drinketh his bloud: he offereth to the King all the heads of the men he hath slaine in battell: otherwise he may not share in the spoile: the skinnes of their crownes flaied off, they hang at their horse bridles: sPlin.lib.7.c.2.their skinnes they vse to stay for napkins and other vses, and some, for cloathing. Once a yeare the chiefe men hauehave a solemnitie amongst them, in which they powre wine into a Mazor, of which none may drinke, which hath not slaine an enemy.
These customes were generall to the Scythians in Europe and Asia (for which cause *Poly….hist.l.9.Scytharum facinor a patrare, grew into a prouerbe of immane crueltie, and their Land was iustly called *Barbara nec Scythiae tellus, &c. T. bul.lib.3.Barbarous): Others were more speciall and peculiar to particular nations Scythian.
Of the Barbarous tA.Mar.l.22.crueltie of the Scythians, the sea confining was called Euxinus, by the contrary, as the furies were called Eumenides, saith Ammianus, because they sacrificed strangers to Diana, whom they worshipped vnderunder the name of Orsiloche, and hanged vp their heads on the walls of their Temples. The Ile Leuce, neere to Taurica, was dedicated to Achilles, where none of his deuout worshippers durst abide in the night time; for none might spend the night on shore without danger of his life.
The Massagetae uStrab. lib.11.famous for the ouerthrow of Cyrus, esteeme the Sunne alone for GOD, and offer vntounto him a horse. They hauehave one wife to each man, and yet eueryevery one vseth also his neighbours wife openly, hanging meane while his quiuer on the waine or cart: The best death and most happy amongst them, is, when they are become old, to be cut in pieces, and to be eaten together with sheeps flesh: if he die naturally, they burie him in the earth, as dying a base and beastly xIoan. Boem.death. Their weapons are of brasse, their furniture of gold, of both which they hauehave much store, little of iron & siluer. yCaelius lib.11. cap.21.The Bactrians, when they were old or worne with sicknesse, cast their parents to dogges, which they kept for this purpose, and called Buriall dogges. The Bactrian women are pompous, *Euseb. de praepar. E…ng.lib.6. cap.8.riding in great state, and lie with their seruants, and with strangers. They hauehave among them Brachmanes; Zoroastres the Bactrian is accounted first author of the Magi, and of liberall Artes: he liued twenty yeares in a wildernesse with cheese.
The Sacae sometimes made neerer, sometimes further inuasions: they possessed Bactria, and a great part of Armenia, which after of them was called Sacasena, and proceeded vntounto Cappadocia, where, in the middest of their feastings, being in the night surprised by the Persians, and slaine, they left their name Saca or Sacea to a yearely solemnitie among the Persians in memory of this victory. Of the Sacae, some hold zGorop. Beeces.our Saxons to be descended.
The Amazons, of whom is before related, are said aIustin.lib.2.to be descended of the Scythians, who vnderunder the conduct of Plinos and Scolpythus, setled themselues by the Riuer Thermodon, and possessed the field of Themiscyra: But when they continued to spoile the adioyning countries, they were by secret conspiracie of those people destroyed. Their wiues *Go…op thinks and I with him that these Amazons were but the wiues which exercised armes, and followed warfare with their husbands.became warriours both in defence and offence, and did great acts vnderunder their two Queenes, Marthesia and Lampedo: after Ohera and Antiope the daughters of Marthesia, in the time of Hercules raigned: then Penthesilea, who in the Troian warres was slaine. Yet the reliques of that nation continued vntill Minthia or Thaleslris in Alexanders time; and by degrees ware out altogether. One of their Queenes instituted the sacrifice to Mars and Diana called Tauropolium, saith Diodorus, bDiodor. Sic. lib.2. cap.11.who addeth that they liued not without men, but that they put the men to domestike drudgeries, and exercised the women in the field. Yet doth he no lesse then Strabo make doubt of these Amazonian, or Vnimammian Nation cThe Amazons are still o… …ation further then the relaters or their authors hauehave trauelled in two places of Asia, two of Africa, two of America: the Amazon hauehave bin, till th… … came there and found none.: and no lesse of the Hyperborean, which he thus relateth out of Hecataeus, that they dwell in an Iland in the Ocean neere vntounto the Pole, in which Latona was borne, and Apollo was most of all worshipped: and that the Ilanders generally are Apolloes Priests, eueryevery day chaunting Hymnes in his praise: they hauehave also a huge groue, and a round Temple dedicated to Apollo, to whom their Citie is sacred. These and other things fable they of the Hyperborei, to which Solinus dSol.…r.addeth many other, of the clemencie of the aire, of the innocencie of the men, of their freedome from sicknes, and voluntary seeking for death in the fulnesse of dayes (after they hauehave made merry, casting themselues from a certaine rocke into the sea) all these pleasures concurring notwithstanding; things contrary both to truth and Nature, except with Goropius eGor…p. Bec. lib.9.pag.1032.we turned some parts, at least, of this historie into an allegory. He yet historically interpreteth, that they which placed the Hyperborei beyond the Arimaspi, these beyond the Issedones, and those also beyond the Scythians, and these againe beyond the Cimmerians, intended the Europaean Scythians, or inhabitants about Maeotis, the Liuonians and Muscouites: the Issedones to be in Scandia, and all alongst those frozen or Icie seas, as he proueth by Etimologie of the word: North-east, and Eastwards from these in the continent of Asia he placeth the Arimaspi, and in the continent of America Mexicana he seateth the Hyperborei: They which list may hauehave recourse to his learned discourses of this argument.
The Scythians punished fA…ex. ab. … …ex. lib.3.cap.11.no fault more seuerely then theft. They would make themselues drunken with the smoake of herbes burnt in the fire. They sware by the Kings throne, by their sword, and by the winde gZonar. An. tom. 2.. When they had sacked Athens, and piled a heap of bookes to the fire, which others had compiled with studious pains; one of the company disswaded burning of them, lest that the Greekes neglecting the Mus…s, would become Martiall. *Viu. de trad. dis.l.2.They doubled their numbers at foure, as we do at ten, through vnskilfulnesse in numbring.
We might proceed further in these cold Scythian narrations, if the deepe snowes, long deserts, beastly men, and man-kind beasts, men-eaters, and other monstrous aduentures in the way, did not make it both perplexed and dangerous. Leauing therefore these horrid and vncouth nations: the first ciuill countrey Eastward is the hSoli. cap.53. Plin.lib.1.Sores, the quietest and mildest of men, fleeing the commerce and traffique with other nations, bartering yet with such nations as resort to them, not valuing wares by words, but by their eyes. Among them is reported to be neither theese nor whore, nor murtherer, nor hailes nor pestilence, nor such like plagues. A women after conception, or in her purgation is not desired. None eateth vncleane flesh; none knoweth sacrifices, but eueryevery one is iudge to himselfe of that which is right. They iIo. Boem.lib.2. cap.9.Strabo lib.15.tell, that they liue two hundred yeares, that the common-wealth in gouerned by a Counsell of fiue thousand, eueryevery one of whom findeth an Elephant to the common-wealth. They hauehave this name of Sera the chiefe Citie, by Ptolomey kPtol.l.6.c.16.placed in 177. 15. and 38.36. This region he limiteth on the West with Scythia extra Imau…; on the East, with Terra incognita; and likewise on the North (here some place the promontary Tabin, there the Easterne Ocean) on the South with part of India Extra Gangem. Our silkes hauehave the name of this region, where it is made of a most fine wooll, growing on the leaues of trees. Ta…l…lici opere, saith Pliny tam long in qu… orbe petitur vt in publico matrona transl…c…at. This Serica, lCastald. Ortel. Thes.Castaldus calleth Cataio: and so doe most of our new writers. Orosius mOros. l.1.c.2.numbreth from the Serike Ocean to the Caspian sea, 42. nations of Hircanians and Scythians, and from thence Westward to the Riuer Tanais 34. The region betwixt Albania and the Caspiā, he attributeth to the Amazons. The Seres nDom. Niger. Asia tom.8.are supposed to inhabit the coūtrey now called Cat…ay, which name Niger deriueth from a Scythian nation called Chata. They had a law against Idolatry, and worship of Images. They had no Temples.