Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/166
sit down and eat a Bit or two: Then they call the Lord of the Town, and if there be any other Lord, they come both together, with some other of the Seniors of the Parish; who being set down, eat up one of the Beasts, which the old men had set apart for them; the rest is divided among the people, sitting upon the ground.
There are some Villages where you shall have fifty Goats and Sheep, or Lambs and Kids, kill'd together at one time. As for their Bosa, there are some that bring above 200 Pints; others more or less, according to their quality. All the day long they eat and drink, and sing and dance to their Flutes a dozen together, which are in some measure harmonious, as consisting of several parts, and decreasing proportionably from the Treble to the Base. When the old men have solac'd themselves with eating and drinking, they go home, and leave the young people, Men and Women, Boys and Girls to be merry by themselves: They stay as long as there is any Drink; and the next day they go early to Mowing.
They have other Ceremonies particular only to their Families. Once a year in every House they make a Cross after the Form of a Mallet, about give Foot high, the two Sticks that compose the Cross, being as big as a man's Arm. This the Master of the House sets in the Evening near the Door in his Chamber, and calling all his Family together, gives them every one a lighted Wax-Candle. Then first he fixes his own to the Cross, next his Wife sticks hers, and so all the Children and Servants: If the Children be so young, that they cannot do it themselves, the Father and Mother do it for them. If one of the Candles burn out before it be put out, 'tis a Prognostick that he or she that fix'd it there, shall not live out their year. If the Candle falls, then he whose Candle it was, shall be robb'd, or be forc't to fly for his Life.
If it thunders, all the people run out of the Village, and the young people of both Sexes set themselves to singing and dancing in the presence of their Elders: And if any one be Thunder-struck, they bury that person honourably, believing him to be a Saint. Besides that, they send over all the Countrey for a white Goat, which they breed up and keep in the Village where it happen'd to thunder, having it in great veneration, till thundring in another place, the people send for it thither also. If the Thunder fall upon any of their Houses, though it kill neither Man, Woman, Child, nor Beast, all that Family shall be kept upon the publick stock all that year, without being ty'd to any Labour but of Singing and Dancing. These people, during that time, go from Village to Village Dancing and Singing at peoples Doors, but never going into their Houses; for which the Inhabitants are bound to bring them out something to eat.
There is a day in the Spring, when all that have been struck'n with Thunder, meet together in the Village where the white Goat is kept; who has always a Cheese hanging about his Neck as big as a Parma-Cheese. This Goat they take and carry to the Village of the chief Lord of the Countrey. They never go in, but the Lord with all the rest of the Village coming out, they all together prostrate themselves before the Goat. Having said some Prayers, they take away his Cheese, and immediately put another in its place. The Cheese which was taken away, is at the same time cut into little pieces, and distributed among the people. After that, they give the Strangers to eat, and bestow their Alms upon them; so that by this wandring from Village to Village, they get good store of Money.
They have among them but only one Book; and it is as big as one of our largest Folio's, and it lies in the hands of an old man, who has only the priviledge to touch it. When that old man is dead, they choose another old man to keep the Book; whose Duty it is to go from Village to Village, where he hears of any sick people. He carries the Book with him, and after he has lighted up a Wax-Candle, and put the people out of the Room, he lays the Book upon the Stomach of the sick person, opens it, and reads in it, then blows over it sev'ral times, so that the Breath passes toward the mouth of the Party: Then he causes the party diseas'd to kiss the Book several times, and as often lays it upon his head, which is a Ceremony of half an hour. When the old man goes away, one gives him a Beef or a Heifer; another gives him a Goat; every one according to their Quality and Estate.
They have also Old Women that take upon them to cure the Sick. These Women feel the body of the sick party, all over, but more particularly they handle and grope that part where the distemper lies: during which time they let go several belches outof