_Of the Kingedome of Mabaron._
[Illustration]
FROM this lande men go many journeys to a countrey that men call
Mabaron,[1] and this is a greate Kingdome, therein is many fayre
cities & townes. In this lande lyeth Sainct Thomas in a fayre tombe,
in fleshe and bones, in the Citie of Calamy, and the arme and hande
that hee put in our Lordes syde after his resurrection, when Christ
sayde unto hym, _Noli esse incredulus sed fidelis:_, that is to saye,
Be not of vaine hope but beleve; that same hande lyeth yet without
the tombe bare, and with this hande they giue theyr domes[2] in that
countrey, to mete[3] who saith righte, and who doeth not, for, if any
stryfe be betwene two parties, they write their names, & put them into
the hand, & then incontinently the hande casteth away the byll[4] of
him that hath wronge and holdeth the other still that hathe righte,
and therefore they come from farre countreys to have Judgementes of
causes that are in doubte. In this church of Saint Thomas is a great
image, y^t is a simulacre, & it is richly beset with precious stons
& perles, to that image men come in pilgrimage from farre countreys,
with great devocion, as Christen men go to Saint James, & there come
some pilgrims y^t beare sharp knives in theyr handes, & as they go by
the waye they shere[5] theyr shankes & thyghes, that the bloude may
come out for the love of that ydoll and they saye that he is holy that
will dye for that ydols sake. And there is some that for the time that
they go out of their houses at eche third pace they knele till that
they come to this idole. And when they come there they have ensence[6]
or such other thing for to ensence the ydole, as we would do to Gods
body. And there before that mynster or church of this ydol, is a river
full of water, & in that river pilgrims cast gold, silver, perles
& other precious stones without number, in stede of offerings, and
therefore, when y^e maister of the minster hath any neede of helping,
as sone they go the river & take thereout as much as they haue neede
to helping of y^e minster. And ye shall understande when that any
greate festes come of y^e Idol, as the dedication day of the church,
or of the throning of the Idol, all the countrey there about assemble
them there togither and then men set this Idoll with great reverence
& worship in a chaire well dressed with cloth of gold, and other
tapistry, & so they carry him with great reverence & worship, rounde
about the citie, and before the chaire goeth firste in procession all
the maidens of the countrey two & two togither, & so after them go the
pilgrimes that are come fro far countreys, of the which pilgrims some
fall downe before the chaire, & letteth all go over them and so are
they slaine, and some haue theyr armes broken & leggs,[7] and this
they doe for love of the Idol, and they beleve the more paine that
they suffer here for their Idol the more joy shall they haue in y^e
other world, & a man shall finde few Christen men will suffer so
much penaunce for our Lordes sake as they do for the ydoll. And nighe
before the chaire go all the mynstrels of the countrey, as it were
without nomber with many divers melodyes. And when they are come
againe to the Church they sette up the ydol againe in his throne, and
for worship of the ydoll two or three[8] are slaine with sharpe knives
with their good will. And also a man thinketh in our countrey that he
hath a great worshippe to haue an holy man in his kyn, lykewise they
saye that those that are there slayne are holye men and sayntes & they
are wrytten in their letany, and when they are thus dead theyr frendes
brene theyr bodies & they take the ashes, and those are kepte as
relykes, and they say it is an holy thing, & that they doubte of no
perill when they haue of those ashes.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Footnote 1: Identical with the Maabav of Marco Polo, book 3,
cap. xvi., where he gives a very interesting account of the
place. It was what we call the Coromandel Coast.]
[Footnote 2: Judgments.]
[Footnote 3: Find out.]
[Footnote 4: Paper.]
[Footnote 5: Cut their legs.]
[Footnote 6: Incense.]
[Footnote 7: Mandeville probably describes the Car of
Juggernaut.]
[Footnote 8: Other editions have it "two or three hundred."]