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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
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CHAP. LXI. THE BACSI AND THE SENSIN
303
then they cook the meat, and set it before the idols,
and sprinkle the broth hither and thither, saying that
in this way the idols get their bellyful. Thus it is
that they keep their festivals. You must know that
each of the idols has a name of his own, and a feast-
day, just as our Saints have their anniversaries.12
They have also immense Minsters and Abbeys,
some of them as big as a small town, with more
than two thousand monks (i.e. after their fashion) in
a single abbey.13 These monks dress more decently
than the rest of the people, and have the head and
beard shaven. There are some among these Bacsi who
are allowed by their rule to take wives, and who have
plenty of children.14
Then there is another kind of devotees called
SENSIN, who are men of extraordinary abstinence after
their fashion, and lead a life of such hardship as I will
describe. All their life long they eat nothing but bran,15
which they take mixt with hot water. That is their
food : bran, and nothing but bran ; and water for their
drink. 'Tis a lifelong fast so that I may well say their
life is one of extraordinary asceticism. They have
great idols, and plenty of them ; but they sometimes
also worship fire. The other Idolaters who are not of
this sect call these people heretics Paíarm s as we
should say1ó because they do not worship their idols in
their own fashion. Those of whom I am speaking
would not take a wife on any consideration.17 They
wear dresses of hempen stuff, black and blue,18 and
sleep upon mats ; in fact their asceticism is something
astonishing. Their idols are all feminine, that is to say,
they have women's names."
Now let us have done with this subject, and let me
tell you of the great state and wonderful magnificence
of the Great Lord of Lords ; I mean that great Prince
-s
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_.._..~.~.~ ...,,.. _~~
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