The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / 405 ページ（カラー画像）

0405	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2
マルコ=ポーロ卿の記録 : vol.2

neighbourhood, and the sum total of their value amounted to 2,200,000 dinars.
. . . They bind them for 40 days in a stable with ropes and pegs, in order that they
may get fat; and afterwards, without taking measures for training, and without
stirrups and other appurtenances of riding, the Indian soldiers ride upon them like
demons. . . . In a short time, the most strong, swift, fresh, and active horses
become weak, slow, useless, and stupid. In short, they all become wretched and good
for nothing. . . . There is, therefore, a constant necessity of getting new horses
annually." Amír Khusru mentions among Malik Kafúr's plunder in Ma'bar, 5000
Arab and Syrian horses. (Elliot, III. 34, 93.)

The price mentioned by Polo appears to be intended for 500 dinars, which in the
then existing relations of the precious metals in Asia would be worth just about 100
marks of silver. Wassáf's price, 220 dinars of red gold, seems very inconsistent with
this, but is not so materially, for it would appear that the dinar of red gold (so called)
was worth two dinars.*

I noted an early use of the term Arab chargers in the famous Bodleian copy of the
Alexander Romance (1338):

"Alexand' descent du destrier Arrabis."

Note 8.—I have not found other mention of a condemned criminal being allowed
thus to sacrifice himself; but such suicides in performance of religious vows have
occurred in almost all parts of India in all ages. Friar Jordanus, after giving a
similar account to that in the text of the parade of the victim, represents him as
cutting off his own head before the idol, with a peculiar two-handled knife "like those
used in currying leather." And strange as this sounds it is undoubtedly true. Ibn
Batuta witnessed the suicidal feat at the Court of the Pagan King of Mul-Java (some-
where on the coast of the Gulf of Siam), and Mr. Ward, without any knowledge of
these authorities, had heard that an instrument for this purpose was formerly pre-
served at Kshíra, a village of Bengal near Nadiya. The thing was called Karavat;
it was a crescent-shaped knife, with chains attached to it forming stirrups, so adjusted
that when the fanatic placed the edge to the back of his neck and his feet in the
stirrups, by giving the latter a violent jerk his head was cut off. Padre Tieffentaller
mentions a like instrument at Prág (or Allahabad). Durgavati, a famous Queen on
the Nerbada, who fell in battle with the troops of Akbar, is asserted in a family in-
scription to have "severed her own head with a scimitar she held in her hand."
According to a wild legend told at Ujjain, the great king Vikramajit was in the habit
of cutting off his own head daily, as an offering to Devi. On the last performance the
head failed to re-attach itself as usual; and it is now preserved, petrified, in the
temple of Harsuddi at that place.

I never heard of anybody in Europe performing this extraordinary feat except Sir
Jonah Barrington's Irish mower, who made a dig at a salmon with the butt of his
scythe-handle and dropt his own head in the pool! (Jord. 33; J. B. IV. 246; Ward,
Madras ed. 249-250; J. A. S. B. XVII. 833; Rás Mála, II. 387.)

Note 9.—Satis were very numerous in parts of S. India. In 1815 there were one
hundred in Tanjore alone. (Ritter, VI. 303; J. Cathay, p. 80.)

Note 10.—"The people in this part of the country (Southern Mysore) consider the
ox as a living god, who gives them bread; and in every village there are one or two
bulls to whom weekly or monthly worship is performed." (F. Buchanan, II. 174.)
"The low-caste Hindus, called Gavi by Marco Polo, were probably the caste now called
Paraiyar (by the English, Pariahs). The people of this caste do not venture to kill
the cow, but when they find the carcase of a cow which has died from disease, or

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