Among the People of Bashgird
13
We, a group of Turks, entered the land of people called Bashgirds. They were extremely cautious. This was because they were considered the most evil and unclean among the Turks, and those who are least hesitant to kill others. When a man encounters another, he splits his head open and takes it away, leaving the other person behind.
Notation Translation Note The most evil, the most filthy This is a translation of the author's own evaluation. Including the subsequent descriptions of murder and lice, it does not mean that the translator is certifying or evaluating facts about the entire group in modern times.
They shave their beards and eat lice. One by one, they trace the seams of the kurtuk to find lice and crush them with their teeth. One of them who was with us had already converted to Islam and served us. I saw that man find a louse on his own clothes, crush it with his fingernails, and then lick it. The man said to me, "It's delicious."
Notation Translation Note いいものだ This statement follows the reading "jāyid" proposed by the edition being used, which is based on a manuscript where the original characters are unclear. This does not mean that the wording of the manuscript has been confirmed.
They carve pieces of wood, about the size of a penis, and wear them hanging from their bodies. When they set out on a journey or prepare to fight an enemy, they kiss it and prostrate themselves before it, saying, "My lord, please do this and that for me."
Notation Translation Note About the size of a penis Translated according to the adopted edition's على قدر الإحليل. The description that the author provides, which involves wearing wooden objects and praying during travel or war, has been preserved without omission. The following answer about creation also appears as dialogue from a character.
I said to the interpreter, "Please ask someone. What reason is there for doing this? Why did you make it your master?" The answer was, "Because I came from the same thing as that one. There is nothing else I know of."
Some of them say that there are twelve main deities. In winter, there is the deity of winter; in summer, the deity of summer; for rain, the deity of rain; for wind, the deity of wind; for trees, the deity of trees; for humans, the deity of humans; for livestock, the deity of livestock; for water, the deity of water; for night, the deity of night; for day, the deity of day; for death, the deity of death; and for the earth, the deity of the earth.
Notation Translation Note Twelve Principles The printed edition used here supplements the enumeration that is missing in the transmitted text, based on later quotation sources. In the translation, all twelve items presented by the printed edition are retained, but this does not mean that the manuscript was originally complete with these omissions.
The Lord in heaven is the greatest among them. However, they gather together based on an agreement, and each accepts what their companions do. God is far above the words of those who act wickedly.
Notation Explanation God is far above the words of those who do evil. Religious language spoken by the author himself, regarding the faith mentioned in the preceding passage. This is not an evaluation of other religions added by the translator.
We saw a group that worshiped snakes, a group that worshiped fish, and a group that worshiped cranes. They told me the following: "Once, we fought against an enemy group and were defeated by them. However, a crane cried out behind the enemy's formation. As a result, even though they had already defeated us, the enemy was terrified and fled. Therefore, we began to worship the crane, saying, 'This is our lord. This is its work. It has defeated our enemies.' They worship the crane for that reason."
Notation Translation Note The crane cried behind the enemy. The story of the battle was told to the author by the local people. Based on the explanation at the end, "having defeated our enemies," it is read that the enemy who had initially been winning fled with a cry. This is not a narration from the author themselves witnessing the battle. This is our lord. The published edition includes phrases added based on later quotations. The translation follows the text of the published edition, but distinguishes it from the complete preservation of the manuscript.
Ibn Fadran said, "We proceeded into their country and crossed the Jilamishan River. Then we crossed the Ulan River, the Urlum River, the Barinaph River, the Watig River, the Niasna River, and the Jarwazis River. As mentioned before, it took two days, three days, or four days to travel from one river to the next, although sometimes it was shorter and sometimes longer."
Notation Translation/Annotation Jilmišān River The following seven river names are transliterations of the notation in the adopted edition. These include Ulan, Woolmu, Barinārf, Wātīg, Niyāsna, and Jarūzīš. The reading and identification with modern rivers is provisional.