RICHARD CHANCELOR a.d. 



1553- 



Of the Moscovites that are Idolaters, dwelling 

 neere to Tartaria. 



THere is a certaine part of Moscovie bordering durea tetufo, 

 upon the countreys of the Tartars, wherin those or Zelotlbaba * 

 Moscovites that dwell are very great idolaters : they 

 have one famous idole amongst them, which they call 

 the Golden old wife : & they have a custome that 

 whensoever any plague or any calamitie doth afflict the 

 countrey, as hunger, warre, or such like, then they goe 

 to consult with their idol, which they do after this 

 maner : they fall down prostrate before the idol, & 

 pray unto it, & put in the presence of the same, a 

 cymbal : & about the same certaine persons stand, 

 which are chosen amongst them by lot : upon their 

 cymball they place a silver tode, and sound the cymball, 

 and- to whomsoever of those lotted persons that 

 tode goeth, he is taken, and by and by slaine : 

 and immediately, I know not by what illusions of 

 the devill, or idole, he is againe restored to life, 

 & then doth reveale and deliver the causes of the 

 present calamitie. And by this meanes knowing how 

 to pacine the idole, they are delivered from the im- 

 minent danger. 



Of the forme of their private houses, and of the 

 apparell of the people. 



THe common houses of the countrey are every 

 where built of beames of Firre tree : the lower 

 beames doe so receive the round holownesse of the 

 uppermost, that by the meanes of the building there- 

 upon, they resist, and expell all winds that blow, and 

 where the timber is joined together, there they stop 

 the chinks with mosse. The forme & fashion of their 

 houses in al places is foure square, with streit and 

 narrow windowes, whereby with a transparent casement 

 made or covered with skinne like to parchment, they 



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