Chap.XH. o/Monfieur Tavernier. 129 



CHAP. XII. 



Of the Ceremonies and Cuftoms of the People of Comania and 

 Circaffia. 



THe Principal of all the Feafts which the Contouchs and Sherkgs or Cirkaffi- 

 4tfjmake, is that which they make at the end of Autumn, after this 

 manner. Three of the ancienteft of the Village are appointed to ma- 

 nage it , and to difcharge themfelvcs of a Duty impos'd upon them in 

 the company of all the peopIe.Thefe three old men take a Sheep or a Goat, and having 

 mutter'd certain Prayers over the Bead , they cut the throat of it : after they have 

 drefl it very clean, they boil it whole, all but the Gathers, and them theyroaft. 

 The Sheep being boil'd , they let it upon a Table, and carry it into a large Barn, 

 where the People are appointed to meet : There the three old men (land upright 

 before a Table, and all the People, Men, Women and Children behind them. When 

 the Table upon which the Meat ftands, is brought in, two of the three old men cut 

 off the Legs and the roafted Gathers, and hold them up above their heads, and the 

 third holds up a great Cup of Bofa in the fame manner, to the end the people behind 

 mavfee them. When the people fee the Meat and Bofa fo lifted up, they proftrate 

 themfelvcs upon the ground, and lb continue till all the reft of the Meatbefet up- 

 on the leffer Table , and that the old men have laid fome few word. Then the two 

 old men that held up the Meat, cutoff two little pieces, and give each of them a 

 piece to him that holds the Cup, which being done, they take each of them apiece 

 for themfelves. When they have all three eaten of the meat, the old man that holds 

 the Cup, drinks fir ft, then gives the two old men to drink, firft to him upon the 

 right hand, next to him upon the left, never letting go the Cup all the while. This 

 firft Ceremony being thus accompliuYd, the two old men turn toward the AiTembly, 

 andgoandprefentbothof the Meat and the Drink, firft to their Chief or Lord, then 

 to all the people, who equally eat their (hare, both men and women. That which 

 remains of the four feet, is carry 'd back to the Table, and the three old men eat it. 

 This done, they go and place themfelves at the Table, where the Mutton is fet, 

 where the oldeft of the three taking the Head, cats a little Morfel •, after him, the 

 fecond, and next to him, the third does the fame. Then the firft old man commands 

 the reft to be carry 'd to the Lord, who receives it with a great deal of refpedt, and 

 after he has giv'n it to his next a-kin, or the Friend whom he loves beft, the Head is 

 giv'n from one to another, till it be eat'n up. This being done, the three old men 

 begin to eat of the Mutton a bit or two, and the Lord of the Village is calPd, 

 who comes with his Bonnet in his hand, in a trembling pofture-, to whom, one of the 

 old men prefenting a Knife, he cuts off a piece of Mutton, and eats :, and having 

 drank a Cup of Be fa, he returns to his Seat. After him, all the people, according 

 to their turns in quality, do as much-, and then , for the Bones the Children go to- 

 gether by the ears among themfelvcs. 



They have another Feaft before they begin to Mow their Meadows $ at which 

 time all the people of the Village, that have wherewithal, take every one a Goat , 

 ( for in their Ceremonies they eftecm Goats better than Sheep ) and for the poor, 

 they join eight or ten together for a Goat. Let them be Goats, Sheep or Lambs, when 

 they arc all brought together,they cut their Throats, and then flea otf the skin, leaving 

 the four feetandthc Head in it. Then they ftretch the Skin with flicks that crofs 

 from one foot to the other, and fet it up on a Pole fix'd in the Earth , the top whereof 

 enters into the head of the Beaft , as is to be fecn in the Figure of the Village •, and 

 as many Beafts as there are kill'd, fo many Poles are planted in themidftof the Vil- 

 lage, with every one a particular Skin upon it; to which, everyone that paffes by, 

 maks a profound obcyfance. 



Ev'ry one having boil'd his Goat, brings it into the void place in the middle of 

 the Village, and fets it upon a great Table with the reft. There is the Lord of the 

 Village with his Servants, and fomctimes the Lord of fome other Village is invited. 

 Now all this Viauals being upon the Table, three of the oldeft men of the Village 



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