Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Notes |
CHAPTER XIII: OF THEIR RELIGION, WORSHIP, AND TEMPLES [p.47]
THEY have very large and beautiful edifices for their idols, where they prayed, offering sacrifices and giving worship. They have priests destined for service of the temples, the same as our bishops, canons, and other dignitaries who serve in them and there live and reside ordinarily; for these temples have fine spacious habitations where all the sons of the Lords are brought up to serve the idols, until they reach the age of marriage. In the meantime they remained in the temple and never left it, nor cut their hair until after leaving it and entering into the marriage state. These mosques or temples had their rents assigned for the necessaries and the maintenance of the priests who served in them. The idols they worshipped were figures of the size of a man or even larger, made of paste composed of all [p.48] the seeds they know and eat, made with blood from human hearts. Of such material were their idols. They were seated in chairs similar to those of professors in universities, with a sword in one hand and buckler in the other, and the places where they were were towers 31 Of the following style:32 |
