Stelle Turchos enim alia scriptura obmitti...; (Cosmographia Aethici Istri (700 - 730), § 32, Cap. 3 (p. 119, lin. 15 - p. 122, lin. 5)) [4922]

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ID 4922
Text Cosmographia Aethici Istri (700 - 730) Anonymous - Other
Quotation Turchos enim alia scriptura obmittit. Nam poetae et philosophi eorum mentionem faciunt non umquam, etiam alia gesta gentium Ethicus plurimum. Dicit eos usque Euxinum maris sinus insolis vel litoribus inclusus Birricheos montes et Taracontas insolas contra ubera aquilonis. Gens ignominiosa et incognita, monstruosa, idolatria, fornicaria in cunctis stupris et lupanariis truculenta, a qua et nomen accepit, de stirpe Gog et Magog. Comedent enim universa abominabilia et abortiva hominum, iuvenum carnes iumentorumque et ursorum, vultorum et choradrium ac milvorum, bubonum atque visontium, canum et simiarum. Statura deforme, numquam lotus aqua, vinum paenitus Ignorant, sal nullatenus utuntur, frumenta numquam usi. Diem festum nequaquam nisi mense Agusto mediante. Colere Saturnum ob hoc, quod temporibus Octaviani Agusti censum dederunt in auro litorico nullorum regum aut imperatorum nec antea nec postmodum, et tunc quidem sponte; videntes quoque vicinas regiones censum dare, arbitrati sunt, quod deus dierum novus ortus fuisset et in ipso mense Agusto congregaverunt ad unam catervam generationem cunctam seminis eorum in insola maiore maris oceani Taraconta, fecerunt acervum magnum lapide ac bitumine congluttinatum, aedificantes pilas praegrandes mirae magnitudinis et cloacas subtus marmore constructas phyrram fontem gluttinantem et appellaverunt Morcholom lingua sua, id est stellam deorum, quae dirivato nomine Saturnum appellant. Et urbem maximam ac munitissimam erexerunt illic nuncupatam Taraconta. Quae gens antechristi temporibus multa facient vastatione et eum deum dierum appellabunt. Cum semine pessimo eorum prosapia reclusa portas Caspias. Habent enim statura fuligine teterrima, crines corvini similitudinis, dentes stertissimos, camelorum multitudinem, quales et Bactria gignit, mulorum copiam velocissimorum magis quam Nabathei et Ismahelitae vel Hircani, canes fortissimos ultra omnes generationes ingentesque ita, ut leones, pardus et ursus peremant.
Translation § 32, p. 32: Other writings omit the Turks; for the poets and philosophers do not ever make mention of them, <but> Aethicus says much about certain of the doings of {these} heathens: they <extend> as far as the bays of the Black Sea, their islands and shores enclosed by the Birrichea Mountains and the Taracontan Islands opposite the Breasts of the North. the people are disgraceful to an extent unknown – monstrous, idolatrous, debauching {themselves} in every sexual excess and whoredom, truculent, from which <word> they got their name; {they are} of the offspring of Gog and Magog. They eat every kind of abomination: aborted human fetuses, the flesh of their young, draft animals and bears, vultures, curlews and owls, bison, dogs and monkeys. They are deformed in stature, never bathing in water; they are completely ignorant of wine, and never apply salt or make use of corn. They have no feast days at all except when they worship Saturn in the middle of August, because in the days of Octavian Augustus they paid tribute in gold dug from their shores. {This they did} for no kings or emperors either before or afterwards, but on that occasion {they paid it} willingly. Seeing that the neighbouring regions also paid tribute, they believed that a new god of days had arisen, and in the very month of August they gathered the entire offspring of their seed in a single band on Taraconta, the very great island of Ocean. They raised a huge mound and cemented it with rock and bitumen, building huge gates of wondrous size, and beneath {them] were constructed sewage drains of marble, which are joined to a hot spring. And they called upon Morcholom, that is “star of the gods” in their tongue, whom they address as Saturn on account of the derivation of the name; and they erected there a great and well-fortified city named Taraconta. This people will wreak much destruction on the times of the Antichrist, and they will call upon the god of days. This race with its terrible progeny is secluded by the Caspian Gates. They have a foul and very dusky aspect, hair like a crow’s, and very widespread teeth. There are lots of camel such as Bactria produces, as well as many mules which are swifter than the Nabathean, Ishmaelite, or Hircanian {mules}. they have the most powerful dogs of any people, and they are so huge that they can kill lions, panthers, and bears.
Summary Description of the Turks as a 'new' people, not even mentioned by older authors. Reference to their dwelling place, their customs, and their lineage. They are connected with Gog and Magog and later with Alexander the Great (a link made through the Alexander Romance). The story of Alexander and the Unlcean Nations continues at Cap. 3 (p. 137, lin. 4 - p. 141, lin. 9).
Quotation source § 32, Cap. 3 (p. 119, lin. 15 - p. 122, lin. 5)
Temporal Coverage 600 - 730
Associated use case(s)
Spatial Coverage Objects
Comment The term Ismahelitae refers to a breed of mules. The term Birrichea Mountains could mean Pyrrichean Mountains, a mountain range in Georgia.