Raised on black felt: a khan election Hayton saw twice
Editorial contextHayton says the Tartars still make their lord the way they made Genghis: the whole people gathers in a field, the chosen man is seated on a black felt, the nobles and Genghis's kin lift him high and set him on a rich throne, and all kneel to him. He adds that he himself was present at two such elections, and marvels that for all their conquests they never changed their first custom.
When they want to elect their lord (and I have been twice at the election of the emperor of the Tartars, and saw how all the Tartars gathered in a great field), they seated the one who was to be their lord on a black felt, and set a rich throne in their midst.
Working translation
Original wording
Quant volent eslire leur seignor, e j'ai esté II foiz à la eleccion de l'empereor des Tartars, e ai veü coment tous les Tartars s'assembloient en un grant champ, e celui qui devoit estre leur seignor faisoient seoir sur un feltre noir, e metoient un riche siege au mi d'eaus.
About Tartars (Mongols)
Tartars learned letters, and idols, from the Uighurs
Editorial contextHayton says that before their expansion the Tartars had no letters at all, which is why he cannot give dates for their early history. When their armies reached the kingdom of 'Tarse' (the Uighurs), they learned writing there, and because the people were idolaters they also began to worship idols, while always confessing one immortal God above the others.
In those parts the Tartars learned letters, for before they had no letters at all. And because the inhabitants of those lands were all idolaters, the Tartars began to worship idols; but they always confessed the immortal God, greater than the others.
Working translation
Original wording
En celes [parties] les Tartars apristrent letres, car avant ne avoient letres nules. E por ce que les habiteors de celes contrées estoient touz ydolatres, les Tartars comencierent aorer les ydoles; mès tout adès confessoient le Deu inmortel, plus grant que les autres.
About Tartars (Mongols) and the Uighurs
Killing a man is no sin, but leaving the bridle on is
Editorial contextIn his chapter on Tartar customs Hayton says they name God simply and immortal but honour him with no prayers, fasts or penances. A Tartar would not think it a sin to kill a man, yet would think he had sinned mortally if he left the bit in his horse's mouth while it grazed. When they cross lands short of food they drive cows and mares with them, living on the milk and eating horse meat, which they think good.
A Tartar would not reckon it a sin to kill a man; but if he left the bridle in his horse's mouth when it should graze, he would think he had sinned mortally. … and they live on the milk, and eat the flesh of horses, and it seems good meat to them.
Working translation
Original wording
Le Tartar ne reputaroit avoir fait pechié d'oucivre I home; e se il laissoit le frein en la bouche de son cheval, quant il deüst paistre, il quideroit pechier mortelment. … e vivent du lait, e la char des chevaus mangent, e lur pert bone char.
About Tartars (Mongols)
Keep in mind
The editor notes this chapter overlaps with John of Plano Carpini's earlier description, so parts may be borrowed rather than observed.
Shooting backwards while they flee
Editorial contextHayton, who fought beside Mongol armies, describes their tactics: when they flee they do so in ordered squadrons, and pursuing them is dangerous because they shoot backwards as they ride, wounding men and horses, then wheel round on careless pursuers. Their army looks smaller than it is because they ride packed close, so a thousand Tartars look like five hundred.
When the Tatars turn to flight, they all flee together in ordered squadrons and lines; and it is very dangerous to follow them, because as they flee they shoot arrows backwards and wound and kill horses and men. … The Tatar army does not look large, because they all ride packed together, so that a line of a thousand Tatars does not look like five hundred.
Working translation
Original wording
Quando Tatari vertunt in fugam, fugiunt omnes simul per turmas et acies ordinatas; et valde periculosum est sequi eos, quoniam retrograde sagictas jaciunt fugiendo, et equos et homines vulnerant et occidunt. … Exercitus Tatarorum non est magne apparencie, quia omnes simul congregatim incedunt, ita quod acies mille Tatarorum quingentorum apparenciam non habet.
About Tartars (Mongols)
The Tartars were one of seven Mongol nations
Editorial contextHayton says the Tartars first lived beyond the great mountain of Belgian, 'like beasts' without faith or law, serving other nations, until several tribes 'called Mogols' banded together. He then lists seven nations, and the first is named Tartars. So for Hayton 'Tartar' is both the name of one tribe and the name for the whole confederation, a distinction that matters for anyone asking where the word came from.
The first of these seven nations is named Tartars, the second Tangot, the third Eurach, the fourth Jalair, the fifth Sonit, the sixth Mengli, the seventh Tebet.
Working translation
Original wording
La primiere de [ces] VII nacions est nomée Tartars, la secunde Tangot, la tierce Eurach, la quarte Jalair, la quinte Sonit, la sime Mengli, la setime Tebet.
About Tartars and the other Mongol tribes
Keep in mind
The editor notes that 'Mengli' should read Merkit; the list mixes real tribes (Tatar, Jalayir, Sunit, Merkit) with Tangut and Tibet.
One great khan in Cathay and three Tartar kings
Editorial contextHayton closes his history with the Tartar world as it stood when he wrote: a great emperor, Temur Khan, sixth of the line, ruling from the city of Jong in Cathay, and three other Tartar kings, Chapar in Turkestan, Toqta in Comania and Kharbanda (Oljeitu) in Tabriz, who all owe him reverence and take their quarrels to his court. It is a clear picture of 'Tartary' as a family of Mongol states, not a single city or civilisation.
The great emperor of the Tartars, the one who now holds the lordship, is named Temur Khan, and he is the sixth emperor. He holds the seat of his empire in the kingdom of Cathay, in a very great city called Jong … There are also three other kings of the Tartars, who have very great power, and all pay reverence and obedience to the great emperor.
Working translation
Original wording
Le grant empereor des Tartars, celui qui ores tient la seignorie, est només Tamor Can, e est le VI empereor. Au roiaume de Cathaï tient le siege de son empire, en une molt grant cité que est nomée Jong … Encores i a autres trois rois des Tartars, qui ont molt grant puissance, e tous portent reverence e obedience au grant empereor.
About The Chinggisid khanates
A poor old blacksmith and the white knight
Editorial contextHayton's origin legend of Genghis Khan: a poor old blacksmith named Canguis saw in a dream a white knight on a white horse, who told him that God willed him to rule the seven Tartar nations called Mogols and free them from servitude. The chiefs laughed at him until they saw the same knight the next night. A second vision later sends him west over the mountain.
an old man, a poor smith, named Canguis, saw a vision in a dream: he saw an armed knight on a white horse who called him by his name and said: 'Canguis, the will of the immortal God is that you should be governor and lord over the seven nations of the Tartars, which are called Mogols'
Working translation
Original wording
un veillart, povre home fevre, qui avoit non Canguis, vit en songe un avision; car il vit un chevalier armez sur un cheval blanc qui l'apela par son non, et luy dit: « Canguis, la volenté de l'inmortel Deu est tel que tu doies estre governeor e seignor sur les VII nacions des Tartars qui sunt dites Mogols
About Genghis Khan and the Mongols
Keep in mind
A legend; the 'smith' idea echoes Genghis's personal name Temujin, which was linked with 'smith' in later tellings. Hayton says this part comes from the Tartars' own histories.
The owl that saved Genghis Khan
Editorial contextUnhorsed and alone after a lost skirmish, Genghis hid in a bush. As his enemies came to search it, an owl (the 'duc', eagle owl) landed on the bush, and they left, reasoning that no bird would sit where a man was hiding. Hayton says this is why every Tartar who can get an owl feather wears it on his head. Compare Riccoldo (W228), who tells a quite different owl story to explain the same feathers.
and at that a bird called the duc (eagle owl) came and sat on the bush … The Tartars gave thanks to God, and from then on held that bird, called the duc, in such reverence that everyone who can get a feather of it wears it on his head.
Working translation
Original wording
et sur ce un oisel, qui avoit non duc, vint e s'asist sur ce boisson … Les Tartars rendirent graces à Deu, e dès adonques orent en tante reverence cel oisel, qui est apellez duc, que chascun qui poet avoir de la plume de cel oisel la porte sur sa teste.
About Genghis Khan and the Tartars
Keep in mind
A legend explaining a real custom (owl feathers worn on the head).
The Great Khan sunk by enemy swimmers
Editorial contextHayton's account of the death of the Great Khan Mongke: besieging an island in the sea of Cathay, he was sunk when the clever local people sent swimmers under his ship to bore holes in its hull until it filled and he drowned. The Kohler edition notes that a French manuscript garbled the Latin word for sponge-divers into 'spiongeorges'.
he went by sea into the kingdom of Cathay, and as he was besieging an island which he wanted to take by sea, the people of that land, who are very ingenious, sent swimmers, and they went under the ship in which Mango Can was
Working translation
Original wording
entra par mer au roiaume de Cathaï, e come il assegast une isle, laquele il voloit prendre par mer, la gent de cele terre, qui sont molt engignous, manderent homes noeors, e ceaus entrerent desouz le vaissel où Mango Can estoit
About Mongke Khan and the Tartars
Keep in mind
Not true as told: Mongke died in 1259 during a land siege in Sichuan, reportedly of illness or a wound.