Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s3.t2.21

Language: English

v2.c18.s3.t2.21.1

There is another eye-witness who has left to us an account of sati. Caesar Frederick (A. D. 1567) writes thus : " And in the time I rested there (Vijayanagara City) I saw many strange and beastly deeds done by the Gentiles. First, when there is any noble man or woman dead, they burne their bodies : and if a married man or woman die, his wife must burne herself alive, for the love of her husband, and with the body of her husband : so that when any man dyeth, his wife will take a month's leave, two or three, or as shee will, to burne herself in, and that day being come, wherein she ought to be burnt, that morning she goeth out of her house very carely, either on Horseback or an Elephant, or else is borne by eight men on a small stage : in one of these orders shee goeth, being apparelled like to a Bride, carried round about the Citie, with her hair down about her shoulders, garnished with Jewels and Flowers, according to the estate of the party, and they go with as great joy as Brides doe in Venice to their Nuptials : she carrieth in her left hand a looking-glasse, and in her right-hand an arrow, and singeth through the Citie as she passeth, and saith, that she goeth to sleepe with her deere spouse and husband.

v2.c18.s3.t2.21.2

She is accompanied with her kindred and friends untill it be one or two of the clocke in the afternoone, then they goe out of the Citie, and going along the Rivers side called Nigondin (Āneguṇḍi), which runneth under the walls of the Citie, untill they come unto a place where they use to make this burning of Women, being widdowes, there is prepared in this place a great square Cave, with a little pinnacle hard by it, foure or five steps up : the aforesaid Cave is full of dryed wood. The woman being come thither, accompanied with a great number of people which come to see the thing, then they make ready a great banquet, and she that shall be burned eateth with as great joy and gladnesse, as though it were her Wedding day: and the feast being ended, then they goe to dancing and singing a certaine time, according as she will. After this, the woman of her own accord, commandeth them to make the fire in the square Cave where the drie wood is, and when it is kindled, they come and certifie her thereof, then presently she leaveth the feast, and taketh nearest kinsman of her husband by the hand, and they both goe together to the banks of the aforesaid River, where she putteth off all her jewels and all her clothes, and giveth them to her parents or kinsfolke, and covering herself with a cloth, because shee will not bee seene of the people being naked, she throweth herselfe into the River, saying: O wretches, wash away your sinnes.

v2.c18.s3.t2.21.3

Comming out of the water, she rowleth herselfe into a yellow cloth of fourteen braces long : and againe she taketh her husbands kinsman by the hand, and they goe both together up to the pinnacle of the square Cave, where the fire is made. When shee is on the pinnacle, she talketh and reasoneth with the people, recommending unto them her children and kindred. Before the pinnacle they use to set a Mat, because they shall not see the fierceness of the fire, yet there are many that will have them plucked away, shewing therein an heart not fearfull, and that they are not affraid of that sight. When this silly woman has reasoneth with the people a good while to her content there is another woman that taketh a pot with oyle, and sprinkleth it over her head, and with the same shee annointeth all her body, and afterwards throweth the pot into the fornace, and both the woman and the pot goe together into the fire, and presently the people that are round about the fornace throw after her into the cave great pieces of wood, so by this meanes, with the fire and with the blowes that shee hath with the wood throwen after her, she is quickly dead, and after this there groweth such sorrow and such lamentation among the people, that all their mirth is turned into howling and weeping, in such wise, that a man should scarce beare the hearing of it.

v2.c18.s3.t2.21.4

I have seene many burnt in this manner, because my house was neere to the gate where they goe out at the place of burning : and when there dyeth any Great Man, his wife with all his slaves with whom hee hath had carnall copulation, burne themselves together with him".¹