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Rukneddin Ahmed: Acaibu’l-Mahlukat ve Garaibu’l-Mevcudat (Wonderful Creatures and Strange Existing Things) (1420) Turks

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Taken from: RÜKNEDDİN AHMED’İN ACÂİBÜ'L-MAHLÛKAT TERCÜMESİ DOKTORA TEZİ BEKİR SARIKAYA

TERCÜME-İ ACÂ’İBÜ’L-MAHLÛKÂT; Mütercimi Meçhul

It is often said it is a translation of Qazwini's work with the same title; but I checked it and it is a translation from Mohammad ebn Mahmud ebn Ahmad Tusi; Aja'eb al-Makhluqat va Ghara'eb al-Mojudat (1160). The name of the author has come into doubt. (for this see:  ACÂİBÜ'l-MAHLÛKĀT - TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi by GÜNAY KUT.)

 

F44a

And why are Habes (17) face and Rumi (18) face different, the reason is the place of living. There are sons of Adam in the borders of the Magrib. However, they do not admire the sons of Adam, they do not move from there because they are at home there, their years extend as they get older. The sons of Adam become monkeys.  If you want to know, look at the faces of the Zengibar people and the Cifcaq (=Turkish tribe). Even compare with the Habes figure and the Turkish end, let them know the order of differences.

F51a

Tigris (1): It is a river that is between Zinj and bilad (19) India. Fish from the sea of Bilad-I Zinj come to this Tigris (1). They are migrating fish. As soon as the fish come to the Zinj sea, they are not found in the Tigris. Because their roads are known, their presence is expected and they come back to the Tigris.

Every fisherman knows when they have to return. And behold, they come to the Tigris (1), immediately.

Tigris becomes filled with fish. After that, the fish arrive in Zengibar river. Become a fish for the fisherman after every month from the Tigris (1). Coming out in a month returning in a month.

The Red Mullet fish (barastuj) from the London Qazwini. The fish is again mentioned on F303a-b.

 

F73a

Mining : There is an island in Zengubar, who has gold at all ends so to speak. There are predators among the ants, they eat people. And the way in front is long and dangerous. There are a lot of leopards in the island. People wear leopard skin.

F107a-b

And in the mountain, at Zengubar, they have a dome made of gold. And inside it there is a whole and  trees in the whole, which is full of trees: artichoke, grape, fig, citrus, bitter orange and quince.

And it bears (fruit) twice a year. And on the tree it has a hook on its head like a crescent moon. When a Zangi comes, he spreads out himself in front of it. The head is thrown to one side and the body to the other. And they are ascribed to this happening like the Hindus do …….

F110b

Zengibar: It is a great province where there are great cities at the moment. It is a grassless place and it is burning hot. It is close to the sea of Fars (6). Its people are stupid and ignorant. They are from among Hindustan and Turks. Their faces are big, eyes are small, they have no beards.  Zabahi (7) is a tribe close to them.

F121b

There are no drunks in Jezure (22). It does not have scabies, but Zengubar does.(15)

F133a

Numiya (Nubia): It is a province in the direction of the Nile sources, the Habas are extremely happy there. And they have the karkadan (Rhino) and zurrafa (giraffe) there. And now there is this, it has the Abanus (ebony) tree (floating in the water). No one knows where it comes from. The Dar al Mulk (House of the King) is Damkala (Dongola)(8) at the moment and there are seven (fortifications) in it. All Ummahs (communities) are Islamic enemies,  two cities are not enemies: one is Nuvba and the other is Kibit (Copts). These two and Frank, Slavs, Ethiopia [people], etc. are all Christians. They bring emeralds from Damkala.

F148b

Abanus (Ebony): It is a tree. Nobody knows where it comes from. It is said to come from Hindustani.

The sea brings it here floating, blown by the wind. And used in the room, it will be pleasant.

It is used to clean the eyes……………

F156a

Karanful (=cloves): This comes from Zengubar. Nobody has ever seen where it comes from. But some people arrive at the seaside, bringing coins of gold and silver, they come back a day later. They see that there are karanful put on their gold - they will take it and go (16). Karanful is a blessed giant and its scent is shrill. And it is bland and kind to souls, It gives more power to the legs.

F158b

Abu Hatim Secistanį (9) : the date palm is a grace from Allah, it ends in Dar al-Islam, it is not in any form among the kafir (10). It does not happen to be established in this, nor in Zanc, nor in Hind and neither among Turks, or Berber. However, the memory of the tree exists. For a reason, the seeds of it have fallen many times into kafir (10) places, it is not very established.

F188b

The tale from the sea: A very unique story was that: One day, in Zengubar land, the sailors call came: A monster comes from the sea; and at the moment they captured it, they tied its hands. It was similar to a body but the skin is scaly like a fish, it was unknown how much it does eat and what it drinks. It lived for three days, then died.

F193a

We have talked about the Habesh (17) and let me say even more about their provinces. The sons of Adam are also in the land of the Sudan. Whatever they are white or black it depends on the locality. If Slavs come to the Habesh they will turn black in a few generations. And if there is a Zengi leaving the province he will become white in more than a few generations.

F193a-b

About the races of Sudan and of Hind and Zenci and also others.

We take the ancestors of the black people and the troops of these groups and mountains and land and cities. Know that there are problematic epidemies in the Indian province happen. Please have the hot(=medical) weeds that end it. They are lively. And bracelets are made of the seals and tools. …… And their heads are big, the noses cut ….. There is a man old. There are several of them; they become lean, they wrap (cloth) around them; they are tall.

F194a-b

A group: There's a tribe with people who are Zanj. They are corrupt and depraved, and they have scabies, when a boy is born, he will get scabies even just after being born, and the scabies dies when he dies.(15)

F195a-b

Zengubar and Hindu. They live in the wild. Their faces are big and their noses are flat. And there is a tribe who are like beasts. There is a tribe of people of Zengubar who has hair like cats  and they are afraid of the sons of Adam. Sometimes they bring commodities to the beach. When they go, they get into the water (swimming). Then some (merchants) take the goods and in return put metals. And nobody knows that they will do with it. And those who arrive at the moment come with the iron and lead. They put them at the floor of the commodities they find. The commodities of the moment are coconut and camphor and leopard skin and gold and silver. Later they come back, they take the iron and the lead, then they get into the water. And nobody knows that they are to do with it.

F269b

……………..The lifespan of an elephant is 400 years. The longer the fangs, the longer they have lived. Some fangs reach a length of 7 arm’s length, the price is as high as 1000 dinars (11). For each additional 1 arm’s length, 1000 dinars (11) are added to the price.  When it reaches 11 arm’s length, it becomes an outstanding male (faḥl) and does not grow any further.

F274b

Water cow (gav-abi):

That ox is a big bull, the body is terrible. First, the ṭorso will be red, walking will show red, it will turn dark. In Zenc province and Zengubar there is an ox with the red body and the spots of the deer.

That ox meat turns sour like vinegar. And it happens that the size becomes very big. Power comes out of its nose and burns whatever it hits. Fire is caused by its breath.

F282a

Zurrafe (=giraffe): It is a monstrous being. It lives in the province of Nube. Its body is like a camel’s body. It doesn't have a horn, its head is like a deer, it has cow’s feet, and tail and donkey teeth. And the front legs are long and the rear legs are short. Its skin is mottled. His father is a leopard, his mother is a zurrafe. (=is a mistake should be a camel)

Story:

I heard from a person that he came to the area of Irak to Kish-Bahreyn (12). He said: I saw a giraffe, from the sultan. His front feet are long. They are like poles. It has two horns on its head. And would stick out his tongue. There grew a tree. It would come to the tree, branches would come down to his head. It would tear the tip of, it was torn. He was down and his head was raised up to the tree. It is called the gav-i peleng, It takes its food from above its raised head on the way while walking. It is the lone animal on the walk. Its life is short and it walks heavily. Its  skin becomes very solid. It is used to make shields. Iron does not pass through. It does not leave its area in which it was born.

F283a

(when talking about the Karkadan = Rhino)

A traveller in Yemen saw a variety of bowls. They were carved from the horns of the karkadan (Rhino). In Bertayim (13), they wander under the trees. They feed on grass like cattle. And they cut any horseman.

And its horn becomes precious and instantly it is made into many objects. And they open the horn. Among them if the horns are heavy, sculptures will appear. And if that happened, the fortune teller would perform on it. In the province, they work with these beliefs. It happens a lot in the Chinese province. They bring the horn to Irak, the horn is (supposedly) taken out of the karkadan, but it is not, know that it is a horn from Misri.(23)

F286a

……That is, the giraffe’s father is a leopard is and his mother is a camel…..

F287a

(the leopard)…..and when it jumps on it (=the camel)  with power, and it is a female camel a giraffe will be born….

F294a-b

But monkeys are many in Habes (17). A monkey is like an ox. And they play with al Habes. They play just like monkeys. And in the province of the Zanc, the monkeys have now taken over a place. And they are both large and huge monkeys. And there have long great hair. And his eyes are wide, the arms and tails are black, and they have mustaches. And there are volunteers in Egypt. They work on the monkey and make them work in the mulberry trees. And they will go up to the difficult trees where sons of Adam cannot come. And they do the kinds of jobs that do not need much brain. …..

 

(Note: in the translation of al Tusi’s work by MORIKAWA Tomoko the word Zanc is replaced by: In the town of Qaqula in the land of Baju- which he locates in the Malay peninsula. There are many variations on this anecdote see: my webpage on Ibn al Wardi 1457 or Qadi Ibn Sasri Al-Shafi’I 1300 or Al Maqrizi: aleuqud alfaridat 1441)

 

 

 

 

F303a-b

The fishes esbur and berestuc (14): the berestuc and esbur are two fish, who come from in Zengibur. And go all over the world. Because of that if they come to Basra, none of them will remain in Zengibur. And he comes to the other side of the world with the esbur. They come three months a year. When he is out of the Tigris (1), no person will search for him…..