Several accounts speak of emasculating the slain enemies as a practice in the Horn of Africa. This drawing made about
a hundred years after the arrival of the Portuguese in East Africa speaks about it being a way more common practice. (The picture shown here and the text in red do not belong to the manuscript of
Zaera Yacob. It belongs to Theodore de Bry of Frankfurt who made it 1598-1603. And they represent some of the earliest drawings of East Africa from Europe. Added here as illustration only.
The Bantu, who have chiefs in every area, often fight each other. The winners of these battles cut off the genitalia of their victims, whether they are alive or dead. After the harvest of
amputated genitalia is dried, the victors offer them to their chief by putting them in their mouths and then spitting them out before him. The chief then has them gathered up and strung on
a necklace like beads as a distinguished gift for his bride. It might be compared with the honor of wearing the medal of the Golden Fleece back home. Many of these people are also
cannibals, while others sell their captives as slaves to the Portuguese.
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Zare'a Ya'kob ruler of Ethiopia
(Mashafa Milad) (Book of the Nativity)(1445)
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Zar'a Ya`qob or Zara Yaqob "Descendant of Jacob"; (1399 –1468) was the Emperor of Ethiopia. Upon the death of Emperor Dawit, his older brother Tewodros ordered Zara Yaqob confined on Amba Geshen (around 1414) where he stayed for 20 years. He became Emperor in 1434. He authored three important theological works: Mahsafa Berha "The Book of Light; Mahsafa Milad "The Book of Nativity" in which Mogadishu is mentioned and Mahsafa Selassie "The Book of the Trinity". Zara Yaqob sent delegates to the Council of Florence in 1441, and established ties with the Holy See and Western Christianity.
Taken from Zar'a Ya'qob : Das Mashafa Milad
Mentions Makdishu when talking about a battle fought against him at Gomzet or Gomit in Dawaro by the Muslims on 25 dec 1445:
Badlay (ruler of Adal Sultanate 1432-45) for his (military) campains in 1445 (against Zara Ya'qob) had collected numerous levies, beginning with the house of Me'ala ( Bait Mala in N. Eritrea) up
to Meqdush (Mogadishu)(all of whom) were allied with the people of Adal. Adel: was a medieval Sunni Muslim sultanate which was located
in the Horn of Africa which flourished circa 1415 to 1577.
The sexual parts of those who had died (1) against the king were displayed in the camp of the king and were 40,000 in number. And the ones of which no sexual parts were found, who in the river,
or when fleeing or on the roads died, and the ones who during flight were hid by spears, they were 110,000. Then Badlay had assembled many troops from Beta-Ma'ala up to Modadischo (Mogadishu),
all Adel-allies. They calculated in their lands the numbers of those who had fallen and those who had been captured..........
(1) Other authors who mention the practice of emasculating enemies.
Buzurg ibn Shahriyar (955)
Ch'en Yuan-Ching (late12 century)
Chou Chih-Chung: (1366)
Zare'a Ya'kob ruler of Ethiopia (1445)
Yakut (or Jakut) al Hamawi (1220)
Al Marvazi (1120)
Ibn Nasir al-Din (d1438)
Ning Xian Wang (1430)