Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656 – 1708) was a talented French botanist and traveler who, between 1700 and 1707, travelled through Greece, Ottoman Empire and Georgia. Although his chief interest lay in botany, Tournefort still made interesting observations on peoples that he had encountered on his journey. This translation is derived from the 1741 English edition published in London.
The King of Persia is forced to be at more charge in Georgia, than the Profits arising to him from thence will pay. To make sure of the Georgian Nobility, who are the Masters of the Country, and might give themselves up to the Turks, he bribes them with handsome Pensions. The Turks would receive them with open Arms, and the Georgians, who are a well-made People and very fit for War, are not a little inclined to change their Lord. Before the Court of Persia could be informed of their Revolt, they might not only join themselves to the Turks, but also to the Tartars and Kurdes.
There are in Georgia a dozen considerable Families that live in a good Understanding, with relation to their common Interests. They are divided into several Branches, some have two hundred Fire-hearths [households], others from five hundred to a thousand or two thousand; nay, there are that possess even to seven or eight thousand Fire-hearths. These Fires are so many Houses, which makes Villages, and each Fire pays a Tenth to its Lord. Each Fire sends a Man in time of War; but the Soldiers are not obliged to march more than ten Days, because they can carry Provisions for no longer Term; and they retire when these grow short, supposing care has not been taken to lay in Stores to furnish them.
Any Man may make Gun-powder at Teflis for his own Use: they bring the Sulphur from the Gangel, and the Nitre is found in the Mountains near 'Teflis. Fossile Salt is very common in the Road of Erivan. Olive-Oil is very dear here: the People eat and burn nothing but Linseed Oil; all the Fields are covered with this Plant, but they cultivate it only for the Seed, for they throw away the Stalk without beating it to spin: What a Loss is here? it would make the finest Stuff's in the world; perhaps indeed those Stuffs' might prejudice their Trade of Cotton-Stuffs.
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To finish this Epistle, my Lord, it remains only that I give you an Account of what I have gathered in this Country, touching [upon] the Religion of the Georgians, if we may do them the honour to say they have any Religion at all. Ignorance and Superstition are so general among them, that the Armenians know no more of the matter than the Greeks, and the Greeks are as ignorant as the Mahometans [Muslims]. Those whom they here call Christians, place the whole of their Religion in fasting stoutly, and above all, in observing the great Lent so strictly, that the very Monks of Trappe would go near to be starved in it. Yet not only for the sake of Example, but also to avoid Scandal, the poor Italian Capuchins fast without Necessity as often and as severely as the Natives. The Georgians are very superstitious, that they would be christened anew, if they had broken but one of their Fasts. Besides the Gospel of Christ, they have their little Gospel, which is spread among them in Manuscript, and contains nothing but Extravagances: for instance, how that Jesus Christ, when a Child, learnt the Trade of a Dyer; and that being commanded by a Lord to go on an Errand, he staid too long before he came back; whereupon this Lord growing impatient, went to his Master's to inquire for him. Jesus Christ returning soon after, was stricken by this Man; but the Stick with which he did it, blossomed immediately: this Miracle was the Cause of the Conversion of this fame Lord, etc.
When a Georgian dies, if he does not leave a good deal of Money behind him, which they seldom do, the Heirs take two or three of their Vassal's Children, and sell them to the Mahometans, to pay the [Orthodox] Bishop, who has a hundred Crowns for one Mass for the Dead. The Catholicos or Armenian Bishop lays on the Breast of those that die in his Communion a Letter, whereby he desires St. Peter to open them the Gate of Paradise; and then they put him into the holy Linen. The Mahometans do the like for Mahomet. When a Man of Note is sick, they consult consult the Georgian, Armenian, and Mahometan Diviners: these Fellows commonly say that such a Saint or such a Prophet is angry and that to appease his Wrath, and cure the Patient, they must slay a Sheep, and make divers Crosses with the Blood. After the Ceremony is over, they eat the Flesh of it, whether the sick Person recovers or not. The Mahometans [Muslims] have recourse to the Georgian Saints, the Georgians to the Armenian, and sometimes the Armenians to the Mahometan Prophets: but they all hang together to create Costs for the Patient, and usually choose their Saints, according to the Inclination or Devotion of the Kinsfolk.
The Women and Girls are deeper instructed in their Superstitions than the Men. They breed up most of the Georgian Girls in the Monasteries, where they learn to read and write. They are first received Novices, and then profess themselves; after which they may perform the Aurial Functions, as baptizing and applying the holy Oils. Their Religion is properly a Mixture of the Greek and of the Armenian. There are some Mahometan Women at Teflis, who are Catholics in their Hearts, and are better Catholics than the Georgian Women, being well instructed. The Visier's Daughter, at the time we were there, the Wife of the Prince's Physician, and some others, as we were assured by the Capuccins, had been baptized in secret Those Religious confess them, and give them the Communion, visiting them under pretense of prescribing them Remedies for some feigned Distemper; and they sometimes come to their Church, where they keep standing, not daring to give any Token of their Faith. In the last Revolt of Prince George, who stirred up the whole Country against the King of Persia about twenty Year ago, the Soldiers took up up their Lodgings in the Houses of the Citizens of Teflis, and even in the Greek and Armenian Churches; but paid great Respect to the Latin Church, where the Mahometans themselves begged entrance as a Favour.
There are five Greek Churches in Teflis, four in the City, and one in the Suburb; seven Armenian Churches, two Mosques in the Citadel, and a third which is deserted. The Metropolis of the Armenians is called Sion; it is beyond the Kur upon a steep Rock; the Building is very solid, all of hewn Stone, terminated by a Dome, which is an Honour to the Town. The Tibilcle (as they call the Bishop of Teflis) dwells close to it. The Christian Churches have not only Bells, but even Crosses upon the tops of the Steeples, This is wonderful in the Levant. On the contrary, the Muezins or Mahometan Chanters dare not give out their times of Prayer in the Minarets of the Mosques of the Citadel, for fear of being stoned by the People. The Church of the Capuchins is small; but 'twill be pretty enough when completed.
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