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- The main temple was located in the middle of its vestibule, but both were closed off by purple cloths instead of walls, the roof supported only on separate columns. So the servants, moving aside the vestibule’s decoration, finally laid hands on the temple’s interior curtains. Having drawn those aside, an idol made of oak wood could be seen from all sides; they called this idol Rugiaevit, which provoked great ridicule due to its hideousness. For the swallows, which had built their nests under the contours of its mouth, had accumulated on its chest thick mounds of excrement. Worthy god, whose likeness was so dirtily stained by some birds! Moreover, on its head were seven human-like faces, all of which were covered on their tops by a single skull. And the maker had managed to put together on one of its sides the same number of authentic swords, with their scabbards, hanging from a single belt, and an eighth unsheathed sword which it held in its right hand. This sword, put in the fist, was very firmly held in place by an iron nail, and it could not be removed from the hand without cutting the hand off, which provided the pretext to dismember it. The statue was thicker than the usual human body, and the height as well, in truth, such that Absalon, on tiptoes, had trouble reaching the chin with the ax he usually carried. They believed that this god, gifted with strength almost matching that of Mars, was in charge of war. Nothing about this idol was pleasing to the eye, his features deformed by the ugliness of rough engravings.
Maius fanum uestibuli sui medio continebatur, sed ambo parietum loco purpura claudebantur, tecti fastigio solis dumtaxat columnis imposito. Itaque ministri, direpto uestibuli cultu, tandem manus ad interiora fani uelamina porrexerunt. Quibus amotis, factum quercu simulacrum, quod Rugiaeuitum uocabant, ab omni parte magno cum deformitatis ludibrio spectandum patebat. Nam hirundines, quae sub oris eius lineamentis nidos molitae fuerant, in eiusdem pectus crebras stercorum sordes congesserant. Dignum numen, cuius effigies tam deformiter a uolucribus foedaretur. Praeterea in eius capite septem humanae similitudinis facies consedere, quae omnes unius uerticis superficie claudebantur. Totidem quoque ueros gladios cum uaginis uni cingulo appensos eius lateri artifex conciliauerat, octauum in dextra destrictum tenebat. Hunc pugno insertum firmissimo nexu ferreus clauus astrinxerat nec manui nisi praecisae euelli poterat; quae res truncandae eius occasio exstitit. Spissitudo illi supra humani corporis habitum erat, longitudo uero tanta, ut Absalon, supra primam pedum partem consistens, aegre mentum securicula, quam manu gestare consueuerat, aequaret. Hoc numen, perinde ac Martis uiribus praeditum, bellis praeesse crediderant. Nihil in hoc simulacro iucundum uisentibus fuit, lineamentis impoliti caelaminis deformitate sordentibus. (en)
- ... For that reason they were asked to take the statues out of the city, but they refused for a long time, because they feared that they were going to lose mobility in the limbs that they used to comply with the order, as the god would demand punishment for it, and they tried to excuse their disobedience with religion. Finally, convinced by the warning of Absalon to spurn the power of a god who could not help itself, having accepted the expectation of impunity, they quickly obeyed his order. And it is not surprising that they were afraid of the power of those gods, remembering that they had punished their sexual transgressions many times. For, in effect, in this city the men would lay with the women joined in sexual congress in the manner of dogs and they could not separate themselves no matter how hard they tried, sometimes both, fastened to posts on opposite sides, would exhibit before the people the ridiculous spectacle of their strange union. (en)
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