Herodotus - The Histories.pdf

50 V Herodotus
behind the victim, gives the rope a pull, and thereby
throws the animal down; as it falls he invokes
the god to whom he is offering; after which he
puts a noose round the animal’s neck, and, inserting
a small stick, twists it round, and so strangles
him. No fire is lighted, there is no consecration,
and no pouring out of drink-offerings; but directly
that the beast is strangled the sacrificer flays
him, and then sets to work to boil the flesh.
As Scythia, however, is utterly barren of firewood,
a plan has had to be contrived for boiling the
flesh, which is the following. After flaying the
beasts, they take out all the bones, and (if they
possess such gear) put the flesh into boilers made
in the country, which are very like the cauldrons
of the Lesbians, except that they are of a much
larger size; then placing the bones of the animals
beneath the cauldron, they set them alight, and so
boil the meat. If they do not happen to possess a
cauldron, they make the animal’s paunch hold the
flesh, and pouring in at the same time a little
water, lay the bones under and light them. The
bones burn beautifully; and the paunch easily