THE HAREM.
We cannot deny that habit is second nature--the axiom holds good in
every form of social existence; yet there is a universal disposition
to mutual criticism and condemnation, whether between nations or
neighbors. There is always the vibrating why and wherefore, and
each, approves his own course of action, without ceding to others
the same privilege.
There is no doubt that the peculiar style of the toilet of the Turkish
ladies would be deprecated by the belles of modern Christendom. Indeed,
we have often heard these fastidious dames exclaim, in regarding
representations of their Eastern rivals, "most horribly indecent,"
while they turned their sensitive vision from the offenders against
all delicacy. And, on the other hand, we have heard the Osmanli Hanums
and Efendis express equal honor at the sight of a European lady,
en costume de bal.
When the Marchioness of Londonderry presented herself at the palace of
the sultan, en grand tenue for a reception, the gentlemen in waiting
could scarcely persuade themselves to conduct her ladyship into the
royal presence, so astonished were they at the display of the fair
neck, shoulders, etc.
Both the Western and Eastern toilets may be styled décolletées, the
one a horizontal, the other a longitudinal display of charms. But one
thing may be said in favor of the Orientals, that they never appear
in public without covering their necks and bosoms, and even veiling
their features; they are only permitted to appear uncovered at home,
and even then only in the presence of their nearest relatives. On
the contrary, on the most public occasions, at the operas, balls,
soirées, and many other grand assemblies, do the Western décolletées
delight to vie with each other in their various styles of full dress;
they are even so fastidious as to have no nomenclature but ankles,
while they willingly pay their dollars to see a full extension of
these same ankles on the stage.
The Turkish ladies with perfect indifference present their unslippered
and even unhosed feet to any shop-boy, at the same time carefully
concealing their shalvar, or full trowsers, which are fastened below
the knee, and tucked up whenever they sally forth for a promenade à
pied ou en voiture.
As to the intrinsic merit or real modesty of these different styles,
peculiar tastes and prevailing modes can only decide; for habit is
strong in its sway, and imitation is a kindred principle. Therefore,
there is neither vice nor virtue in walking in the footsteps of our
predecessors, or each man or woman adopting the peculiar modes and
customs of their own people. As fertile a brain may throb beneath a
turban as a hat, as pure a form enshroud itself in a modest veil as
lurks beneath the shadow of a Parisian bonnet. What are externals
but whims and caprices; it is the virtue of domestic institutions
and daily habitudes that stamps the character of a people.
European or American ladies may grace their boudoirs, models of beauty
and excellence, and Turkish Hanums may, by the exercise of domestic
virtues, equally adorn and ennoble the precincts of their Harems.
The word Harem is familiar to most persons, but how grossly
misunderstood. Some have considered it as unmentionable to ears polite;
while the votaries of pleasure, ever ready to indulge their longing
fancies, have pictured it to themselves as the earthly realization of
the Paradise of Mohammed. Indeed many European authors in describing
the licentious and corrupted courts of their own monarchs, have
seemed to consider this term as the most distinguishing compendium
of immorality.
Strange perversion, that the very word which inspires every Oriental,
whether Mohammedan or Christian, with the greatest respect, should
suggest to the mind of a European only a system of concubinage and
licentiousness.
What then is Harem?
One peculiarity in the construction of society in its primitive
condition was that might makes right. This not only affected personal
property, but even the more domestic relations. If an enemy strong
enough felt the inclination, he might rob his neighbor of his wife
or family, of which there are instances on Biblical record.
To avoid any occasions of such unjust appropriation, it became a
policy to seclude the women from general observation.
The unbounded hospitality of those good old days when the worthy
patriarchs lived with open doors, and good cheer; when the three
virtues which made a man distinguished, were bravery, eloquence,
and hospitality, or in the hyperbole of the times, a sharp sword,
a sweet tongue, and forty tables; in such an era of benevolence it
became necessary to separate the more precious and defenseless portion
of the family from the vulgar gaze.
The seclusion of women, then, has ever been one of the greatest
social peculiarities of the East, and does not date its origin from
modern times, nor even from the foundation of the Moslem faith. In
some forms, it existed in the times of the ancient Jews; for, when
Rebecca lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, who had gone out to meditate
in the field at even tide, she said unto the servant, "What man is
this, who walketh in the field to meet us?" and the servant said,
"It is my master, therefore she took a veil and covered herself."
"The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through
the lattice."
The same institution existed among the Arabs from time immemorial, so
that Mohammed was not the originator of this separation of women from
general society, but rather the sustainer of an old and established
usage, which the condition of the community in his times, rendered
imperative.
"Speak unto the true believers, that they restrain their eyes,
and keep themselves from immodest actions. This will be more pure
for them, for God is well acquainted with that which they do; and
speak unto the believing women, that they restrain their eyes, and
preserve their modesty, and discover not their ornaments (personal
charms), except what necessarily appeareth thereof; and let them
throw their veils over their bosoms, and not show their ornaments,
unless to their husbands or their fathers, or their husband's fathers,
or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brother's sons, or
unto such as attend them and have no need of women, or unto children
who distinguish not the nakedness of men."
Supposing then society were on a different basis, according to
these tenets, the women would be perpetually veiled, and the men
ever wandering with averted eyes. In order to remedy these evils,
and facilitate their seclusion, the houses are all divided into two
sets of apartments, the Selamluk, or men's apartment, and the Harem,
or the sanctuary of the women, where no men are allowed to enter,
except those specified by the Prophet.
Now, it is evident that the principle upon which society is constructed
in the East, is the careful seclusion of women from the gaze of
the world.
The peculiar charm of modesty is known and acknowledged all over the
world, as the domestic arrangements of civilized society everywhere
demonstrate.
The Greeks of Homer's day had their gynaikeion, the Romans, in
imitation, their Gynæceum; and modern civilization has created its
boudoir; but none of these terms are as expressive of the sanctity
of the abode, as the word Harem of the Orientals.
It is well known that the cities of Mecca and Medina are the holy
shrines of the Mohammedan faith. No other appellative is used in
speaking of them, but the same word Harem, which, when used in
the plural, in itself comprises these venerated cities. They say,
Hadjj-ul-Haremein, or pilgrim of the two harems, meaning the holy
Mecca and Medina. This word is applied to the temple itself at Mecca,
which is honored by the title of Mesjad-el-Harem, the sacred or
inviolable temple.
Thus some idea may be formed of the etymology of the term and its
sacred signification, when used by the Arabs and other Orientals,
to designate their firesides or family homes; the sanctity of which,
not only admits of no intrusion, but any summons or interruption to
the master of the family after he has once retired, is considered
indecorous.
Mohammed received a revelation regarding himself, while he was engaged
in his harem preparing the Koran.
Some persons had the rudeness to call him out. In order to reprove
them, and like sinners in all times to come, the following passage
was revealed:
"The interior of thy dwelling is a sanctuary; they who violate it
by calling unto thee, are deficient in the respect which they owe to
the interpreter of heaven."
This passage has not only rendered the interior of the dwelling,
viz. the harem, an inviolable asylum to the female portion of the
family, but it has made it a convenient place of refuge to pashas and
efendis, where they often seek repose from the multitude of unwelcome
visitors who infest, with perfect freedom, and at all hours, their
selamluks.
The frequent visits of the Osmanlis to their harems, are not always
indications of the attractions within, but other external motives may
impel them thither; nevertheless, the inviolability of these precincts
has induced the supposition that they contained naught but the shrine
of the fair Goddess of Beauty, and her sly coadjutor.
The upper part of a house in America, or those rooms appropriated to
the exclusive use of the ladies, are as sacred and inviolable as any
Oriental harem; and are not, as a matter of course, supposed to be
the scenes of mystery and intrigue. Indeed, it is fully evident that
the same spirit of deference to the comfort of the fair sex, exists
in America, where is seen over one of the principal entrances to the
general post-office, the announcement, "Exclusively for Ladies," which
in Turkey would be intimated by the single and expressive word HAREM.
Again the "Ladies' Cabin" on board the steamers would, in the East,
be designated by the word Harem, written in golden characters, which
would at once indicate its sacred nature, and inspire every Oriental
with the respect due to the sex, which is even more imperative in
that clime than in other lands, where they make a glory and boast of
their excessive deference to the fairer portion of the community.
Hence how erroneous the impression, that the harem is a species of
female prison, established by the tyranny of men, where the weaker
sex are forcibly shut up against their will.
If the Osmanli ladies were under no other restrictions, their own sense
of self-respect, based upon time-hallowed usage, and inculcated by the
precepts of their religion, would compel them to the same seclusion. I
one day happened to be in the dressing room of a pasha, adjoining
the harem; when he left the room for a moment. In the interval,
his daughter, supposing her father quite alone, suddenly entered
the apartment; but on seeing me there, instinctively covering her
face with the drapery of her sleeve, as suddenly disappeared. While
I myself as instinctively displayed my sense of the courtesy due to
a lady, by looking as far as I could in an opposite direction.
I heard her remarking to the slaves in the next room, that she was
so mortified, for, instead of seeing her father there stood ----
as large as life.
Her feeling at being seen without the precincts of the harem unveiled,
was the same as would be experienced by a lady of this country,
who should be surprised by the sight of a gentleman, when she was en
toilette de nuit!
Nor is this seclusion entirely Mohammedan, but being an ancient custom
of the East, it is practised by all who dwell in that clime. The
families of the rayas, or non-mussulman subjects of the Porte,
consisting of the Armenians, Greeks, and Jews, are also under the
same social laws as their Mohammedan compatriots. It is true, that
in proportion as European customs have found their way into these
countries, the rigidity of the Christians has relaxed in this respect;
because the observance in question has never been incorporated with
their religion; whereas Mohammed, on the contrary, took special pains
to enforce the practice upon his followers.
The word harem being by courtesy applied also to its inmates, has now
become a general term to designate the female portion of the family,
and is by no means synonymous with polygamy, otherwise the same
expression would not be used by the Christian subjects in speaking
of their domestic relations.
It would be said that a certain pasha or an Armenian banker had gone
to a distant place without his harem, or family.
An Osmanli lady, on being informed of the arrival of an American
minister in Constantinople, would naturally inquire whether he was
accompanied by his harem, or family.