The ancient Arabs, like their kindred, the Jews, were Bearded, and like
them also they have preserved their Beards intact, though their faith
has more than once changed. From Mahomet’s time we may class them for
our purpose with the Turks and Persians, since all have manifested the
same respect for the Beard, looking upon it as the perfection and
completion of man’s countenance and the type of freedom; and shaving as
a mark of debasement and slavery.[5] Mahomet, who sanctioned dyeing the
Beard, preferred that it should be of a cane colour, which was the hue
assigned by tradition to Abraham’s. One of the points of Persian heresy
is preferring a black Beard, and a particular cut; and about this
hair-splitting difference, they once waged a cruel war with the Uzbec
Tartars, in which they were accustomed to lay their enemies’ Beards as
trophies at the feet of the Shah.
Footnote 5:
“It is customary to shave the Ottoman Princes as a mark of subjection
to the reigning Sultan; and those who serve in the Seraglio have their
Beards shaven as a sign of servitude, and do not suffer it to grow
till the Sultan has set them at liberty.”—_Burder’s Oriental Customs._
Volney says, “At length Ibrahim Bey suffered Ali his page to let his
Beard grow, _i.e._, gave him his freedom, for among the Turks to want
the Beard is thought only fit for slaves and women.”
As instances of respect paid to the Beard, we may cite the common
Mahomedan oath “by the Beard of the Prophet!” and the form of
supplication, “by your Beard, or the life of your Beard.” The Turks will
point to theirs and say, “do you think this venerable Beard could lie?”
And a man’s testimony used to be so much measured by his Beard, that in
hiring a witness, length of this appendage was an indispensable
qualification. To touch another’s Beard, unless to kiss it respectfully,
is considered by all these people a great insult. When two friends meet,
to kiss it, sometimes on both sides, answers to our shake of the
hand—how are you? and “may God preserve your Beard!” is a form of
invoking a blessing on a friend. In the bosoms of their families the
Beard is treated as an object of reverential fondness—wife and children
kissing it with the most tender and respectful affection. To express
high value for a thing, they say, “it is worth more than one’s
Beard.”[6]
Footnote 6:
Dr. Wolff says, Mahomed Effendi told him “that the Mahomedans believed
that though Noah lived 1000 years, no hair of his blessed Beard fell
off, or became white; while that of the Devil consists only of one
long hair;” and the same Mahomed, wishing to compliment two
midshipmen, “hoped they would some day have fine long Beards like
himself.”
“Shame on your Beard!” is a term of reproach, and “I spit on your
Beard!” an expression of the most profound contempt. When the Shah of
Persia, in 1826, was speaking to our Ambassador, (Sir J. Malcolm,)
concerning the Russians, to shew how low he esteemed them, he exclaimed,
“I spit on their Beards!”[7]
Footnote 7:
Niebuhr says, “I once saw, in a caravan, an Arab highly offended at a
man who had accidentally bespattered his Beard. It was with difficulty
he could be appeased, even though the offender humbly asked his
pardon, and kissed his Beard in token of submission.” Though I avoided
breaking the argument by its insertion under the account of the Jews,
it may be interesting to state, that Moses, in Numbers, orders a man
to be considered unclean for seven days, whose Beard has been defiled
in this way: and that David could scarcely have devised a more
efficient means to convince Achish of his madness, than the expedient
he adopted of allowing his saliva to descend upon his Beard.
To cut off the Beard is considered a deep disgrace and degradation. The
noted Wahahee Chief Saoud was accustomed to shave the Beard as a
punishment for the gravest offences. He had long wished to purchase the
mare of a Sheikh of the Shahmanny tribe, but all his offers were
rejected. A Sheikh of the Kahtans, however, having been sentenced to
lose his hairy honors, when the barber appeared, exclaimed, “O Saoud,
take the mare of the Shahmanny as a ransom for my Beard!” The offer was
accepted, and a bargain struck with the owner of the mare for 2,500
dollars, which he declared he would not have taken, nor any other sum,
had it not been to save the Beard of a noble Kahtan.
Even when disease or accident renders necessary the removal of the whole
or part of the Beard, it is only at the last extremity that an Arab will
yield; and then he lives secluded, or if obliged to go out, wears a
thick black veil, until his chin can reappear “with all its pristine
honours blushing thick upon it.”
Almost every Mahomedan carries a comb with him for the sole purpose of
arranging his Beard: this is often done, especially after prayers; when
the devotee usually remains sitting on his heels and industriously using
the comb. The hairs which fall are carefully collected, to be either
buried with the owner, or deposited previously in his tomb, after having
been first separately broken in order to release the guardian angels.
To perfume and fumigate the Beard with incense is a common eastern
custom.
In mourning, the Persians shave themselves; and Herodotus relates one
instance when they also cropped the manes and tails of their horses in
honor of their leader Mardonius.
One wiseacre of a Sultan is said to have shaved his Beard, saying “his
councillors should never lead him by it, as they had done his
forefathers!” forgetting that he had still left them the convenient
handle of his nose—by which, as you know, ladies and gentlemen, people
have been led from time immemorial. Let me hope, therefore, no one will
cite this as an historical precedent for shaving.
He was fortunately succeeded by wiser men, and the Sultan is yet
distinguished by a goodly Beard:[8] as is also the Shah of Persia, and
all the Arabs and their Chiefs.
Footnote 8:
It used to be considered one of the almost impossible feats of
Chivalry to pluck a hair from the Sultan’s Beard.—(May the Russians
find it quite so!) The romance of Oberon is founded on this notion,
and Shakspeare makes Benedict say in a spirit of bravado, “I’ll fetch
you a hair off the great Cham’s Beard.” (_i.e._ Khan of Tartary’s
Beard.)