My host—The sheik's appearance—My host's two daughters—They
attend upon the sheik—Caressing the flames—I love the fire—An
insult to the Shaitan—Do you believe in Allah?—Allah can do no
harm—The Yezeed fetish—The tomb of Sheik Adi—Your cows shall
not die—Mohammed wants a fetish—A cure for rheumatism—The
Melek Taoos—Do you ever pray?—What is the use? Everything
is fixed—You cannot force Destiny to change her mind—Hidden
things—The balls of clay—Mr. Layard—The seven archangels.
My landlord was not a sweet creature to look upon. The sheik who was
his guest had a still more forbidding countenance; the latter gentleman,
with his deep-set eyes, high, narrow forehead, coming almost to a point
where it reached his skull, and long cockatoo-like nose, having a very
demoniacal appearance. My host had two daughters, who had been deputed
to wait upon the sheik. They followed him about like spaniels, and vied
with each other in obeying his commands.
I was seated beside the fireplace when the distinguished individual
entered the room. He evidently expected that I was about to arise to
receive him in a way becoming to his dignity, and made a sign as if to
ask me not to move. I paid no attention to this gesture, but motioned to
him to sit by the fire. This he did, and, squatting opposite me, unbared
a pair of long shining arms and began to pass them through the flames,
as if he were caressing the fiery element.
"You like heat?" I remarked, by way of commencing a conversation.
The man slowly raised his eyes, which glittered in his head and flashed
like the embers on the hearth.
"Heat is good, Effendi. Fire gives warmth—without warmth we should die.
Fire gives life, and destroys it. I love the flames."
Mohammed came close to the fire and stooped down. The sheik's eyes
sparkled brighter than before: he said something. My servant laughed,
but moved away from the hearth.
"What did he say?" I inquired.
"He was afraid, Effendi, that I was about to spit in the fire. They
think that this is a great insult to the ——" Here Mohammed stopped;
he did not like to utter the word "Shaitan" (devil); The sheikh, who
appeared much frightened at the beginning of the sentence, and had
left off passing his arms through the flames, commenced repeating that
operation.
"Do you believe in Allah?" I remarked.
"Allah is good," was the reply. "Allah can do no harm."
My host now came up, and, bowing before the sheik, said something. The
latter, placing his hand into his sash, produced two clay balls, which
he gave to the proprietor—the latter receiving them with an air of the
greatest satisfaction.
These balls had been manufactured with clay taken from the tomb of
Sheik Adi—a saint who is highly reverenced by the Yezeeds—the travelling
sheiks make a certain sum of money by selling them to the devotees.
"Your visit has brought happiness to my daughters and myself," observed
the proprietor.
The sheik did not reply immediately, but presently remarked,—
"Your cows shall not die; no robbers shall enter your doors; illness
shall not attack your family."
Mohammed approached.
"I too should like a ball," he remarked. "It might keep off my
rheumatism. The Effendi's plasters do good, but they hurt. The ball
would not cause me any pain. Give me one;" and my servant held out his
hand to the sheik.
"Go away!" said the latter in rather strong tones. "Go to your own
saints, and let them cure you."
Then, rising, the man left the room, closely followed by the two
daughters of the proprietor.
These girls were neither of them good-looking, and dirty to an extent
which no man who has not been in the East could imagine.
It is said that there are pretty women amidst the daughters of the
worshippers of the devil; my personal observations do not lead me to
place any credence in this statement.
I inquired of the proprietor if the sheik had brought the Melek Taoos
(King Peacock) with him. This is a bird manufactured of bronze, which
is occasionally carried about by the leading men amidst the Yezeeds,
and which all devil-worshippers are bound to reverence.
"No," replied my host; "our guest is not a Cawal (a sort of priest).
Who told you about the Melek Taoos?"
"The Turks, and, besides, I have read about it, and seen a picture of
the bird in a book written by a Frank."
"What a marvel!" said the host; "very few of our sheiks can read, much
less write."
"Do you ever pray?" I inquired.
"Pray? like the Mohammedans?"
"Yes."
"No; what is the use? You Christians do not pray like the Mohammedans,"
continued the old man.
"No; but we pray to the Founder of our faith."
"Everything is fixed," observed the Yezeed; "then what is the good of
praying? You cannot force Destiny to change her mind."
"Then what is the good of the balls you have just received? for if your
cows are destined to die, they will die."
My host did not show any wish to continue this conversation, and he
presently remarked,—
"We are talking about hidden things; no good will come of it."
"But if you have got the balls of clay," said Mohammed, joining in the
conversation, "they ought to keep you from any harm."
"Who knows?" said the proprietor; and, rising from the ground, he lay
down in a farther corner of the room, next some sheep, and was soon lost
to consciousness.
Mr. Layard, who lived some time amongst the Yezeeds, remarked about
these strange people,—
"They recognize one Supreme Being; but, as far as I could learn, they
do not offer up any direct prayer or sacrifice to Him. My questions on
this subject were evaded, and every topic was shunned connected with
the attributes and existence of the Deity.
"The name of the devil is never mentioned, and any allusion to it by
others so vexes and irritates them that it is said that they have put
to death persons who have wantonly outraged their feelings by its use.
"So far is their dread of offending the evil spirit carried that
they carefully avoid every expression which may resemble in sound the
name of Satan, or the Arabic word for 'accursed.' When they speak of
the devil, they do so with reverence as Melek-el, the mighty angel.
The Yezeeds believe Satan to be the chief of the angelic host now
suffering punishment for his rebellion against the Divine will, but
still powerful, and to be restored hereafter to his high estate in
the celestial hierarchy. He must be conciliated and reverenced, they
say, for as he now has the means of doing evil to mankind, so will he
hereafter have the power of rewarding them. Next to Satan, but inferior
to him in might and wisdom, are seven archangels who exercise a great
influence over the world; they are Gabriel, Michail, Raphail, Azrail,
Dedrail, Azrapheel, and Shemkeel. Christ, according to the Yezeeds, was
also a great angel who had taken the form of man. He did not die on the
cross, but ascended to heaven."