The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 05...

423. The fifth and seventh months (January and March) of the Coptic year which, being solar, is still used by Arab and Egyptian meteorologists. Much information thereon will be found in the “Egyptian Calendar” by Mr. Mitchell, Alexandria 1876. It bears the appropriate motto “Anni certus modus apud solos semper Ægyptios fuit.” (Macrobius). See also Lane M.E., chapt. ix.

424. Vulg. Kiyák; the fourth month, beginning 9th–10th December. The first month is Tút, commencing 10th–11th September.

425. The 8th and 12th months partly corresponding with April and August: Hátúr is the 3rd (November) and Amshír the 6th (February).

426. Moslems have been compelled to adopt infidel names for the months because Mohammed’s Koranic rejection of Nasy or intercalation makes their lunar months describe the whole circle of the seasons in a cycle of about thirty-three and a half years. Yet they have retained the terms which contain the original motive of the denomination. The first month is Muharram, the “Holy,” because war was forbidden; it was also known as Safar No. 1. The second Safar = “Emptiness,” because during the heats citizens left the towns and retired to Táif and other cool sites. Rabí’a (first and second) alluded to the spring-pasturages; Jumádá (first and second) to the “hardening” of the dry ground and, according to some, to the solidification, freezing, of the water in the highlands. Rajab (No. 7) = “worshipping,” especially by sacrifice, is also known as Al-Asamm the deaf; because being sacred, the rattle of arms was unheard. Sha’abán = “collecting,” dispersing, ruining, because the tribal wars recommenced: Ramazan (intensely hot) has been explained and Shawwál (No. 10.) derives from Shaul (elevating) when the he-camels raise their tails in rut. Zú’l-Ka’adah, the sedentary, is the rest time of the year, when fighting is forbidden and Zu’l-Hijjah explains itself as the pilgrimage-month.

427. The lowest of the seven.

428. Koran xxxvii. 5.

429. Arab. “Faylasúf,” an evident corruption from the Greek. Amongst the vulgar it denotes a sceptic, an atheist; much the same a “Frammásún” or Freemason. The curious reader will consult the Dabistan, vol. iii. chapt. xi. p. 138 et seq. “On the Religion of the Wise” (philosophi), and, Beaconsfield’s theft from Shaftesbury.

430. Koran xxxvi. 37–38.

431. Koran xxii. 7. The Hour i.e. of Judgment.

432. Koran xx. 58. The Midrasch Tanchumah on Exod. vii. gives a similar dialogue between Pharaoh and Moses (Rodwell, in loco).

433. Arab. “Sham’ún” or “Shim’ún,” usually applied to Simon Peter (as in Acts xv. 14). But the text alludes to Saint Simeon (Luke ii. 25–35). See Gospel of Infancy (ii. 8) and especially the Gospel of Nicodemus (xii. 3) which makes him a High-priest.

434. Sálih the Patriarch’s she-camel, miraculously produced from the rock in order to convert the Thamúd-tribe (Koran vii).

435. When Abu Bakr was hiding with Mohammed in a cave on the Hill Al-Saur (Thaur or Thúr, Pilgrimage ii. 131) South of Meccah, which must not be confounded with the cave on Jabal Hirá now called Jabal Núr on the way to Arafat (Pilgrimage iii. 246), the fugitives were protected by a bird which built her nest at the entrance (according to another legend it was curtained by a spider’s web), whilst another bird (the crow of whom I shall presently speak) tried to betray them. The first bird is popularly supposed to have been a pigeon, and is referred to by Hudibras:—

Th’ apostles of this fierce religion

Like Mahomet, were ass and widgeon.

The ass I presume alludes to the marvellous beast Al-Burák which the Greeks called Βράχθαν from Βραχ (Euthymius in Pocock, Spec. A.H. p. 144) and which Indian Moslems picture with human face, ass’s ears, equine body and peacock’s wings and tail. The “widgeon” I presume to be a mistake or a misprint for pigeon.

436. The Arabs are not satisfied with the comparative moderation of the Hebrew miracle, and have added all manner of absurdities (Pilgrimage ii. 288).

437. Koran lxxxi. 18. Sale translates “by the morning when it appeareth;” and the word (tanaffus) will bear this meaning. Mr. Rodwell prefers, “By the dawn when it clears away the darkness by its breath.”

438. As a rule Moslems are absurdly ignorant of arithmetic and apparently cannot master it. Hence in Egypt they used Copts for calculating-machines and further East Hindús. The mildest numerical puzzle, like the above, is sure of success.

439. The paradisal tree which supplied every want. Mohammed borrowed it from the Christians (Rev. xxi. 10–21 and xxii. 1–2) who placed in their paradise the Tree of Life which bears twelve sorts of fruits and leaves of healing virtue. (See also the 3rd book of Hermas, his Similitudes.) The Hebrews borrowed it from the Persians. Amongst the Hindus it appears as “Kalpavriksha;” amongst the Scandinavians as Yggdrasil. The curious reader will consult Mr. James Fergusson’s learned work, “Tree and Serpent Worship,” etc. London, 1873.

440. Aaron’s Rod becomes amongst Moslems (Koran vii. 110) Moses’ Staff; the size being that of a top-mast (Pilgrimage i. 300, 301). In Koran xx. 18, 19, we find a notice of its uses; and during the Middle Ages it reappeared in the Staff of Wamba the Goth (A.D. 672–680): the witch’s broomstick was its latest development.

441. Christ, say the Eutychians, had only one nature the divine; so he was crucified in effigy.

442. Jesus is compared with Adam in the Koran (chapt. iii.): his titles are Kalámu ‘llah (word of God) because engendered without a father, and Rúhu ‘llah (breath of God) because conceived by Gabriel in the shape of a beautiful youth breathing into the Virgin’s vulva. Hence Moslems believe in a “miraculous conception” and consequently determine that one so conceived was, like Elias and Khizr, not subject to death; they also hold him born free from “original sin” (a most sinful superstition), a veil being placed before the Virgin and Child against the Evil One who could not touch them. He spoke when a babe in cradle; he performed miracles of physic; he was taken up to Heaven; he will appear as the forerunner of Mohammed on the White Tower of Damascus, and finally he will be buried at Al-Medinah. The Jews on the other hand speak of him as “that man:” they hold that he was begotten by Joseph during the menstrual period and therefore a born magician. Moreover he learned the Sham ha-maphrash or Nomen tetragrammaton, wrote it on parchment and placed it in an incision in his thigh, which closed up on the Name being mentioned (Buxtorf, Lex Talmud 25–41). Other details are given in the Toldoth Jesu (Historia Joshuæ Nazareni). This note should be read by the eminent English littérateur who discovered a fact, well known to Locke and Carlyle, that “Mohammedans are Christians.” So they are and something more.

443. In the Kalamdán, or pen-case, is a little inkstand of metal occupying the top of the long, narrow box.

444. A fair specimen of the riddle known as the “surprise.”

445. Koran xli. 10.

446. Koran xxxvi. 82.

447. Here we enter upon a series of disputed points. The Wahhábis deny the intercession of the Apostle (Pilgrimage ii. 76–77). The Shi ahs place Ali next in dignity to Mohammed and there is a sect (Ali-Iláhi) which believes him to be an Avatar or incarnation of the Deity. For the latter the curious reader will consult the “Dabistan,” ii. 451. The Koran by its many contradictions seems to show that Mohammed never could make up his own mind on the subject, thinking himself at times an intercessor and then sharply denying all intercession.

448. Arab. “Kanjifah” = a pack of cards; corrupted from the Persian “Ganjífah.” We know little concerning the date or origin of this game in the East, where the packs are quite unlike ours.

449. It is interesting to compare this account with the pseudo Ovid and with Tale clxvi. in Gesta “Of the game of Schaci.” Its Schacarium is the chess-board. Rochus (roccus, etc.) is not from the Germ. Rock (a coat) but from Rukh (Pers. a hero, a knight-errant); Alphinus (Ital. Alfino) is Al-Firzán (Pers. science, wise).

450. Arab. “Baydak” or “Bayzak”; a corruption of the Persian “Piyádah” = a footman, peon, pawn; and proving whence the Arabs derived the game. The Persians are the readiest backgammon-players known to me, better even than the Greeks; they throw the dice from the hand and continue foully abusing the fathers and mothers of the “bones” whilst the game lasts. It is often played in the intervals of dinner by the higher classes in Persia.

451. Metaphor from loading camels and mules. To “eat” a piece is to take it.

452. Arab. “Bilábil”; a plural of “Bulbul” with a double entendre balábil (plur. of ballalah) = heart’s troubles, and “balá, bul” = a calamity, nay, etc.