Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-09-29
0Gortester 9allp Spp.
Hagogs and AIagogs.

Approaching tins tent, which was cafe 7
saw that 1t was full of customers. among whom
however, neither games or conversation wore
gong on. One and all, smoking their cbilbo-
CUES, they sat with their necks stretched for.
ward, and their eyes egerly fixed upon some
object
entered. A rOmancer was recounting \
tale, to which they were listening with sEcb
absorbing interest that none of them, not even
the master OF the tent was aware Of my ap-
proach. Unfortunately for me, the story was
SO far advanced when arrived that gathered
but slight idea of the thrilling interest with
which il must have been imbued. iudginq
from Its effects on the auditors. From the few
words caught by me, however, l understood
that 1t treated much Of dj,nnS, or genii, and
djF7tS, or demons, and that it ran chiefly upon
the history ola YagOg and Magog.
On leaving the cafe, addressed the roman.
Ger, asking him what these Yagogs and these
Magogs might be, and this is what learned
from him -
The Yagogs and Magogs. according to the
Massulman belief, are small, malignant beings.
which, in the latter days of the world. are to
spread over and infest the earth, putting the
virtue OF man to severe tests, and incitinc him
to evil. Until the ADVENT of that time thew
are confined behind an immense di e, erected
on the extreme eastern verge of the universe.
the building OF which structure is attributed
by the Koran, as well as the marvellous legends
of Arabia, to ZOulKarnain, the Prophet with
the two horns. 1t reminds one of the oreat
wall built by the Chinese as a defense AGAINST
the incursions of the Tartars, except that
there is difference between the epoch of that
work and the time ofZoul Karnain-a matter.
however, to which the Arabs do not attach
any Importance, seeming, on the contrary, to
faLa fntiubt in
ny OF other races, transposing dates and attri-
buting deeds to personages who have no right
to them.
Zou-Carnian, one among the thousand
prophets recognized by the Mussulman, an
entirely fabulous character, composed partly
a mythical contemporary OF Abraham, and
partly of Alexander of ATacedon, is recorded
as one of the four invincibe kings by whom
the world was invaded. There were-Zoul-
Karnain, Solomon Nmrod, Nebuchadnezzar-
two believers and two infidels.
Foul Karnain was gifted with power over
light and darkness, to protect and favor him
in his expeditions. He had two flags, one
white the other black, by displaying one or
the other of which he brought day or night
according to his will, over the county occu-
pied by him. Thus terrifying his enemies.
he destroyed them without dfiucty.
Two generations of men passed away
during his long life.
Allah said to him Go forth against all ma
tons, to the four corners of the world" So
Zoulkarnain went forth and overran the
earth, sparing all who acknowledged him as a
prophet, and putting the unbelievers to death
From the extremities OF the earth he went to
the central regions, where he bebeld two i'm.
mense mountains parallel to each other the
gorges of which, he was told, were inhabited
by hordes of hideous and malignant beings,
hostile to man and beasts alike. These be.
ings lived upon dry brambes serpents, and
scorpions. They howled like jackals, and
multiplied to prodigious extent.
FOUL Karnain marched upon these noun
tains On arriving there he beheld a mighty
swarm of little manikins, whose stature was
about cubit They had red, bloodshot eyes,
with glowing eye-bals, immense mouths,
claws like those of lion, and hind quarters
covered with long hair, which they disposed
about their scaly bodies to protect them from
the cold by night and the heat by day. Two
long, pendulous ears tapped about the head
and bodies OF these creatures, one serving
them as a cushion to sit upon, the other as a
coverlet.
These frightful beings were Yagoga and
Magoga.
FOUL Karnan measured the interval between
the mountains, across which he caused to be
built the dixie which still confines those enc
mics of the human race--a barrier behind
which they must remain until the latter days
of the world. 1t consists of Il high wall of
stone, bound together and consolidated with
molten copper run between the joints, and fur.
Their secured with clasps OF iron
This prince reigned for one hundred and
forty years, during which time he built twelve
cities, all Of which he called Alexandria He
died at Schahrazour (Babylon,) and his body
laled out upon a bier, was borne to Alexandria,
in Egypt, where it was entombed.
"And how is it, inquired of the romancer
from whom l gathered the substance of the
fOregoing-"how is it that these Yagogs and
Magogs, if so imprisoned, have the power to
torment mankind, as l think you said in the
story told by you in the tent?"
"Some of them got out while the wall was
building" replied he.
81 should like to know, also, why he who
conquered them was called Zoni- karnan, of
the taC0 horns ?"
ellis real name was 1skender Bey-The
Prince Alexander" answered my informant
Zoul-Karnan is only SidkdHuS-a surname.
Wherefore it was given to him is not exactly
known. Some say it was because he had two
knobs upon his head Others because the
crown worn by him was surmounted by two
horns others, again, on account of the long
tresses into which his hair was bound; while
some maintain that the name was given to
him in honor of having subdued both the east
and the west"
Thanking my friend for his information, l
took leave of him.