The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-01-22
Oriental Folklore.

- OTtcDSA 1Olk-AOfe.
The word Folk Lore has been adop-
| tad from the German into the English b
language. 1t is set down. in Cham bers'
Encyclopedias. as applicable to what
relates tn ancient observances and Gus
toms. and also ideas. prcjadices and su
perstitions among the common people. -
In plain words. Folklore remembers,
collects and records the manners, Gus.
toms. observances, superstitions, ballads
and proverbs of the olden time.
II is my intention now to treat Of the
Folk Lore Of modern Egypt. az revealed
by G. B. Klunzinger, a learned German
physician. who long held high posi-
ton in the land Of the Phsraohs, and
has made an agreeable aad instructive
book. Just published in London. out OF
his experiences and observations.
The Egyptians, he reports. are super
stieious aud ignorant to degree Like
most Mohammedans. they believe las
the Koran teaches) that the world is
inhabited by a vast number ofspirits-
beings intermediate between angels and
men-who, like men. are bGrn, grow
up, become old. and die, are male or
female. black or white. high or low,
free and slave. each having personal
name. there being among them king
doms and governments.
These spirits are known as the ginn,
and are well-known to all who have
read 1.-THE Arabian Nights Entertain
msnts," In which their performances
largely figure. Therein they are called
''genii." In many respects, it is under
stood. they are nearly parallel with
mankind. from whom they are distin-
guished by want of flesh and blood. and
by reaching the age Of three hundred
/ years and more.
II is . further belief that every child
Of man has companion from the realm
of the ginn, born at the same time with
him-a sort Of guardian spirit. which
often leads him into mischief and i'll.
ness. This companion. "the ksrina,"
is female in the case of q male child.
As people grow up. these ginn more and
more lose their influence over them
and latterly visit them only in the Wis.,
ions Of the night.
The Egyptians further believe that
though these beings are immaterial
they can assume all sorts of intangible
Ind shadowy forms. with the outlines
of persons. animals and monsters, and
do appear in these shapes to many
When one appears. it Is recognizable
by its perpendicular. Us distinguished
from the human horizontal eyes. The
Egyptian ghost-storics abound with
these creatures.
When the ginn is of a malignant
nature. he is called an afrit. The good
ginus are all MohammedAn. There are
Egyptian linen Of science" who deal in
magic, aud arc believed to have the
power to invoking any particular ginn
: by name, and making them obey
orders Women. as we'll as men, are
learned and skillful in this occult lore
Strangely enough. the persons who
can perform all sorts Of miraculous feats
arc generally very poor. For the mos,
part. poverty Is :he essential condition
in a compact with genie, though cell.
oacy occasionally takes it's place 1t is
so generally believed that the ginns Col
bestow wealth on those who have power
over them. that, when any one spends
money with profusion much above
their known means, the word through
the village or the camps that a ginn has
supplied it.
Such persons. not Mohammedsns, as
practice magic in the East are believed
to do 50 only by the assistance Of the
evil and degraded ginns and devils,
commonly called sheitda. The Moha,n-
nedan msgi, it is averred. exercise their
genii with psalms, but if q Christian
should call mp Mosle,n ginn. the spirit
will almost certsinly destroy his sum.
moner by tearing him to pieces.
Since spirltualism has become of late
years sort Of institution. there have
been numerous exhibitions of table.
turning. or table moving. However
new that may be to US. it is ''old as the
bills" in Egypt and some other Orien-
tai countries. The manner of this per-
formance 10 easily described.
Those engaged in it squat round Q
man who stretches himself out on the
ground. As if dead. They join hands,
ana each two sitting opposite .ch other
iay tue hands. or the points of the tin-
gers' under the man. Every one then
Whispered 10 his neighbor. "Er rogel
MAJ which means THE man is dead"
itm said that. after "A little time.
though the parties have only the tips
ot their fingers placed beneath the ma n
they can AID do raise him from the
ground II is said hat other heavy
weights may be easily lifted in this
way. aiso-sn application Of force
which. in spitc Of faith, has no. yet
been adopted in practical life.
The Eastern folk do not exhibit any
sagerness to come TO close quarters
with the spirits in whom they believe.
scarcely any one will venture TO live In
mouse aione, to 60 ou. alone late at
night. or tn remain aloue in room late
At night. When the husband goes out
"tan evening to visit his friends. the
wife takes refuge with her neighbcrs or
relatives. il she hes no children or ser
wants.
Familiarity relieves the night watch
men. servants aud sections from the Tea Z
oi spirits, though not from belief in
them.
Friday is the Nohammsdan Sabbath.