Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-03
BLOOD VENGEANCE.
LAW AND CUSTOM CONCERNING TIE
BLOOD-FEUDS OF PERSIA.
Tho "squaro of tho Gun" in Teheran--
Some Peculiarities of the Iaw-The
Results of the Time Hon
ored Practice.


In the center of the town of Teheran-
tle seat Of government of Nussir- Deem
the Is ing of ,ings, the Asylum of the
lnverse--is large square il is called
the Square OF the Gun. The huge piece
of ordnance that gives its name to the
place is vrrv like one OF the cannon viii h
stand behi.d the horse guards. Clustered
round it are group Of weary looking
men. They are murdcrers safe for the
time being from the law generally even
from the avengcr OF blood, the place is
bast or sanctuary Jndcr the shallow or
within touch of this gun the murderer even
the traitor is safe. Let him once
lea this reture, ii only for few yards,
and the criminal will all into the hands
of the law or the clutch of the aycnger of
blood i or in Persia the murderer has
not so much to fear the laws Of his coun-
try as the vengeance, legal or otherwise,
of his victims relatives Blood has a
price, and the price must be paid or the
criminal must be prepared to shed his
own The price is not arbitrary; it is
fixed at so much for a freed man. another
price for IA woman, another for II SLAVE.
Nominally, and according to the relig-
ious law, even the hairs OF a man beard
have price in Cames if extracted by
violence And within the last twenty
man who sent in Il regular account in this
form to a Eurpean:
To fifteen hairs from the head of Rejeb.
Its equivalent being fifteen camels at 10
keranS:
- 1850 kerans AZ pounds sterlnr). Please
pay bearer. Seal of high uriestl
This document was quite in legal form;
but, as the aggrieved kejeb was unable to
produce any hairs, tri ing present salts
cd n a n
for an eye; SO much for each drop of
blood; finally, so much for a life. And
if tue guilty person can not pay this
price then his own life is at the mercy of
the victim relatives. Such is the law.
But it is point of honor with the rela-
tives of murdered man not to take
money if possible, but to exact their
right Hence arise blood feuds. These
are principally observed in the south of
Persia There, where every man IS armed
to the teeth, blood feuds are common. Il
must leave you here, sahib, eXcaims
your guide quite as a matter Of course
Il have a blood feud with the next vii
lage and my life if not safe beyond this
point Sometimes these blood feuds
remain unavenged for many years; the
guilty man wisely keeping out of the reach
of the avenger of blood by remaining in a
village where the other dare not show his
face OH acc, unit of the Nemesis awaiting
him also in that particular district
Time sometimes though rarely, heals
these ieuds. A man gets tired of being
hunted of feeling that he may be shot or
stabbed or poisoned at any moment, and
he compromises; he gives the family of
his victim a horse or money or so many
bags of dates or perhaps even the hand
of his daughter in marriage. Or
perhaps youth of 20 will shoot
down an aged man, the murderer
OF his grandfather, whom perhaps he
has never seen; and, fleeing to the arms of
his deli 4hted mother will eXclaim: 81 have
avenged our blood thus bringing a
"blood. feud on his own head These
are some of the results Of the universal
practice, in the south of Persia, of carry
ing arms. 1t must be remembered, too,
that the murderer in these cases is not
looked upon with horror he is simply a
man who has done his duty. North OF
Shraz these blood feuds are uncommon
and an Ispahaui would certainly prefer
the price, or failing that, a decent sum in
cash, TO judicial revenge. As rle, il
the present day, a murderer is executed
and never handed over to the tender mcr
cies of his victims friends, but legally the
relatives can themselves take the guilty
mans life