The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-04-05
HOWLING DERVISHES
Some Strange Religious Rites
in Turkey.
A Three-Year.Old Child a Fren-
zied Participant.


A Constantinople correspondent Of
the San Francisco Chronicle sends that
paper an account ofsome ofthe religious
rites of the Refaee, or the Howling
Dervishes. These, he says, arc but
one of the numerous orders of Dervishes
who WELD an irresistible influence over
the public mind in Turkey. Their no.
table Take is low, weather. beaten old
building, standing on the edge of the
great cypress-shaded Turkish cemetery
that crowns the heights of Scntorie and
is almost as dilapidated as most of tho
monuments aud gravestones that sur
round it. The space allotted to the
"howlers" was we'll filed, yet good
many both Of young and old, were
still coming, and after going
forward to where the high priest sat,
they reverently bowed to the dust, then
taking the priests hand, gently kissed
it and retired. Directly behind the
priest was q small alcove, painted a
bright green and filled with variety
Of antique small arms, swords, daggers,
battle axes, etc. On the walls were
many notices or sentences in frames,
and some prayer rugs. A small brazen
censer containing burning frankincense
and spices, filled the room with aromatic
fragrance.
Around three sides of the low room
were galleries, some closely latticed and
occupied by Turkish women, others
open and filled with curious spectators
like ourselves. The best location was
resel we'd for Turkish gentlemen and SOL
diers. Beneath these galleries was still
another, elevated step or two above
the main floor and separated from it by
low railing and furnished with seats
for spectators. On the main floor were
spread many rugs of Angora goatskin,
on which were seated old men, regular
patriarchs in appearance, while two
groups of little children were nged
behind them. Seated close to the low
railing were rows of men clothed in the
flowing Dervish mantle and tan-colored
'galuph," tall, brimless felt hat
strongly resembling an inverted flower
pot, bound round the head by long
black scarf with ends left flowing.
These ends were at intervals during the
service tcnderly pressed to the lips. At
other times the eyes were carefully wiped
with these mourning badges.
Conspicuous before the high priest
stood 1.-THE figure with pale, cadaver-
Gus countenance, but keen, penetrat-
ing eye, who was slowly manipulating a
long, white scarf. He first threw it
around his shoulders, thus symbolizing
the all embracing love of Allah; then
binding it tightly about his waist, he
began tying and untying it, each knot
having particular significance. His
whispered words will bear this inter-
prctation: II tie up greed; I unite
charity. tie up hate; I unite love.
I tie up pride; I unite humility" And
so on through long list. Then began
a monotonous chant that soon swclled
to tremendous howl. All rose tc
their feet and kept time with swayine
body and jerking head in frantic
manner. Tho old and feeble
among them gradually dropped out
of tho circle and took seats or
rugs near tho centre of the
room, besides tho rows of standing
children. At length the eyes of the
/ spectators became rivited upon tht
! face and figure of a 3-ycar-old baby,
who stood for two long hours swayine
its frail body in perfect unison with tnt
dervishes and with his rosy cherub
mouth uttering the same indescribably
impressive cry of Allah! When the
rude throng had at length worked them
selves up to state of religious frenzy
the little boy also rolled his brigh
eyes about as if beholding heavenl,
vision.
To my mind nothing was so impres
sive as the power of endurance shown
by the infants on exhibition. / shud
der when l think of the torture they
must have been subjected to in the pri
vate drill necessary to prepare them fol
such performance in public. Some O
the children seemed free to pass in ane
out at will, but the tiny boy spoken o
above and little girl "a hunchback,
never left their posts a minute, no
ceased to sway their bodies and shou
until the performance was concluded,
by louder clapping and howling, NOR,
violent jerking of the head and wilde
tumult than before. Then suddel
hush. when, without signal or lool
from any one this lovely little baby de
murely marched up to the high priest t.
receive his blessing, then laid hin
down, his face to the ground befor
the venerable man. An other, VIII
appeared to bo high chief o
the order, now took tho stalwart prizes
by tho hand while he placed both fee
on the body of this frail infant ant
stood with his face turned upward
while he muttered what appeared to b
a prayer. Then other children followed
First came the little hunchback, the
three or four at time, finally ten o
twelve laid down, forming a humal