The Opelousas courier., 1892-01-30
THE DANCING DERVISHES.
DESCRIPTION OF A VERY ODD MO-
HAMMEDAN RITE.

AAsJ 4 SAS5SN IJSS !"
to Teach a State of Ecstasy.
The service of the Dancing Derzishers
takes place in their mosque, which is
near the square of Sultan Hassan. Here
they have a small circular hall; round
this arena, and elevated slightly above
it, an aisle where spectators are allowed
to stand; over the aisle is the gallery.
This January brought a crowd of visit
ors who filled the aisle completely.
Presently a dervish made the circuit of
the empty arena, warning, by a solemn
gesture, those who had seated or half
seated themselves upon the balustrade
that the attitude was not allowed. As
soon AS he had passed, some OF the
warned took their places again. Natur-
ally, these were spectators of the gentler
sex. l am even afraid that they were
pilgrims from the land where the gen
tier sex is accustomed from its earliest
years to a profound Difference. Two OF
these pretty pilgrims trangressed in this
way four times, and at last the dervlsh
came and stood before them. They re-
NAMED seated, returning his gaze with
amiable tranquility. What he thought
do not know-this lean Egyptian in
his old brown cloak aud conical hat. |
fancied, however, that it had something
to do with the great advantages of the
Mohammedan system regarding the
seclusion of women. He did not con.
quer.
At length began the music. The band
of the dervishes is placed in one of the
galleries; we could see the performers
| squatting on their rugs, the instruments
being flutes or long pipes, and small
| drums like t~ambourines without the rat
ties. Egyptian music has a marked time,
but no melody-no matter how good an
ear one has it is impossible to catch and
re-sing its notes, even though one learn
them daily. Pierre Lott writes: "The
strains of the little futes of Africa charm
me more than the most perfect orches-
trail harmcnies of other lands" II by this
he means that TIE flutes recall to his
memory the magic scenes OF Oriental
life, that is one thing; but if he means
that he really loves the sounds for them
selves, l am afraid we must conclude
that this prince of verbal expression has
not an ear for music (Which is only fair;
a man cannot have ~everthing). The band
of the dervishes send forth a high wall,
accompanied by a rumble. Neither,
however, is distressingly loud. Mean
while the dervishes have entered, and,
muf1ed in their cloaks, are standing, a
silent band, round the edge of the ARENA,
their sheykh-a very old man much bent,
but with a noble countenance--takes his
place upon the sacred rug, and receives
with dignity their obeisances. All re-
main motionless for a while. Then the
sheykh rises, heads the procession, and,
with a very slow step, they all move
round the arena, bowling toward the
sacred carpet as they pass it. This open
ing ceremony concluded, the sheykh
again takes his seat, and the d~ervisEes,
divesting themselves of their cloaks,
step one by one into the open space,
where, after prayer, each begins whirl-
ing slowing, with closed eyes. They
are all attired in long full white skirts,
whose edges have weights attached to
them; as the speed of the music in
creases, their whirl becomes more rapid,
but it remains always even; though their
eyes are closed, they never touch each
other. From the description alone, it is
difficult to imagine that this rite (for
such it i) is solemn. But, looked al
with the actual eyes, it seemed to me an
impressive ceremony; the absorbed ap,
pearance of the participants, their un'
consciousness of all outward things, the
earnestness of the aspiration visible OF
their faces-all these were striking
The zikir, as this species of religion
effect is named, is an attemp
to reach a state of ecstacy (hal
m~cination, we should call it,, durin!
which the human being, having for
gotten the existence of its body, be
comes for the moment spirit only, an
can then mingle with the spirit world
The D4ncing Dervishes endeavor t
bring on this trance by the physical dig
illness which is produced by whirling
the Howling Dervishes try to effect th
same by swinging their heads rapidly u
and down, and from side to side, with
constant shout of aAllah!n "Allah!
The latter soon reach a state of temper
airy frenzy. For this reason the dancer
are more interesting; the ecstasy, bein
silent, seems more earnest. The religio
of the Hindoos has a similar Idea
another form, namely, that the highes
happiness is a mingling with Gods an
an utter inconsistencies of one
humanity. Christian hermits, in retir
ing from the world, have sought, as ia
as possible, the same mental condition
but for a lifetime, not, like the dervishes
for an hour. These enthusiasts MARY
if they please; many Of them are artisans
tradesmen, and farm laborers, and g
only at certain times to the monasterie
to take part in the zikrs. There ar
many different orders, and several othe
kinds of zikr besides the two commonl
seen by travellers. -Harper's Magazine.