St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-09-15

Brotherhood OF Locomotive Etremen Au0 ed
| clerk OF 1erre Hause. In 1879 be organised the
been president
NEW YEAR IN PERSIA.
Revolving Sights Seen by q Trav-
eler at Toheran.
Religious Fsnaticism Carried to . Point
Almoss Beyond Belief-Hhtory of
the Festival and the Great
Oriental Passion Play.
Especial Letter.l
In Persia. Is well as in the other Mo
hammedan countries, the calendar
year begins with the month Of Mohar-
rem. That falls, however, In different
seasons, each year other than IN the pre-
ceding ono. The first ten days Of Mo-
harrem are kept sacred, and among the
Sheeites, the sect to which tho Persians
belor-, the tenth day is the greatest
holi : Of all. For on that day. &c
coroAng to Islam, Allah drove Adam
and Eve out of paradise, Noah left his
ark, and the slaughter Of Kerbclah
took place. The aforementioned event,
At least, really occurred ON that day in
the year 81 Of the Moslem era, and
during It Hussein, the son of Ali, whom
the Shseites regard as the rightful ca
liph and successor of Mohammed, was
cruelty murdered and mutilated, his
head being subsequently taken to Cairo.
where 1t Is even to-day immured In ono
Of the columns Of the Mosque Of Hus-
sein and Haasan, the chief temple Of
the Sheeites In Africa. As the whole
oohism within the Moslem church dates
from the death Of that young man, and
since the Sheeites look upon Hussein
- . holy martyr and upon his father,
Ali, - the founder of their religion,
tho tenth day Of Moharrem il what
Good Friday II with the Christians.
Everywhere throughout that part Of
the world where sheeites exist In large
numbers, thu tenth Of Moharrem Il,
therefore, kept with strange ceremo-
nies. In Persia there are theatrical rep
resentations Of the martyrdom Of Hus-
sein and Hassan on that day, as well IS
weird and awful street professions I
witnessed the performance in the Royal
theater in Teheran-in reality, though,
not theeter, bat IN smpththeater, re-
sembline somewhat the ancient Romsn
circus.
These performances arseven more re-
slistic and impressive than the Oberau-
mer-gau Passion play, TO which, in some
respects, they bear . striking resem-
blance. The few female parts arc
taken by young, .smooth-faced boys,
who are attired In feminine apparel
and ali Of the actors are volunteers, It
being held great honor to participate.
Audiences Of from ten thousand to
thirty thousand are mot seldom on such
oocasions, and - the play, when per
formed In its entirety, lasts several
days, Il Il not an unalloyed pleasure, in
visw Of . broiling sun overhead and the
lack Of comfortable accommodations,
to witness It. Tho costumes used
throughout arc historically correct and
Of the oootliest kind. That Il also true
Of tho weapons, armora, ETC., even
unto tho magnificent horses that play
. part in the drama which Il slowly un-
folding and which ends in tho staying
Of Huassin and the Wild and desperate
wailing over his death.
A this performance Is the only kind
Of theatrical entertainment In vogue
among the Nohammedans, It Is inter
ssting to note some 81 its peculiaritiea.
The story Of theplay II told, either in .
singson9 tone by . single narrator who
employs poetic diction in his task. or
else its burden Is further elaborated
and carried on 1t times by chorus Of
from twenty to Afty. Thus the child
hood, the joys and adventures Of the
two brotheEs Hassan and Hussein,
with incidental mention OF their
father, the Caliph Ali, ere poetically
presented, often In words Of great
beauty and tenderness
When Il comes to ths point where
Hassan y killed st the behsst Of the
usurping caliph and Hussein dees
with handful Of faithful followers In
70 the Syrian desert and st last 10 over
taken BY . largo foroe Of Arabs sent
out by the caliph, and the hnal strug-
gle takes place, during which Hussein
4 stabbed to death on his horse, but
Later on cr.wls On his hands and kneea
70 . shady spot under . palm tree,
suffering ths panSs of thirst and tho
blood running from his hightful
woands, the intensity of feeling among
the audiouce always Waxes to . dan
R09ous point Their religious tanati.
cim, much stronger than with tho less
excitabls Turks, who are Sumistes.
often reaches the point Of frenzy. The
actoe representing Hussein invariably
s&ahs and mutilatss himself, % that
Ill may - the blood squirting forth
from his wounds, aad many In the su-
dienoo emulate his example, while dur.
ing the fierce melee which II supposed
70 mean the maasacge Of Kerbelah,
dse&As and ssveEe inju3es due 10 the
too realistic uss o& thsir curved sabers
enA 0sndjars Qargs daggsrO occur
iayNisR)y et the hzgsr performances
In tho imporlaat town., 10 an this ID
added tAeepiercihg wail of The. veilcd
women : tho audience, and the weep
ing and &bbing Of tho wultitude, who
cry ont . veritable acesss Of sorrow
and furT
.An FL AllaAl Poor Hnssain! Poor
Hamnnl 6unA I hnk 10ln thnnf All