The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-24

| the sheeites regard as the rigntfui ca
| liph and successor of Mohammed, was
cruelty murdered and mutilated, his
head being subsequently taken to Cairo,
where it is even to-day immured in one
of the columns of the Mosque of Hus-
sein and Hassan, the chief temple OF
the Sheeites IN Africa AS the whole
schism within the Moslen church dates
from the death of that young man, and
since the Sheeites look upon Hussein
as holy martyr and upon his father,
Ali. as the founder of their religion,
the tenth day of MoharreIn IS what
Good Friday is with the Christians.
Everywhere throughout that part of
the world where SheeiteS exist in large
numbers, the tenth of MOharrem is,
therefore, kept with strange cereno-
mics. In Persia there are theatrical rep
reservations of the martyrdom of Hus-
sein and Hassan on that day, as well as
weird and awful street professions.
witnessed the performance in the Royal
theater in Teheran-in reality, though,
not n theater, but an anphitheater, re-
sembling somewhat the ancient Roman
circus.
These performances are even more re-
alistic and impressive than the Oberau-
mer-gap Passion play, to which, in some
respects, they bear a striking resem-
blance. The few female parts are
taken by young, smoothfaced boys,
who are attired In feminine apparel
and ell of the actors are volunteers, it
being held great honor to participate.
Audiences of from ten thousand to
thirty Thousand are not seldom on such
occasions, and as the play, when per
formed IN It's entirety, lasts several
days, it is not an unalloyed pleasure, in
view OF broiling sun overhead and the
lack OF comfortable accommodations,
to witness 1t. The costumes used
throughout are historically correct and
Of the costliest kind. That is also true
Of the weapons, armors, etc, even
unto the magnificent horses that play
q part in the drama which Is slowly I'M
folding and which ends in the Staying
of Hussein and the wild and desperate
wailing over his death.
As this performance is the only kind
of theatrical entertainment in vogue
among the Mohammedans, it is inter
eSting to note some OF its peculiarities.
The story of the play IS told, either in
singSOng tone by q single narrator who
employs poetic dictiCn in his task, or
else its burden is further elaborated
and carried on at times by chorus of
from twenty to fifty. Thus the child
hood, the joys and adventures of the
two brothers Hassan and HUssein,
with incidental mention of their
father, the Caliph Ali, are POLITICALLY
presented, often in words of great
beauty and tenderness
When it comes to the point where
Hassan is killed at the behest of the
usurping celiph and Hussein fees
with handful Of faithful followers in
to the Syrian desert and at last Is oxer-
taken by large force Of Arabs sent
out by the caliph, and the final strug-
gle takes place, during which Hussein
is stabbed 10 death on his horse, but
later on crawls on his hands and knees
to shady spot under a palm tree.
suffering the pangs Of thirst and the
blood running from his frightful
wounds, the intensity OF feeling among
the audience always wakes 70 a dan
gerous point. Their religious faaati-
cisIn. much stronger than with the less
excitable Turks. who are Sumistes.
often reaches the point Of frenzy. The
actor representing Hussein invariably
stabs and mutilates himself, 50 that
all may see the blood squirting forth
from his wounds, and many in the au-
dience emulate his example. while dur
ing the fierce melee which : supposed
L. mean the massacre Of EerUelsh.