Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-06-26
RITES OF oERvlsHEs.
Greer Devotions Of Mosiem Monks Are
Described by William e. Curtis

DAMASCUS, April 25.-(William E.
Curtis in the Chicago Record-Herald)
Being a sort of religious center, Da
mascus is filled with fanatics. devo-
tees. theologians and curious people
of all sorts. and here flourish that
odd religious brotherhood. who are d.
vided into two classes or sects known
as the whirling and the bowling der
wishes. They are Moslem monks
religious specialists-who are under
the restraint of VOWS to devote their
lives to certain pious purposes and
to deprive themselves of luxuries, COM
forts and other forms of worldly hap
piness and praise God perpetually in
their peculiar and, what seems to us,
outlandish way. They resemble in
some respects certain monks of the
Roman Catholic church. while the
Trappists for example, who sentence
themselves to eternal silence. and
their performances are little different
from those of the shouting Method
lists" whom we have at home. In
fact they remind me OF revival and
camp meeting scenes l have witnessed
in the United States, where the emo
tions of the worships have been ex-
cited to a condition of ectacy by
means similar to those used to the
same end by the Dervishes of the
Moslem faith.
1t would be scracely considered con-
sistent with spiritual sincerity for a
company of converts in the United
States to enter into contract to give
exhibitions of their religious fervor
for the amusement of the public. or
for the managers of "protracted
meeting" to charge strangers an ad-
mission fee in order that they might
crafty their curiosity concerning the
behavior of the redeemed" under the
influence of the Holy Spirit. Those
things, however are actually done
by the dervishes. They charge an
admission fee in many places to un-
believers who wish to see them whirl
and hear them "howl" This is ex-
planned and justified on the ground
that the "infidels" contribute nothing
TO the support of the church and that
it is quite as proper to take money
at the door as to pass a contribution
plate as we do in our churches. No
| Turk. no Mohammedan, no man who
wears fez has to pay for admission,
only foreigners who are actuated by
curiosity
| 1t Is the common and the proper
thing for all strangers visiting Mo
hammedan cities to witness the re-
| ligious exercises of the dervishes and
preparations are made to receive
them. Chairs are placed for their
accommodation. for the rest of the
congregation sit Turkish fashion,
slippers are provided for the "infidels"
to draw over their boots instead of
requiring them to walk about in their
stocking feet The best places are
reserved for them, and it seems to be
expected that they will come and
stare and ask questions about the ex-
traordinary scenes that are to be wit
messed.
The orde: or dervish monks dates
back a thousand years. 1t originated
with a famous systic, who was given
to long fasts and vigils. and who used
to see visions and perform miracles.
Some of the leading dervishes at this
day are supposed to have similar pow
ers, and when they pass into state
of ecstay or hysteria, their eyes are
allowed to see what transpires in the
Moslem heaven and their ears to hear
the whispers of the prophets. the pat
ritarchs and other holy spirits. who
have gone before. The dervishes are
also mendicants. and live upon such
contributions as pious people offer
them They abandon all earthly joys
and possessions and by complete
surrender of self" merge their souls
into God and live under spell which
renders them capable of throwing
themselves into ecstay and becoming
obtuse to all external impressions
There are two kinds of dervishes,
which differ as to the best methods of
praising God. The dancing, or New
levi dervishes, are named after their
! founder, Melvana, who was a prince
OF Persia, and 1245 renounced the
world. became a hermit and wrote a
l DbOh tdlleu ne MtsueNl. his but-
cessor is the chief of the order, oc-
cupies a high rank in the Moslem
church, and like the archbishop of
Canterbury in England, crowns the
Sultan of Turkey. although the cere-
mony consists of girding him with the
sword of Osman instead of placing a
cornet upon his brow. The Mevlevi
/ Dervishes are bound by very strict
VOWS. and their lives are spent in per-
petual alteration. They go through
their peculiar religious exercises of
dancing or whirling, which they call
"zikr." twice a week. every Tuesday
and Friday. after the midday prayer
Their physical strength will not per-
NIT them to do so more frequently.
The ceremony consists in revolving
gently upon their toes and at the
same time moving slowly around the
mosque. which is usually built In oc
tagonal form. circle within circle. to