Evening star., 1921-06-30
~ EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.
pf The Stnr and Chicago Dai


Correspondence of The Star and Chicago Daily
| News.
T1RANA. Albania. May 20.-Near
the three great Expresses that en-
able the stranger to guide his way
safely through the bazaar at Tirana
are two mosques. ODe--the hand
soonest in town-was dark as We APP
preached, but from the smaller near
by there issued faint rays of light
and muffied sounds. The unlighted
porch was crowded with men struS-
CLING to catch "a glimpse of the in
side through the single heavily
barred window. The door was bolted
and guarded by AIbanians in French
blue uniforms.
Young man." said my companion
sternly to the nearest soldier. tell
your pals that important personaSes
from Cross the Red American have
come to honor the dance by their
presence and wish to go in tIhats
the way to say it in Albania)
moment later we were shoe-horned
through the crowd and entered the
temple.
i crash of drums. cymbals and
our noses struggled desperately with
large slices of close. fetid affair
that had stalled and almost caked-
while our eyes gradually became ac-
large and hideous chandelier in the
middle of the single square room.
The walls were decorated with Arabic
scrolls. and above our heads were
the gratings through which women
on certain other occasions were per-
mitted to look on at the men re
ligious life. WedSed in the corner
where we stood were ten or dozen
Spectators; the rest of the room was
taken up by the dancers. And Such
dancers.
To this fantastical din and rhythm
about a hundred men and boys. group
ed in two concentric circles ana hoid-
ing hands. We're slowly marchlns
about the room, revolving at II MOD
crate speed and emphasizing each
beat of their feet. each blow of the
drum or the Clang of the cymbals.
with shout: Hoy. hoy. hoy. hoy
quite regular and dcatenlngly inun.
The marchcrS tossed their heads WHO
ly from side to side or shut th"'
eyes They were of all ages. Mo:
were dressed in the European mar
ner-"a la fransa." il is callcd-hut
wore their fcZzeS. white. gray. ollFc
or black. The leader of tn" inner CIR
Gle was Il tall. gray-bcardcd man IN
long robes. wearing turhan on ms
head and IA green scarf about his
shoulders--the sheik tpronounced
shake) or priest OF the mosque ana
grand master of the dance.
| AS we watched he STEPPED TO TIL" cen
ter the marchers stopped and lrli
! back into a single circle There was
| silence: then the drum began I" boom.
! the circle to mark time loudly and
the Sheik to utter a mourn1ul series
| of hoy. hoy. hoy. hoy, hoy" Il kind
| of solo howl. Gradually in the circle
! one after another began to shou. un-
Ill once more all were doing so IN
unison and the din. surpassed lmaGi-
! nation.
| The effect was hypnotic; the air,
| however, inSuffcrablc. All our party
left save my young woman companion
| and myself. and we went and sat IN
| the window. through whose close
grating permeated from time to umc
| a whir of unsullied atmosphere.
| When we again gave our attention
to the proceedings two men. chosen
fby the shcik had stepped to the mid
die, and, each graspinE the others en-
| tended. crossed hands in has own
crossed hands. began to spin. while
! the rest looked on and howled.- Then
| three took tn. center and each clasp
| ing the shoulders of the others
whirled faster and faster. while tn"
! "hov" of the stampcrs rose louder
and louder. Then another three came
forward and spun: then hVeS. Inc
cymbals and drums shricked. groancd,
roared. clashcd. No jazz din was ever
| comparable. no dance more Wild.
Again the two concentric circles
moved slowly around. Then they
formed semi-circle around three
| sides of the room. with the sheik on
! the fourth side. Accompanied only
| by the drum. he began to beat time
! like a college cheer leader. and 'he
others swayed from side to side. bow
| ing rhythmically from the waist.
| Again the single circle and the
whrling threes. FeZzcs flew off with
| the prodigious momentum. eyes roll
| ed. dizziness was doing its work. one
man wor. a long coat and-the black
| tails stood out stiff behind him as
| he whirled. Motion. rhythm. sound,