The dervishes : or, Oriental spiritualism . , embrace each other as if to give the kissof peace, and next place themselves two to his right, andtwo to his left. The remainder of the Dervishes, in abody, press forward in a procession, all having their armscrossed, and their heads inclined. Each one, at first,salutes by a profound bow the tablet on which the nameof his founder is inscribed. Afterwards, putting his twohands over his face and his beard, he kneels before theSheikh, kisses his hand respectfully, and then they all goon with a grave step to take their places on the sheep- 220 THE DERV
The dervishes : or, Oriental spiritualism . , embrace each other as if to give the kissof peace, and next place themselves two to his right, andtwo to his left. The remainder of the Dervishes, in abody, press forward in a procession, all having their armscrossed, and their heads inclined. Each one, at first,salutes by a profound bow the tablet on which the nameof his founder is inscribed. Afterwards, putting his twohands over his face and his beard, he kneels before theSheikh, kisses his hand respectfully, and then they all goon with a grave step to take their places on the sheep- 220 THE DERVISHES. skins, which are spread in a half-circle around theinterior of the hall. So soon as a circle is formed, theDervishes together chant the Tekbeer and the afterwards the Sheikh pronounces the wordsZ^ ilaha ilV Allah^ and repeats them incessantly;to which the Dervishes repeat Allah! balancing them-selves from side to side, and putting their hands overtheir faces, on their breasts, and their abdomen, and ontheir RUFA EE DERVISHES RECITING THE EVRAD OK PRAYERS TO THE PROPHET. The second scene is opened by the Hamdee Moham-medee, a hymn in honour of the Prophet, chanted byone of the elders placed on the right of the this chant the Dervishes continue to repeat theword Allah ! moving, however, their bodies forward andaft. A quarter of an hour later they all rise up, approacheach other, and press their elbows against each other,balancing from right to left, and afterwards in a reversemotion,—the right foot always firm, and the left in aperiodical movement, the reverse of that of the body,all observing great j^recision of measure and the midst of this exercise, they cry out the words Yd THE DERVISHES. 221 Allah / followed by that of Yet Hoo / Some of theperformers sigh, others sob, some shed tears, othersperspire great drops, and all have their eyes closed, theirfaces pale, and the eyes languishing. A pause of some minutes is fo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1868
