Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 6 (of 6)
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 6 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
[FN#246] This is a specimen of the Islamised Mantra called in
Sanskrit Stambhana and intended to procure illicit intercourse.
Herklots has printed a variety of formulæ which are popular
throughout southern India: even in the Maldive Islands we find
such "Fandita" (i.e. Panditya, the learned Science) and Mr. Bell
(Journ., Ceylon Br. R. A. S. vii. 109) gives the following
specimen, "Write the name of the beloved; pluck a bud of the
screw-pine (here a palette de mouton), sharpen a new knife, on
one side of the bud write the Surat al-Badr (chapter of Power,
No. xxi., thus using the word of Allah for Satan's purpose); on
the other side write Vajahata; make an image out of the bud;
indite particulars of the horoscope copy from beginning to end
the Surat al-Rahmán (the Compassionating, No. xlviii.);, tie the
image in five places with coir left-hand-twisted (i.e.
widdershins or 'against the sun'); cut the throat of a
blood-sucker (lizard); smear its blood on the image; place it in
a loft, dry it for three days, then take it and enter the sea. If
you go in knee deep the woman will send you a message; if you go
in to the waist she will visit you." (The Voyage of Francois
Pyrard, etc., p. 179.) I hold all these charms to be mere
instruments for concentrating and intensifying the brain action
called Will, which is and which presently will be recognised as
the chief motor-power. See Suppl. vol. iii.
[FN#247] Probably the name of some Prince of the Jinns.
[FN#248] In text "Kamá zukira fí Dayli-h" = arrange-toi de facon
à l'atteindre (Houdas).
[FN#249] Proverbial for its depth: Káshán is the name of sundry
cities; here one in the Jibál or Irák 'Ajami--Persian
Mesopotamia.
[FN#250] Doubtless meaning Christians.
[FN#251] The Sage had summoned her by the preceding spell which
the Princess obeyed involuntarily.
[FN#252] i.e., last night, see vol. iii. 249.
[FN#253] In text "Wuldán" = "Ghilmán": the boys of Paradise; for
whom and their feminine counterparts the Húr (Al-Ayn) see vols.
i. 90, 211; iii. 233.
[FN#254] Arab. "Dukhn" = Holcus dochna, a well-known grain, a
congener of the Zurrah or Durrah = Holcus Sativus, Forsk. cxxiii.
The incident is not new. In "Des blaue Licht," a Mecklenburg tale
given by Grimm, the King's daughter who is borne through the air
to the soldier's room is told by her father to fill her pocket
with peas and make a hole therein; but the sole result was that
the pigeons had a rare feast. See Suppl. vol. iii. 375.
[FN#255] i.e., a martyr of love. See vols. iii. 211; i-iv. 205.
[FN#256] In the text "Ka'ka'"; hence the higher parts of Meccah,
inhabited by the Jurham tribe, was called "Jabal Ka'ka'án," from
their clashing arms (Pilgrimage iii. 191).
[FN#257] This was the work of the form of magic popularly known
as Símiyá = fascination, for which see vol. i. 305, 332. It is
supposed to pass away after a period of three days, and
mesmerists will find no difficulty in recognising a common effect
upon "Odylic sensitives."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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