The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
[FN#43] For Cannibals, see the Massagetć of Herod (i.), the Padći of
India (iii.), and the Essedones near Mćotis (iv.); Strabo (lib. iv.) of
the Luci; Pomponious Mela (iii. 7) and St. Jerome (ad Jovinum) of
Scoti. M. Polo locates them in Dragvia, a kingdom of Sumatra (iii. 17),
and in Angaman (the Andamanian Isles?), possibly the ten Maniolai which
Ptolemy (vii.), confusing with the Nicobars, places on the Eastern side
of the Bay of Bengal; and thence derives the Heraklian stone (magnet)
which attracts the iron of ships (See Serapion, De Magnete, fol. 6,
Edit. of 1479, and Brown’s Vulgar Errors, p. 74, 6th Edit.). Mandeville
finds his cannibals in Lamaray (Sumatra) and Barthema in the “Isle of
Gyava” (Java). Ibn Al-Wardi and Al-Kazwini notice them in the Isle
Saksar, in the Sea of the Zanj (Zanzibar): the name is corrupted
Persian “Sag-Sar” (Dogs’-heads) hence the dog-descended race of
Camoens in Pegu (The Lus. x. 122). The Bresl. Edit. (iv. 52) calls them
“Khawárij”=certain sectarians in Eastern Arabia. Needless to say that
cocoa-nut oil would have no stupefying effect unless mixed with opium
or datura, hemp or henbane.
[FN#44] Black pepper is produced in the Goanese but we must go south to
find the “Bilád al-Filfil” (home of pepper) i.e. Malabar. The
exorbitant prices demanded by Venice for this spice led directly to the
discovery of The Cape route by the Portuguese; as the “Grains of
Paradise” (Amomum Granum Paradisi) induced the English to explore the
West African Coast.
[FN#45] Arab. “Kazdír.” Sansk. “Kastír.” Gr. “Kassiteron.” Lat.
“Cassiteros,” evidently derived from one root. The Heb. is “Badih,” a
substitute, an alloy. “Tanakah” is the vulg. Arab. word, a congener of
the Assyrian “Anaku,” and “Kala-i” is the corrupt Arab. term used in
India.
[FN#46] Our Arabian Ulysses had probably left a Penelope or two at home
and finds a Calypso in this Ogygia. His modesty at the mention of
womankind is notable.
[FN#47] These are the commonplaces of Moslem consolation on such
occasions: the artistic part is their contrast with the unfortunate
widower’s prospect.
[FN#48] Lit. “a margin of stone, like the curb-stone of a well.”
[FN#49] I am not aware that this vivisepulture of the widower is the
custom of any race, but the fable would be readily suggested by the
Sati (Suttee)-rite of the Hindus. Simple vivisepulture was and is
practised by many people.
[FN#50] Because she was weaker than a man. The Bresl. Edit. however,
has “a gugglet of water and five scones.”
[FN#51] The confession is made with true Eastern sang-froid and
probably none of the hearers “disapproved” of the murders which saved
the speaker’s life.
[FN#52] This tale is evidently taken from the escape of Aristomenes the
Messenian from the pit into which he had been thrown, a fox being his
guide. The Arabs in an early day were eager students of Greek
literature. Hole (p. 140) noted the coincidence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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