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Folk-lore of the Holy Land, Moslem, Christian and Jewish, by J. E. Hanauer [1907], at sacred-texts.com


p. vii

CONTENTS


SECTION I


CONCERNING THE CREATION AND DIVERS SAINTS AND MIRACLES

 

 

PAGE

I.

A LEARNED MOSLEM'S IDEAS ON COSMOGONY

3

 

The Tablet of Destiny, and the great fountain-pen.--The creation of water, of Allah's throne, of the atmosphere, of the great serpent, of the solid earth and the mountains, the "Kâf" range, and the seven seas and continents.--How the universe is upheld.--The cause of earthquakes and of eclipses.--How all these things became known.

 

II.

OUR FATHER ADAM

9

 

Adam formed out of various kinds of dust.--Disobedience of Iblìs.--Adam's first troubles.--"El Karìneh," Lilith, or "El Brûsha."--Creation of Eve.--Iblìs bribes the serpent, and thus gets back into Paradise.--Adam's forethought--The fall of Man, and the ejection from Eden.--Increase and origin of various evil spirits.--Repentance of Adam and his reunion with Eve.--He is shown his posterity.--His great stature.--His death.--Place of Adam's burial.

 

III.

NOAH AND OG

13

 

Idrìs.--Birth and dwelling-place of Noah.--The "Nâkils."--Opposition.--The Deluge.--Iblìs gets into the Ark.--A donkey in Paradise.--Og.--Voyage of the Ark.--Noah's daughter and her supposed sisters.--Noah buried at Kerak.

 

IV.

JOB AND HIS FAMILY

17

 

Job.--His wife's patience.--El Hakìm Lokman identified with Æsop.--Account of a surgical operation.

 

V.

ABRAHAM, "THE FRIEND OF GOD"

22

 

Circumstances of his birth.--Impiety of Nimrûd.--The child's precocity. His longing for spiritual knowledge.--Destruction of Idols.--The furnace.--The flying-machine.--Death of Nimrûd.--Flight of Ibrahìm.--His buildings.--The sheep-skin jacket.--Ibrahìm's hospitality.--A false friend.--A churl.--Several customs attributed to Ibrahìm.--His death.--He is still alive.--His posthumous protection of the Jews at Hebron.

 

 

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PAGE

VI.

LOT AND THE TREE OF THE CROSS

36

VII.

THE LAST HOURS OF AARON AND MOSES

39

 

Aaron's shrine on Mount Hor.--Legend concerning his death.--Different accounts of the death of Moses.--Legend of Moses' shepherd.

 

VIII.

DAVID AND SOLOMON

44

 

David's piety.--Learns a trade.--His presumption and fall.--His remorse.--Solomon and the two birds.--The carob-tree.--Solomon's death.

 

IX.

EL KHUDR

51

 

The fountain of youth.--Dhu’lkarnein and his companions.--El Khudr popularly identified with various saints.--His haunts and habits.--The insane asylum near the "Pools of Solomon."--The holy stone.--Other shrines.--Elijah's cave on Carmel.--An English doctor's story.--St George and the Dragon.--Elijah's Synagogue at Jerusalem.--El Khudr and Moses.

 

X.

SIMON THE JUST

62

 

His so-called tomb.--Biographical sketch.--Simon the Just and Ptolemy Philopator.--Simon and the Nazarite.--Rabbi Galanti and the great drought.

 

 

NOTES

68


SECTION II


CONTAINING LEGENDS AND ANECDOTES POSSIBLY FOUNDED ON FACT

I.

"BAB EL KHALÌL" OR THE JAFFA GATE

79

 

Origin of Name.--Antichrist.--Two cenotaphs.--Jeremiah and Nebuchadnezzar.--El ’Ozair.--An ass in Paradise.--El Edhemìeh.--Rabbi Judah ha Levi.--Mezuzah at Jaffa Gate.

 

II.

"TURBET BIRKET MAMILLA"--JOHHA

83

 

Kubbet el ’Abd.--Legends.--Johha and his mother.--Johha and the donkeys.--Johha's peg.--The baby saucepan and the defunct cauldron.--Johha's neighbours.

 

III.

"EN NEBI DÂUD"

89

 

En Nebi Daûd and Ibn Faraj.--The dagger.--The Jewish washerwoman.

 

 

p. ix

 

 

 

PAGE

IV.

"BÂB EL ASBÂT

94

 

Traditional names.--The lions.--Sultan Selìm's dream.--The Legend of the Bath-house of Belkis.

 

V.

DETECTIVE STORIES

99

 

Kolonimos.--Incident at house of a rabbi.--Two anecdotes of Ibrahìm Pasha.

 

VI.

SCRAPS OF UNWRITTEN HISTORY

105

 

Traces of the Essenes.--Female Recluses.--A Legend of El Hâkim bi amr Illah.--The Avengers of Blood.--Massacre of Kurds at Hebron.--Faction-fights.--Massacre at Artass.--A petty despot.

 

VII.

JUDGEMENTS OF KARAKASH

120

 

The weaver.--The red gown.--The miser.

 

VIII.

THE SARAGOSSAN PURIM

124

IX.

SULTAN MAHMÛD'S AUTOGRAPH

126

X.

A WISE ANSWER

127

 

NOTES

129


SECTION III


STORIES AND ANECDOTES ILLUSTRATING SOCIAL IDEAS, SUPERSTITIONS, ETC.

I.

FOLKS GENTLE AND SIMPLE

141

 

Ahmad Almuttafakhir.--The two Wazìrs.--The Emperor of China's pig.

 

II.

THE SECRET OF SUCCESS

147

III.

THREE PROVERBS

153

 

Keep your legs stretched according to the length of your coverlet.--Moving a tent peg.--"Shûrûlûb."

 

IV.

MORAL TALES.

161

 

Honourable old age.--Trust in Allah.--Benevolence.--Disinterestedness.--An upright judge.--The surety.

 

 

p. x

 

 

 

PAGE

V.

AZRAEL

176

 

His appointment.--His son.--Francesco.

 

VI.

THE UNDERGROUND FOLK--OUR BETTERS--THE NAME OF ALLAH BE ROUND ABOUT US!

188

 

Their creation, etc.--The name of Allah.--Intercourse with human beings.--Mysterious thefts.--Khuneyfseh.--The abducted wife.--A shepherd's experience.--Experiences of a good woman.--Of a chieftain's son.--The frog.--The wedding procession.

 

VII.

NURSERY TALES

214

 

Ijbeyneh.--Uhdeydûn.--Bluebeard.--Snowmaiden.

 

VIII.

SATIRE

234

 

Invention of a shrine.--The patriarch.--A learned clergyman.--An almanac.--The fasting monk.--The endangered poultry.--The ill-used camels.

 

IX.

ABOUT WOMAN.

246

 

Treatment of a mother-in-law.--A cunning old woman.--The rebellious owl.--Stories told by a rebellious hoopoe.--The mourner.--The partners.--The merchant and the animals.

 

X.

ABOUT ANIMALS

261

 

The dog.--The cat.--The hyæna.--The fox.--The dib-dib.--The serpent.

 

XI.

ABOUT PLANTS

286

 

The olive.--The storax.--The sage.--The lotus and the tamarisk.--The tortoise herb.

 

XII.

ABOUT COFFEE

290

 

Its discovery--First uses.--Subject of religious controversy.--Customs among the desert Arabs.--Esh-Sheykh esh Shadhilly.--The Bedawi and the Memlûk.

 

XIII.

SOME MAGIC CURES

297

 

Mûmmia.--Indûlko.--Freskûra.--Charms.--Translation of a typical Kanii.

 

XIV.

A POPULAR CALENDAR AND SOME SAYINGS

303

 

NOTES

311

 


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