Folk-lore of the Holy Land by J. E. Hanauer. 1909

Moslem, Christian and Jewish

Scanned at sacred-texts.com, July 2006. Proofed and formatted by John Bruno Hare. This text is in the public domain in the United States because it was published prior to January 1st, 1923. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose provided this notice of attribution is left intact in all copies.

Introduction

A Mohammedan Legend: Introductory And Apologetic

I. Saints, Sinners, and Miracles

I. A Learned Moslem's Ideas On Cosmogony

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

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

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

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

V. Abraham, ''the Friend of God''

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.

VI. Lot and the Tree of the Cross

VII. The Deaths of Moses and Aaron

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

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

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

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

Notes

Legends and Anecdotes

I. Bâb El Khalìl, The Jaffa Gate at Jerusalem

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

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 Daûd

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

IV. Bâb el Asbât

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

V. Detective Stories

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

VI. Scraps of Unwritten History

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

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

VIII. The Saragossan Purim

IX. Sultan Mahmûd's Autograph

X. The Right Answer

Notes

Ideas and Superstitions

I. Folks Gentle and Simple

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

II. The Secret of Success

III. Origin of Three Well-Known Sayings

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

IV. Moral Tales

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

V. The Angel of Death

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

VI. The Underground Folk

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

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

VIII. Satire

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

IX. About Women

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

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

XI. About Plants

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

XII. About Coffee

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

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

XIV. A Popular Calendar and Some Sayings

Notes

Translation of a Jewish Amulet