Dervish

Dervish, a name derived from a Persian word meaning “a door-sill.” It is applied to a party of Mohammedan monks who gain a living by begging from door to door. They live together in communities, under the headship of a sheik, and are bound by oaths of poverty, chastity, and humility. They are permitted, however, under some circumstances, to marry. Every Friday and Tuesday they gather in the presence of their leader, and to the music of a flute they turn round with great swiftness, in imitation of their founder, who, after continuing this exercise for fourteen days, received the revelation of the order. This strange dance, when held in public each week, draws great crowds, who witness it with deep interest and solemnity of demeanor. The Dervishes are divided into two classes, the “dancers” and the “howlers.” Persons of high rank often belong to the former, but if they attain to full membership they have to undergo 1, 001 days of menial service, after which they receive a woolen belt set with a magic stone, the rosary with the ninety-nine names of God, and the taj (white cap). The “howling” Dervishes, either in line or ring, sway themselves backward and forward, shouting “There is no God but God,” until they sink exhausted to the ground. Some dervishes wander through the country performing tricks of legerdemain. As a class they are held in awe by the people, and feared by the officials.