Volume 1

An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, written in Egypt during the years 1833, -34, and -35, partly from notes made during a former visit to that country in the years 1825, -26, -27, and -28 / By Edward William Lane.

  • Edward William Lane
Date:
1836
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, written in Egypt during the years 1833, -34, and -35, partly from notes made during a former visit to that country in the years 1825, -26, -27, and -28 / By Edward William Lane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    horses, and other animals, and sometimes to the caps of children *. To counteract the effects of the evil eye, many per- sons in Egypt, but mostly women, make use of what is called mey”ah mooba'rakah (or blessed storax), which is a mixture of various ingredients that will be mentioned below, prepared and sold only during the first ten days of the month of Mohhar’ram. During this period, we often see, in the streets of Cairo, men carrying about this mix- ture of mey’”ah, &c. for sale; and generally crying some such words as the following—“ Mey’’ah mooba’rakah ! A new year and blessed ’A’shoo’rat! The most blessed of years [may this be] to the believers! Ya’ mey’’ah mooba’rakah!’’—The man who sells it bears upon his head a round tray, covered with different-co- loured sheets of paper, red, yellow, &c. ; upon which is placed the valuable mixture. In the middle is a large heap of tiff (or refuse) of a dark reddish material for dying, mixed with a little mey’’ah (or storax), coriander- seed {, and seed of the fennel-flower §: round this large heap are smaller heaps; one consisting of salt dyed blue with indigo ; another, of salt dyed red; a third, of salt dyed yellow ; a fourth, of sheehh (a kind of worm- wood); a fifth, of dust of liba’n (or frankincense). These are all the ingredients of the “ Mey’”ah mooba’- rakah.” The seller is generally called into the house of the purchaser. Having placed his tray before him, and received a plate, or a piece of paper, in which to put the * Such appendages are evidently meant to attract the eye to themselves, and so to prevent observation and envy of the object which they are designed to protect. + This is the name of the tenth day of Mohhar’ram. } Kooz’bar'ah. § Hhab'beh so'da, or khab/bet ed-bar'akak.