Silver Hands and Blue
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fOoypriht, 1910, by Frank Carpenter.)
JERUSALEM Have you ever heard of the evil
eye? It is abroad - in the holy land, and a
glance from it will bring you misfortune. It
will lame your horse, cow or camel, and it may
cause your child to sicken or die. It can
Vuln your health or . your business, and it
may even send your soul to eternal damnation. Those
who possess the evil eye are devils incarnate, but you
cannot tell who tbey are. They go about in he shape
of innocent-looking men, women andchlldren, and you
will not realize that their spells have been cast upon
you until misfortune comes.
Guarding Against the Evil Eye.
This belief exists throughout' Palestine and is com
mon in this part of the world. Every house in Jeru
salem, whether Jew, Moslem or Christian, contains
charms to ward off such spells, and every man, woman
and child carries a talisman to keep oft the witches.
Some of these charms Are in the shape of a hand, com
ing from an old Jewish belief or saying that the band
of God 'will arrest all disasters, and of a Mohammedan
one calling upon the hand of Fatlma, the daughter of
the prophet, to guard them from evil. Silver hands
axe sold as charms and the better classes wear hands
of gold tied to their necks. Every Jerusalem house
has' a painting or carving of a hand on its front door
to keep off the evil eye; and in the new houses which
are now going up they are putting hands over the
windows, and also at the front doors. They tie bags
of charms over each door which contains an egg, a
piece of alum, some garllo and a large blue bead.
How Satan Hates Blue.
Blue is believed to be a color which frightens the
devil. These people think that anything blue will
ward off the evil eye, and for this reason horses, don
keys and camels have strings of blue beads round their
necks. Every horse and donkey I have ridden since I
Bet foot in the holy land has been decorated with
beads, and in a carriage trip I recently took across
country, changing my teams several times, every ho rue
of the three we drove had a blue necklace. One was a
8-year-old colt, which was lively and skittish. He
were several strands of blue beads, each as big as the
nail of my thumb. As he jumped about he broke the
string and the heads fell off and were lost. The driver
Went back to look for them and hunted in vain. He
was troubled during the rest of the day, and, when
toward evening the colt got a stone in his foot and
went lame, he said it was the evil eye, which might
Lave been kept off had the beads remained on.
I see many children here wearing blue beads, and
they hare some beads which are of the shape of an
eye. There is cue special kind made in Hebron which
Is very effective. It is a bead of blue glass of the
chaps of a hand with five fingers. It is worn as a
(harm.
Some of the children are clad in blue gowns with
White circles stamped on them. Every store has some
Use Inside it, and la bo me a silver hand is hung up on
, the walls. The bride wears blue beads at her wedding,
and In wedding processions salt, rice and sugar plums
are thrown at the bride and bridegroom to keep off
the evil eye and bring luck.
Alum and Other Charms.
I have been warned that I should always have some
alum in my pocket This is a charm which will keep
off the witches, and it is usually carried along with
the beads. Some beads are made with a Bmall piece
of klurn inside them, and people who are ashamed to
show their belief In the beads often carry alum in their
pockets. If a child goes out without charms the
mother is greatly alarmed, and if she thinks that some
one has cast an evil eye on it she takes a bit of the
, child's clothes and burns it with Incense and a small
place of alum. She first prays over the child waving
this about as she does so. She then throws the charm
Into an open fire and holds the child over it. As the
alum burns it gives off a smoke which takes certain
: stapes and the mother believes that by looking at
them Bhe can learn who haa cast ihe evil eye on her
child. This same process is gone through with by
pretty girls wLo feel ill on coming home from a call.
They work this charm to find out who has cast a spell
on them.
One of the most common guards against the evil
eye is s text from the Bible of the Koran. One from
the latter is some Arabic words which mean "Break
down the si'tll of the eye," and another which is "By
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the blessings of God." These phrases are written and
framed and hung up In many of the houses. They
are carved upon furniture. For the same reason it is
customary to use the name of God at the beginning of
every sentence which contains the name ' of one's
friend.
The Jews carry about texts of the scriptures. Th
Christiana have relics of . saints, and some of the
natives here think they have pieces of the true cross.
No Compliments Wanted.
The people of Palestine do not like to have them
selves complimented without you use the name of God
in the sentence containing the compliment. Such 1
presslons are bound to bring misfortunes and possibly
trouble and death. If you call a boy or girl pretty its
mother's heart is filled with terror, and she straight"
way throws out her hand, extending the index and
little fingers In such a way as is supposed to ward off
the devil and the evil consequences of your remark.
If you wish to remark upon the beauty of a child you
must begin the sentence with, "My God' surround
thee," and you may then go on as you please. If
you should pat the child on the head and fall to use
this sentence, the mother upon returning home will
take the child into a room and put it in the middle of
the floor. She will then shovel up some dust from
each oMhe four corners, and throw it into the fire,
crying: "Fie on Ahee, evil eye."
Similar precautions should be taken In admiring
a horse or a donkey. If a man has a spirited horse
which he fears the people may admire, he carries-with
him some salt. As he rides through the crowds he will
now and then sprinkle a little salt under the feet of
the horse, especially If he Bees the crowd looking at it.
If any one asks whether he will soil the animal ho
must answer yea, but if asked what he will take he
makes the price so high that the man cannot buy. At
such times he usually requests the would-be purchaser
to stop thinking of bis horse for fear it may bring
misfortune.
Another superstition in regard to salt relates to
babies at birth. It is sprinkled over their bodies to
keep off the devil, and it is used at all other cere
monies connected with children.
Spirits Who Live Under Ground.
The evil eye also is possessed . by spirits who In
habit human beings. The people here believe' In one
class of spirits who live underground, but who are fed
by those who live upon earth. They come up and take
the wheat from the thrashing floors and the bread
from the ovens, and the only way to keep them from
doing so is to utter a sentence from the Koran or
Bible as you put the bread in. These same spirits
hover about the fire, and if you quench it without ask
ing Mahomet to protect you the spirits are liable to'
beat you or perhaps lame you for life.
These underground spirits are known ss the Jan.
Their favorite place of residence Is below the front
doorsteps, and for this reason women are not allowed
to sit on the doorsteps. The Jans are supposed to be
an organized body, having a sultan, a court and reg
ular officials. They keep guard on the food stores and
are on the whole fairly good fellows. They are sa'd
to be fond of human company, and it is whispered
that they sometimes assume human shape and marry
mortals. , They are most common in Egypt. One may
attract a Jan by whistling, and it is said that the girls
here frequently whistle. Some of the men of Palestine
are jealous of the Jans, thluklng they have association
with their wives, and some will not look at a real
woman for fear the Jan fcirls, whom they suppose to
be in love with them, will object.
Llarried in a Cemetery.
One of the queer superstitions which prevails here
in Jerusalem Is that a marriage in a cemetery will
propitiate the lxrd and caube Him to favor His people.
This is believed by the native Jews, and instances of
it have recently occurred on account of the drouth.
We have bad no rain for weeks, and the crops are dry
lug up. People are crazy over the prospect. There
is also an epidemic of infantile paralyuis, which has
been carrying off the children. The people think that
God is angry with them, and pehaps wroth because
the marriages have been few. To pacify Him tbey
have had weddings in the cemeteries, which is con
sidered a most unlucky place for starting upon' the
life matrimonial. Indeed, it is so unlucky that they
have had to hire people to get married there. At a
omatta Sunday bef,: KOvrfBnrx 13
Beads as Charms Against Evil Eye
TtLESi; WOl-TEZ-T XVZJUi &ZOE
wedding which took place this Teek the couple
received $200 in gold, and also food for two years, as
a present for having the ceremony there. In this case
the groom was a Jew from Yemen, Arabia, and the
bride a Jewess from Aleppo, in Syria. The bride was
late coming, and the 3,000 worshipers who had as
sembled to see the ceremony had to wait for two
hours. She was finally carried in under a canopy, and
took her place on one side of an open grave while the
bridegroom stood on the other. Standing thus the
marriage vows were exchanged. Two more cemetery
weddings are planned, but it is difficult to get willing
couples, as such marriages are supposed to be dis
astrous. Nevertheless, the charm seems to be work
ing. The wind has changed since the first ceremony
occurred, and it may rain by and by.
Superstitious Pilgrims.
Not only the natives, hut also the pilgrims, who
come here by the ten thousand a year, are supersti
tious. The most of them believe that every spot
pointed out by the monks Is the actual locality of the
event alleged, to have occurred there, s The pilgrims
come from the borders of Siberia and from all parts of
western Asia and Africa, as well ss from Greece and
the islands of the Mediterranean sea. They walk over
the holy land with staffs in their hands, and kneel
down and kiss the places where they believe Jesus
trod. They' even kiss the stones of the streets here,
not knowing or forgetting that there have been three
or four Jerusalems buried below the site of the present
one.
I have seen these pilgrims crawling on their knees
through the church of the holy Bepulchre. They creep
Away to Nature's Laboratory
There is an axiom of physicians that a man is as
old as his arteries. In a book upon the problem of
longevity a German physician says that the length of
life is influenced chiefly by the condition of the "duct
less glands," a group including the liver and kidneys
and others less well known by name to the layity.
Degeneration of these glands may be caused by exces
sive use or alcohol or tobacco or by overwork without
exercise.
Americans, he says, work too much and exercise
too little. To quote:
"They sit in their offices till dusk, with a few min
utes' Interval for a hasty meal, consisting mainly of
meat that has often been kept In cold storage for a
long time, after which business goes on again at high
pressure until the evening. Then, instead of walking
home and taking exercise, they take a car or carriage
to their house or club, and pass the evening In smok
ing and drinking, sometimes to excess. Day after
day the same killing of body and nerves goes on till
these people look old long before 60, if, indeed, they
reach that age. Arteriosclerosis, diabetes, gout and
into.
p
TO jrSU3.'TUCE
Into the vestibule and kiss the stone naotleit upon
which It Is claimed the body of Christ wss anoiated for
burial. This is a slab of rose-colored marble about
two feet wide and seven feet long. The stone is set
in the floor and much of its surface has been worn
away by the kissing. Not a few of the pilgrims from
Kussia bring linen cloths with them just large enough
to make a shroud. They lay thesse on the stone and
think them blessed by the contact. They will carry
the cloth back home and be buried in it, believing that
such a shroud will be a sure passport to heaven.
Near the stone of unction is the spot on which it
is said the Virgin Mary stood while Christ was on
the cross. It is also worn away by kissing. Going on
into the great rotunda and turning to the right we
reach a church belonging to the Greeks, at the front
of which stands a marble column as high as a chair
and about as big around as a four-gallon crock. This
Is the center of the world and Is honored as such. I
saw Russian peasant girls kissing it, and further on
observed them kissing holy place after holy place until
it seemed to me their lips must wear out. Kisses are
pressed upon these spots by thousands of mouths every
day, and if every lip leaves its microbes all the dis
eases of the world must be in the hacterlae here.
It is hard to estimate the value of the offerings
which the pilgrims lay on these shrines. Those who
come are of all classes, and some bring the savings of
years. The poor lay their pennies in the hands of the
priests and drop them in the slot boxes which may
be seen at almost every corner. There is much gold
and precious stones. A life sized image of the Virgin
Mary which I saw in the Greek church was covered
with diamonds. The image was made of wax, and was
obesity find many victims among such men. It is sad
to think how many thousands of these splendid people,
lull of genius and talent, could be saved for their na
tive country if only they had been taught in their
youth the most elementary rules of hygienics. What
Joy does money afford without health?"
Worry and grief also affect the ductless glands
and produce premature old age. Anger, and a peev
ish disposition, also hasten their decay. "It is mainly
our own fault if we are senile at CO or 70 and die
before 90 or 100."
The worst slave-drivers never drove men as the
modern slave to work and excess drives his various
organs and his nervous system. Rebellion takes the
form of a breaking down of resistance to disease
germs and premature "old age." Every man, says
the German physician, quoting a native proverb, is
blacksmith of his own happiness.
If your ductless glands are not in good trim there
is no better time than the autumn to begin getting
out of doors ss much ss you aan, that your days may
be long In the land. Louisville Courier-Journal.
D
XSS CHPS.CH. OF Tiffl HOLY SF-yieiAZ$'
& FILLED WZTZt gXZPEKSTZ'-LLaNO
dressed la satins and silks. Its face was painted. An
oval pearl as big as the end of my thumb hung on
the forehead, while the waxen fingers held a score or
more rings. Some of the rings were set with dia
monds, some with sapphires and rubles, and others with
opals. Opals In Palestine are looked upon as the sign
of good luck and not bad, as with us.
The most of the rings were costly, and each was
presented to the Virgin as a love offering. On the
silken lap of the image lay a great golden heart ss
thick as my fist and about six inches in width. It wss
studed with emeralds and diamonds. This heart 1b a
present from Franc Joseph, the emperor of Austria,
who has made many costly gifts to the Church ot the
Holy Sepulchre. In the grotto of the Church of the
Nativity at Bethlehem is a similar statue, which, is
even more gorgeously decorated, although some of Its
Jewels are said to be paste.
. In the Chureh of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a beehive ot
superstition. It Is supposed to stand on the spot where
Christ was crucified. The Bible tells us that this wsi
outside Jerusalem, but the Church of the Sepulchre If
today far within the walls. This, however, is not t
proof that the place is not correct, for the walls oi
Jerusalem have been thrown down and rebuilt agali
and again, and this Is especially so of those on Mount
Zlon, where this great church stands. The hill wherr
Christ was crucified was made up of terraces of rock
and that is the nature of the foundation of this church
The place was located by St. Helena, the mother ol
Constantino the Great, who came here about 300 years
after Christ died and found the true cross among the
rubbish on the side of the hill where the church
stands. She had the cross dug out and carried to
Constantinople, whence later on Borne pieces of it were
sent to Rome. One section as long as your arm is said
to be here In Jerusalem, and there are so many other
pieces scattered over the world that I venture you
could build a house with them.
Shortly after this discovery a church was erected
on the spot and since then others have been built,
destroyed and rebuilt, until wg pow have' this great
edifice, which has, I venture, an area of several acres.
It is surmounted by a cross rising from a dome as
big as that of our national capltol.
The Church of the Sepulchre is not beautiful and
its position in the heart of Jerusalem surrounded by
bazaars, convents, monasteries and hotels is by no
means imposing. The front of It is covered with
carvings, some of which are from ancient temples and
over the doors are bas-reliefs of scenes from the Bible.
One of these represents the raising of Lazarus, with
the Savior standing at the front and Mary at his feet.
At the command of Christ Lazarus is seen rising from
the dead, and in the background are spectators, some
of whom are holding their noses as an evidence per
haps of the corruption which had begun to take place
before the corpse came to life.
The Tomb of the Savior.
It is under the dome of this church that lies the
tomb of the Savior. It Is inclosed In'a chapel of an
ivory white marble, which stands in the center of the
rotunda. It is perhaps twenty feet high and twenty
six feet in length and seventeen feet in width, it is
entered through a door so low that you have to stoop
to go In, and ou finally come Into a chamber six feet
square and lighted only by candles. This is the
alleged tomb of the Savior. It is covered with a mar
ble slab over which glass has been spread to keep the
lips of the pilgrims from wearing the stone. There
are always priests here, and those who come in are
sprinkled with holy waler. Every worshiper brings
rosaries, beads and holy pictures and these are laid
upon the tomb to be blessed. I saw oue old woman
totter In with a half bushel bag full of rosaries on her
back, and a frowsy-headed, long-bearded man came
behind bearing all he could carry. These they spread
out on the slab, and then knelt, while the priest
sprinkled the beads and gave them his blessing. lie
fore leaving they dropped some coins into his hand.
Tbey were Russians and they will probably carry thesi
rosaries back to thelf friends.
FRANK G. CARPENTEH.
