DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0184
122
B. G. and B. Z. Seligman
of an unfaithful woman falls more heavily upon her brothers than upon her husband, and
if a man were to discover his sister pregnant through adultery in the absence of her husband
he would put her to death himself,27 though a woman divorced for adultery would not be
killed by her brothers.
If a woman were to kill another woman, it would be considered shameful for a man to
take the life of the murderess; her sister might do so, but there did not appear to be the
right of blood revenge on the male relations of the murderess. The case was hypothetical,
however, as our informants had never heard of anything of the sort. Neither was any
case known of a woman killing her husband, but in such a case the woman’s relatives
would be bound to pay blood money.
A man fleeing from justice or blood revenge may take refuge at a saint’s tomb, but the
avengers of blood might wait outside the enclosure until an agreement to pay dia had
been made. The sheykh’s tent is also sanctuary, but to touch the tent rope would not be
enough; a man must enter. If a man with blood guilt upon him entered any man’s tent,
the owner would be bound to protect him, even though he were a complete stranger; but
this would not prevent the avengers of blood from entering the tent in pursuit and to avoid
this his host would try to conduct the refugee to the sheykh’s tent.
The obligation of hospitality is so strong that if a stranger eats food in the house of
a Kabbashi the owner of the house is bound to protect him even against the men of his
own khasm beyt. Should the stranger or his near relative incur blood guilt, his host
would be bound to pay blood money; or should the stranger be of a hostile clan and host
and guest subsequently find themselves opposed in warfare, they would not fight against
each other, but would seek some other part of the battle. The word yemelh, literally “he
takes salt”, is said of each of two men who having eaten together have established the
relationship of host and guest. Even the dead body of a stranger found on Kababish
territory would be respected with the consideration due to a guest. Anyone finding
such a body would report it to the nearest ferik, the matter would be discussed, and
should foul play be suspected the trail of the murderer would be followed, and the self-
imposed hosts would endeavour to arrange dia between the slayer and the relatives of
the dead man.
IV. Relationship. The relationship terms used by the Kababish are, with the
exception of one Sudanese word, those in use among Arabs generally.
27 This sentiment is common among the Arabs; her father or brother will cut the throat of a woman accused
of infidelity by her husband; L. Burckhardt, Notes on the Bedouins and Wahabys, London, 1831, vol. 1, p. 110.
This point of view was noticed with surprise by d’Arvieux in the early part of the eighteenth century. “On n’est
point appelle de ce nom [le cocu] par la debauche d’une femme, mais bien par celle d’une soeur, leur raison est qu’une
femme n’est pas de leur sang”; L. d’Arvieux, Voyage dans la Palestine, Paris, 1717, p. 235.
B. G. and B. Z. Seligman
of an unfaithful woman falls more heavily upon her brothers than upon her husband, and
if a man were to discover his sister pregnant through adultery in the absence of her husband
he would put her to death himself,27 though a woman divorced for adultery would not be
killed by her brothers.
If a woman were to kill another woman, it would be considered shameful for a man to
take the life of the murderess; her sister might do so, but there did not appear to be the
right of blood revenge on the male relations of the murderess. The case was hypothetical,
however, as our informants had never heard of anything of the sort. Neither was any
case known of a woman killing her husband, but in such a case the woman’s relatives
would be bound to pay blood money.
A man fleeing from justice or blood revenge may take refuge at a saint’s tomb, but the
avengers of blood might wait outside the enclosure until an agreement to pay dia had
been made. The sheykh’s tent is also sanctuary, but to touch the tent rope would not be
enough; a man must enter. If a man with blood guilt upon him entered any man’s tent,
the owner would be bound to protect him, even though he were a complete stranger; but
this would not prevent the avengers of blood from entering the tent in pursuit and to avoid
this his host would try to conduct the refugee to the sheykh’s tent.
The obligation of hospitality is so strong that if a stranger eats food in the house of
a Kabbashi the owner of the house is bound to protect him even against the men of his
own khasm beyt. Should the stranger or his near relative incur blood guilt, his host
would be bound to pay blood money; or should the stranger be of a hostile clan and host
and guest subsequently find themselves opposed in warfare, they would not fight against
each other, but would seek some other part of the battle. The word yemelh, literally “he
takes salt”, is said of each of two men who having eaten together have established the
relationship of host and guest. Even the dead body of a stranger found on Kababish
territory would be respected with the consideration due to a guest. Anyone finding
such a body would report it to the nearest ferik, the matter would be discussed, and
should foul play be suspected the trail of the murderer would be followed, and the self-
imposed hosts would endeavour to arrange dia between the slayer and the relatives of
the dead man.
IV. Relationship. The relationship terms used by the Kababish are, with the
exception of one Sudanese word, those in use among Arabs generally.
27 This sentiment is common among the Arabs; her father or brother will cut the throat of a woman accused
of infidelity by her husband; L. Burckhardt, Notes on the Bedouins and Wahabys, London, 1831, vol. 1, p. 110.
This point of view was noticed with surprise by d’Arvieux in the early part of the eighteenth century. “On n’est
point appelle de ce nom [le cocu] par la debauche d’une femme, mais bien par celle d’une soeur, leur raison est qu’une
femme n’est pas de leur sang”; L. d’Arvieux, Voyage dans la Palestine, Paris, 1717, p. 235.