DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5074#0437
THE DANCING DERVISHES.
419
peculiar fashion, so as not to turn his back to the spot.
Having returned to their columns, each one suddenly
undid some string, and down fell a long petticoat over
his feet — then laying aside his cloak, which he re-
verently kissed, they all stood prepared for the dance:
their costume now was pretty, the short jacket but-
toned to the throat, long loose sleeves, and the wide
skirt, wadded round the hem, and made with such
a number of gores as to form a perfectly smooth wine-
glass shape — most of them were white, some were green
and some fawn-coloured. Three times they slowly paced
round the circle, bowing to the Sheikh as they passed,—
their arms folded on the breast with a hand on each
shoulder: then, as each completed his third circle and
bow, he began to turn slowly round and round — the
eyes apparently quite closed, the arms extended, one
towards heaven, the other towards earth, without the
slightest possible change of expression upon the rapt,
absorbed countenance: the long full dress extended
to its fullest width, which neither lessened nor fell in
the perfectly steady, sailing movement which never
seemed for a single instant to hesitate or falter, and
which had something in it most singularly graceful and
pleasing; the feet were twisted rapidly over each other
in a very peculiar manner, but the turning was very
slow and almost solemn. One old man amongst them
seemed master of the ceremonies, as it were, setting
each off, and standing a few seconds first by one, then
another, sometimes stamping with his foot as if to give
the time or regulate the movements. After three rounds
of the hall they rested, the singing continuing through
the whole, and when they recommenced the Sheikh,
still keeping on his black cloak, rose and joined them —-
but he wore no long skirt as the others did, and the
419
peculiar fashion, so as not to turn his back to the spot.
Having returned to their columns, each one suddenly
undid some string, and down fell a long petticoat over
his feet — then laying aside his cloak, which he re-
verently kissed, they all stood prepared for the dance:
their costume now was pretty, the short jacket but-
toned to the throat, long loose sleeves, and the wide
skirt, wadded round the hem, and made with such
a number of gores as to form a perfectly smooth wine-
glass shape — most of them were white, some were green
and some fawn-coloured. Three times they slowly paced
round the circle, bowing to the Sheikh as they passed,—
their arms folded on the breast with a hand on each
shoulder: then, as each completed his third circle and
bow, he began to turn slowly round and round — the
eyes apparently quite closed, the arms extended, one
towards heaven, the other towards earth, without the
slightest possible change of expression upon the rapt,
absorbed countenance: the long full dress extended
to its fullest width, which neither lessened nor fell in
the perfectly steady, sailing movement which never
seemed for a single instant to hesitate or falter, and
which had something in it most singularly graceful and
pleasing; the feet were twisted rapidly over each other
in a very peculiar manner, but the turning was very
slow and almost solemn. One old man amongst them
seemed master of the ceremonies, as it were, setting
each off, and standing a few seconds first by one, then
another, sometimes stamping with his foot as if to give
the time or regulate the movements. After three rounds
of the hall they rested, the singing continuing through
the whole, and when they recommenced the Sheikh,
still keeping on his black cloak, rose and joined them —-
but he wore no long skirt as the others did, and the