DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4592#0179
BEDOINS. 119
relatives of the slain person, to accept or reject the-
penalty. If the offer is deemed satisfacto] y, the hom-
icide and all his kin included in the law of vengeance,
make their escape to some friendly tribe. A sacred
custom allows the fugitives three days and four hours-
to- accomplish this, during which time their enemies
abstain from pursuit. But they may return again, if
they choose, as soon as a reconciliation can be ef-
fected.
As the Bedoins are divided up into petty tribes, li-
able to frequent hostilities with each other, debts of
blood are frequently incurred. When a slaughter oc-
curs, accompanied with treachery or contrary to the
law- °f nations, a debt of blood is alwaj's the conse-
quence. When a tribe kills their enemies while they
lay wounded on the field, the adversary retaliates by
killing double the number with the same circumstan-
ces of cruelty. However revolting this policy may
appear, an Arab would be censured were he not to
follow the general practice.
The amusements of the Bedoins are few. They
have few games, and these are mostly of the athletic
kind. They have songs and dances; but the former
are very harsh and unmusical, and the latter destitute
of both dexterity and gracefulness. There is a spe-
cies of song said to be common all over the Desert,
in which the youth of both sexes take part. This is
accompanied by clapping of hands and various motions
of the body. It is called the mesamer. We had a
specimen of this kind of singing in Tucileb's encamp-
ment, described in another chapter. The verses are
often composed extempore, and may relate to any
relatives of the slain person, to accept or reject the-
penalty. If the offer is deemed satisfacto] y, the hom-
icide and all his kin included in the law of vengeance,
make their escape to some friendly tribe. A sacred
custom allows the fugitives three days and four hours-
to- accomplish this, during which time their enemies
abstain from pursuit. But they may return again, if
they choose, as soon as a reconciliation can be ef-
fected.
As the Bedoins are divided up into petty tribes, li-
able to frequent hostilities with each other, debts of
blood are frequently incurred. When a slaughter oc-
curs, accompanied with treachery or contrary to the
law- °f nations, a debt of blood is alwaj's the conse-
quence. When a tribe kills their enemies while they
lay wounded on the field, the adversary retaliates by
killing double the number with the same circumstan-
ces of cruelty. However revolting this policy may
appear, an Arab would be censured were he not to
follow the general practice.
The amusements of the Bedoins are few. They
have few games, and these are mostly of the athletic
kind. They have songs and dances; but the former
are very harsh and unmusical, and the latter destitute
of both dexterity and gracefulness. There is a spe-
cies of song said to be common all over the Desert,
in which the youth of both sexes take part. This is
accompanied by clapping of hands and various motions
of the body. It is called the mesamer. We had a
specimen of this kind of singing in Tucileb's encamp-
ment, described in another chapter. The verses are
often composed extempore, and may relate to any