Y) i} TEN : } MUSIL = ae, yf i\¢ BINT R AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY . a 7s: : ORIENTALEXPLORATIONS AND STUDIES No. 6 THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS Ouro ane RWALA BEDOUINS = Rwejli A usa ar- ww Sejh M S- A AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY ORIENTAL EXPLORATIONS AND STUDIES No. 6. Edited by J. K. WRIGHT EGE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE RWALA BEDOUINS BY PEO SSE OLE Professor of Oriental Studies Charles University, Prague Published under the Patronage of the CZECH ACADEMY: OF SCIENCES AND ARTS and of CUARKEES Ro CRANE NEW wORK |e ae? re) TQ TOMAS GARRIGUE MASARYK FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK REPUBLIC WHO FOR MANY YEARS GAVE ME SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT IN MY EXPLORATIONS AND STUDIES CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE eee ee er rete Degen ey eee Tr Pe et xi I THE HEAVENLY BODIES AND THE WEATHER........ 3 PSH ONIGe NLOOI Tit ae ar en eo ea cents meet od Se ea I Clouds*and Rain. "...... dpe oie Re Ry Se ir eee oP OE DE PO 5 Pemeeie Parla Any

375 A zerka? mare oo. 805 See i es ae hee a 376 A hamra mare .. 6008s ool aes ee ee a le 377 A horse saddle, merseha .. i... 2.5 (nap ee 380 Saddled: mare... f.80 064 Seen ie ee ee 381 Saddled mare sss... fo iu icc iy len oer Sie one ae en 381 A horse bridle, ‘andn .. <2) on. 30s. os se 392 Horse fetters, hadid 62. 2.0052. he eee 392 A. harnessed mare .......: Oe Owes ea ba 393 Abu-d-Dhiir’ ... oo6 ok oo es A ae 572 Abu-d-Dhifir’ .. 2. ve oe. a a ee 573 PREFACE The Rwala are recognized by all their neighbors as the only true Bedouin tribe of northern Arabia. Traveling and camping with them for months I had ample opportunities of studying their life. The results of these studies are given in this volume. I have found it advisable, however, to add some details which I learned from my companion Blejhan eben Mes- reb, who was not a Rwejli (or member of the Rwala), but hailed from the Kmusa division of the Sba‘a tribe. Both Sba‘a and Rwala belong to the ‘Aneze group, the Kmusa being neigh- bors of the Rwala and almost identical with the latter in manners and customs. In transliterating Arabic terms, phrases, sentences, dit- ties, and poems I have tried to reproduce exactly the words of those whom I quote — Rwala, for the most part. I have not corrected their many inconsistencies in grammar and pronun- ciation. All the ditties, songs, and poems were explained to me in the desert. I used no dictionary as an aid to their translation. In transliterating Arabic letters I have used the same signs as in my works The Northern Hegdz (New York, 1926), Arabia Deserta, The Middle Euphrates (New York, 1927), Palmyrena, and Northern Negd (New York, 1928), attempting to express each sound by a single letter or a single symbol. The meaning of the different symbols is indicated below. Closing the publication of the results of my explorations and studies since 1908 I must thank all those who have helped me morally and materially both in the East and West, among them: the Academy of Sciences, Vienna; Archbishop Dr. Fran- tisek Bauer, Olomouc; al-Hasg Datid eben Sulejman eben Saleh, Damascus; Khalil Fattal, Damascus; Dr. Otto Feilchenfeld, Prague; the Geographical Society, Vienna; Dr. Max Ritter von Gutmann, Vienna; Abbot Dr. Gilbert Helmer, Tepla; Dr. Joseph 2itter von Karabacek, Vienna; Jindvich Klinger, Prague; the Lackenbacher Fund of the Theological Faculty of the Univer- sity of Vienna; the reigning Prince Johann von und zu Liechten- stein, Vienna; Dr. Melchior Mléoch, Olomouc; Prince an-Nutri eben Sa‘lan; Baron Louis Rothschild, Vienna; Philipp Alois Schoeller, Vienna; Abbot Dr. Method Zavoral, Prague. xl X1V RWALA BEDOUINS The editor Dr. John K. Wright has cared for my works as if they were his own. For over eight years Miss Anna Blechova, Secretary of the Oriental Seminar at Charles Uni- versity, Prague, has devoted herself with rare enthusiasm to the task of preparing these volumes and maps for publication. It should be pointed out that the printing of this series as a whole, and particularly that of the present volume, raised exceptional typographic difficulties. The work was carried out by the Statni tiskarna of Prague under the able direction of Mr. Karel Dyrynk. The typesetters were unfamiliar with both the English and Arabic languages and the transliteration of the latter involved the use of innumerable letters with dia- critical marks. It is altogether extraordinary that the work has been accomplished so accurately and expeditiously. TRANSLITERATION Line (-) or bow (v) under the letter indicates an aspirated, a dot (.) an emphatic, and the sign (v) over the letter a palatal pronunciation. oy Tires i coos fee b=uU S = Uy | t=aw S =.» (sh) k= J (like k in like) t —w (ts) S = yp (sz) sf (ch) g = eS ishdioryinyoke) - ¢ =U9 (dh, dah) l=J h=- tb M=~ ho= Z = (zh) Tae dwar ‘