IRIVEJE. 455 



relate that Abu JaLl dyed his *^'^\ {ist) with salTroiij mid was 

 addicted to the enormity^ termed /"^^J ' (ubnah). lie was a 

 great eneiny of the Prophet^s, and is promised in the Koran a 



i3ij 



A similar uec 



of saffron by the libidinous old witch Zatel-Dawahi is mentioned 



Niglits : — ^'^^ \^^ 15 1 jls ! ^ ]^j 





OJI^ It-JJI jKj3/f (jj\^s:)\ cl^)/ j4^yi ^^ VJ-V=^ ^7^^J 



Magic properties are ascribed to saffron in Persia; Haji-Zein- 

 el- Attar (1368) states that it is called Jadu-i-dihkan, "peasant's 

 magic^'* and that pregnant women w^ear a ball of it^ about the 

 size of a walnut, at the pit of the stomach to ensure speedy deli- 

 very and expulsion of the after-birth. The saffron bag was not 

 imknown in Europe in the Middle Ages, and even later. The 

 Arabs believe that saffron kept in the house will driv e away the 

 lizard called Sam Abras, which they greatly dread ; they also 

 say of a man who is melancholy or a little odd ^^^ (^^J /-J I 

 (innahu lafi sufrihi), i ^-^ that he is in a state in which he 

 requires to be rubbed with saffron. 



Zanldby or saffron water, is considered to have magical virtues 

 in Persia, and we hear Indian conjurors ascribe the same virtues 

 to turmeric water when they say Pihalad ant ho (jora in the 

 sense of '' Hocus Pocus/' &c* Saffron ink is used in India to write 

 Mantras with. That auspiciousncss is attributed to these plants 

 on account of their colour, and not on account of any inherent 

 properties, is shown by the fact that other plants furnishing 

 yellow dyes are considered auspicious. In Persia Belphmnm 

 Zalil is much esteemed as a yellow dye, and is even brought to 

 India for that purpose, where it bears the Sanskrit names of 

 Trayamana " preserving,^' Mangalya " auspicious,'' &c. It is 

 quite possible that this plant was used in ancient Iran before 

 saffron, as the word trayamana occurs in old Persian with the 

 nicaning of " yellow." Dr. Aitchison speaks of D. Zalll as vcrj- 

 common in Khorasan, and remarks that when in flower it gives 

 a wondrous golden hue to the pastures. 



