14 



DISCOVERY 



packed together in one or two of the clumsy, joUing 

 carts. Many people, however, denied themselves such 

 a luxury as a conveyance, and started off on foot, 

 heedless of the discomforts inevitably attendant upon 

 the south wind that was then blowing — blasts almost 

 as hot as those issuing from the mouth of a furnace, 

 clouds of fine suffocating dust, and swarms of flies. 

 I passed a number of these optimistic pedestrians as 

 I rode along on my donkey, some of them being 



women carrying their babies. 



On arriving at Dimishkin I found a large crowd 



Fig. 3. 



-MVLID AT DIMISHKIN. WITH THE SHEIKHS TOMB AND 

 TREE ASSOCI.\TED WITH IT. 



assembled around the tomb of the Sheikh Farrash 

 en-Nebi, whose mulid. was being celebrated. This tomb 

 was situated close to the village, and, as usual, a 

 large tree' was associated with it, booths being set 

 up under the shade of its wide- spreading branches 

 (Fig. 3). Here again a large zikr was in progress, 

 those taking part in it having secured themselves a 

 sheltered position near the tree. At some distance from 



1 Similarly in ancient times a tree or grove of trees was 

 attached to the various tombs which were supposed to contain 

 a portion of the body of Osiris. See, e.g., H. Schafer, Das 

 Osirisgrab von Abydos iind der Bauni pkr, in Zeiischrift fiir 

 dgyplische Sprache. vol. xli, pp. 107-10 ; Junker, Das Got- 

 terdekret uber das Abaton, Wien, 1913, pp. 12 ff., 50 ff. 



the tomb was a concourse of people, all intent on play- 

 ing the games with the coloured eggs. The same poet 

 officiated at this mulid as at the two former festivals, 

 the same brisk trade was going on, and the crowds 

 also showed the same good-natured enjoyment. 



Origin of Mulids 



It is probable that such festivals, which take place 

 at various dates all over Egypt, can claim a very 

 ancient ancestry. In quite early times there were 

 festivals, celebrated at stated seasons, in honour of 

 the various local divinities, and in celebration of 

 certain calendar events, that attracted considerable 

 crowds. Moreover, as at the modern nwlids, there 

 was a good deal of brisk trafficking carried on in 

 conjunction with the religious performances, mer- 

 chants coming from considerable distances, by boat or 

 caravan, laden with their wares, which found ready 

 purchasers among the assembled crowds. An inscrip- 

 tion in the great temple of Denderah describes such a 

 festival in the following terms : " The gods of heaven 

 shout for joy, shout for joy . . . The Hathors 

 i.e. the dancing girls impersonating that goddess] 

 beat their tambourines [more accurately " single- 

 membrane drums ' '] the August Ladies wear their 

 ;;!t'«!7-collars. Those who are gathered together in 

 Denderah are drunk with wine and garlands of flowers 

 are on their heads. The sailor-folk of Edfu [i.e. the 

 crews of the boats that have come from that town] 

 walk joyously about, being anointed with the finest 

 unguent. All the children rejoice, making jubilation 

 for the Golden One (Hathor), from the rising to the 

 setting of the sun." " 



In one respect the modern Egyptians are certainly 

 superior to their ancestors, for I never saw a single 

 case of drunkenness or bad behaviour at any of the 

 'three muHds at which I was present. 



Mi'LiDs AND English Fairs 



The modern mulids, as also their ancient proto- 

 types, show striking resemblances to our own English 

 fairs, especially as celebrated during the Middle Ages 

 and on into the seventeenth century — these being 

 associated in every case with a saint and also with 

 trading. Our modern fairs, though often still named 

 after the saints in whose honour they were originally 

 held, have now lost their religious significance. But 

 one which I attended after my return to England 

 reminded me in many ways of the mulids which I had 

 recently witnessed just before my departure from 

 Egypt. 



- Diiemichei}. AltdgyptischeTempelinschriftcn. Leipzig, 1867. 

 PI. xxxviii, lines 16—19. 



