Gabres. 
Account of 
the fire 
temple of 
the Gabres. 
66 : GABRES.— 
earth, which is inflamed on the application of fire ; nay, 
if a cane tube, or one of paper, be inserted so deep m 
the ground, and a light applied to the orifice, a flame 
resembling that of spirit of wine immediately bursts 
forth, which does not ly the tube, provided the, 
edges be covered with clay. Several temples, appa- 
rently of simple construction, lately stood in this neigh- 
bourhood, and, among others, a small one, where a 
flame issued; from-a hollow cane near the altar. De- 
votees were to be seen, about forty or fifty in number 
at a time, who had made expiatory pilgrimages hither, 
and _ subsisted on wild celery, a kind of Jerusalem ar- 
tichoke, and other roots, while they remained. They 
affirm that this.fire has burned since the flood, and be- 
lieve that it will last until the end of the world. So 
singular a phenomenon cannot but deeply impress the 
uncultivated minds of the Easterns, who would rather 
seek its origin in some supernatural cause, than endea- 
vour to explain it by the combination and action of the 
different substances of inanimate matter. 
_ According to the principles of the Gabres, their sacred 
fire should be found in every.town or settlement, and 
ought never to be extinguished. If compelled by the 
pressure of circumstances to remove, it ought to be car- 
ried along with them ; and it; has thus been transferred 
from place to place in India, while preserved in vigour, 
during 800 or 900, or.perhaps 1000 years. Some time 
ago, when from invasion, or another cause, the whole 
Gabres were obliged to fly, and their houses were 
burnt, the temple, or edifice containing the sacred fire, 
was preserved, which they ascribed to its innate powers 
of protection. Concerning this element they entertain 
the most extravagant ideas, though its worship be sub- 
servient to that of Hormusd, a divinity the source of 
all pssst They maintain, that an original principle, 
analogous to eternity, (at least nothing more definite 
can be explained by it,) created light, water, fire, Hor- 
musd the author of good, and Ariman the author of 
evil; but speech preceded all creation, for by its in- 
‘fluence the eematinn of beings was effected ; Hormusd 
is adored for his beneficence, and Ariman held. in de- 
testation on account of his malevolence. The sacred 
fire Behram, which is the guardian of the country, is 
the extract of 1001 fires, taken from 15 other Fis 
It must be preserved unextinguished in absolute puri- 
ys and many sacred offices are performed before it, ei- 
er by priests in their temples, or by individuals in 
private. In the former it is kept up simply, we con- 
ceive, by a supply of wood. It is watched night and 
day by priests, and burns on a vase contained within a 
grating, which none other may approach. The light 
of the sun being brighter than fire, is excluded from 
their temples ; and if any person of different, tenets 
should approach, the | Rai consider themselves defi- 
Jed, and have to undergo purification. Independent 
of this care of the sacred fire, they entertain a venera- 
tion for the.element in, general. When once kindled, 
they deem it sacrilege to extinguish it unless bya 
particular method: A candle must either burn to the 
end, or, if they wish to spare a portion, a small part 
next the wick is cut off, and, being carried to the 
hearth, is left toburn out. A light is blown out by the 
wind of a fan or the hand, but never with the breath, 
for that is impure; and should their houses take fire, 
instead of extinguishing the flame with water, the 
surrounding parts are pulled down, or removed, in or- 
der that it may go out of itself. In short, their gene- 
ral principle is, to allow it to come naturally to a close, 
and not abbreviate it by violence. The Gabres keep 
different festivals, continuing six days, as at the begin Gabre 
ning of the year; six particular festivals afterwards, = 
each of five days ; and a festival the last ten days of the 
year, during which they believe that the souls of the 
virtuous descend to within three bow shots of the earth, * 
They also observe the anniversaries of their own birth, 
and that of their children. But these festivals are diffe- 
rent in different places, and some in Persia are unknown 
in India.. Their prayers are numerous ; they are offer- 
ed up not only after natural operations, but, on cutting 
their hair or nails, the fragments of which are preser- 
ved to be laid in their cemeteries. 4... =... 
Marriage is a favourite condition among the Gabres,: Marriage 
and sterility a reproach. . A man is entitled to haye only ceremonies 
one wife, but should she have no offspring, he may, 
with her consent, take another, the first still continui 
to dwell along with him. But the same privilege is 
not allowed to.a wife. In Persia, it has been affirmed 
that a man might marry five wives, though only the first 
was to be considered the true and legitimate dnt and 
hence a preference over the rest. The husband was 
entitled, however, to repudiate her at the end of seven 
years if she remained sterile ; as also for adultery, or 
a from her own religion. It is added, that if ' 
the wife repented of her offence within a year, and did. 
penance during three years, the parties might be re- 
united. Perhaps these points are not sufficiently esta- 
blished, and the authors who have treated of some of. 
them are not aware that marriage is considered to be . 
of five different kinds. When a young female has at- 
tained maturity, she may demand that her parents shall 
provide a husband for her ; and if they disregard her re- 
quest, it is a culpable neglect; but if she, on her part, 
refuses marriage, and dies a virgin at eighteen, her soul 
is believed to remain in hell until the resurrection. 
The marriages of the Gabres are performed with great | 
pomp and solemnity, 2000 guests being sometimes in- 
vited in India, while all the friends and relatives of 
the patos are clothed in their most splendid attire. A 
prodigious display of lighted torches appears, and a 
numerous procession is attended by noisy musical 
instruments.. The ceremony is then performed by a 
priest, and the wedded pair occupy their own proper 
residence. By a special r tion, which has prevail- 
ed nearly 150 years, the Gabres of India never pre- 
sent any thing at the great entertainments which em- 
bellish their marriages that has had life in it, be- 
cause there are always numbers of Indians invited to 4 
participate. a 
But amidst the most singular customs, which have Mode of — 
ever been witnessed among mankind, is the conduct. of dispo 
these people in the di of their dead. They.are ‘et 
neither interred nor burned, but exposed to be devour- : 
ed by beasts of prey. Perhaps there is. no custom or 
the present day, however extraordinary, that, we cannot 
trace in the records of antiquity ; and few which were 
practised in the most remote ages, are altogether extir-. 
pated among modern nations. Herodotus, and after 
him Strabo, acquaint us that the Magi, who were the 
original race now described in these pages, did not in-. 
ter the bodies of their dead, but exposed them to beasts 
of prey. . The Hyrcanians, or natives of Irak, as we 
denominate it, had dogs trained, if they could require 
any training, to devour the dead; and the Bactrians 
were so tenacious of this fashion, that when Nicanor, 
governor for Alexander, wished to abolish it, he was 
very nearly losing the whole province. According to 
Justin, the Parthians exposed the dead to be devoured. 
by dogs and birds, and afterwards buried the naked 
thtig A. f nee < oes 
° 
at 
