RELIGION AMONG THE PEOPLE OP ASIA MINOR. 



157 



the jinns out ; that is, he wiped them out of sight, and now they 

 are seldom allowed to appear to human eyes. 



At another time my companion in travel was a white- 

 turbaned Moslem teacher named Solomon. As we rode 

 he related how the earth is full of jiiins, wliich especially 

 frequent streams, mills and lonely places, and lie in wait to 

 work harm to men. They cannot enter a place, however, freshly 

 trodden by oxen, as a newly plouglied field, though a fallow 

 field is not thus protected. This notion is perhaps a survival of 

 cattle worship. To avert their spell when one goes out at night 

 he should read " constantly, at any rate he should read (that 

 is, repeat sacred passages from memory) just as he leaves the 

 house door, and particularly as he puts on his shoes. If he 

 does so he is safe for that walk, especially if he also gently blows 

 in different directions, for blowing is very efficacious in warding 

 off evil spirits, as also is spitting in any direction from which 

 they may be feared. 



Piles of small stones are often seen by the road -side, and 

 passing travellers heap them higher to secure " travellers' luck." 

 One theory is that the pile of stones holds down evil spirits and 

 prevents their wreaking harm upon the passer-by. If by 

 casting a small stone on a pile a driver may secure protection 

 for a mile, it is a cheap form of insurance, when on any mile of 

 road a horse may sicken, the wagon break down, or robbers 

 waylay the driver. 



If a person is believed to be possessed by an evil spirit, one 

 form of treatment is to heat an iron chain red-hot, form it into 

 a ring and pass the afflicted person through the opening, on the 

 theory that the evil spirit cannot pass the hot chain and so is 

 torn from his victim and left behind. 



Dervishes are believed to call up familiar spirits amid the 

 ruins of the frequent deserted castle and village sites by reading 

 from their sacred volumes, and then to learn from these spirits 

 where to dig for buried treasure. Or if a robbery has been 

 committed, a dervish or lioja may be called, who for a small 

 consideration will read over a cup of water in which some 

 member of the family may then see black jinns and from them 

 gain such information as, whether the thieves were male or 

 female, young or old, tall or short, fair or swarthy, departed to 

 the ea;st or west, and the like. Acting on this information the 

 parties endeavour to track the thieves and regain their property. 



At Ghat, an Alevi village, a rather gruesome custom prevails. 

 The dales or Alevi priests there keep always in stock a 

 moderate supply of serpents which are stored in a cave. 



