330 Origin and Ceremonies of the Mokurrum. [Oct* 



and men of cultivated taste, and retentive memory, having 

 a thorough knowledge of all that is necessary to he done 

 in the public assemblies in these rooms, are (if persons 

 of these qualifications can be had) appointed *>■ 

 Waqeeah Khv/an (narrators) /' by different bodies of 

 the Sheeahs. At these places most of the Sheeahs, 

 clothed in green or black, as mourning, assemble the 

 first ten nights of the month of Mohurrum, to bear read 

 from the pulpit, the trajrical history of the martyrdom 

 of Hoosien, to vhich is added that of the other sn'nts. 

 When the people are assembled in a room of this kmd, 

 a portable pulpit, covered with black, is placed in a con- 

 spicuous part of the room. The narrator then chooses 

 ^ V a; b Pa6 Mimbaree (a chorus) who are not unliLe 

 those that are engaged in dramatic and tragical perform- 

 ances in Europe or those who sing in European churches. 

 The chorus consist more or less of eight or ten persons 



/. The above Persian word liberally signifies *' reader of the 

 event," that is to say, a narrator of the memorable event of Imam 

 Hoosien's death. It may also be trandated " a preacher," but 

 that is indeed in a ve'-y limited sense. There are three sorts of 

 sermons preached among the Mahomedans : 1st. Expositions of 

 Scripture, 2:1. Comments on the traditions of the i^rophet, 3d. Pane, 

 gyrical discourses upon God, prophets, saints and mertyrs. Our 

 Waqee^lh Khwan is the preacher of the last meniioned sermons 

 only, and even that but occo-sionailv during his relation of the 

 mournful history of Hoosien, &c. The Sheeahs very properly 

 call him a narrator and not a preacher ; and I have followed 

 their example thrcughout these pages, 1st. because, he is not' 

 Waiz who preaches all the sorts of sermons before mentioned, and 

 v/ho takes for his text a verse from the Koran, or from one of the 

 books of traditions, *ind expounds its meaning to the people, 2dly. 

 because, he is rot a Khaleeb or one that delivers a pious dis- 

 course on Fridays, &c., in which he praises God and blesses 

 Jind praises Mahom.'d his successors, &c. and the rej^rning 

 sovereign, and 3dly. because, the Sheeahs do not call him b 

 preacher* 



