[413]. Dictionaries render the word by “dragon, cockatrice.” The Badawin apply it to a variety of serpents mostly large and all considered venomous.
[414]. Arab. “Zarr wa ‘urwah,” lit. = handle. The button-hole, I have said, is a modern invention; Urwah is also applied to the loop-shaped handle of the water-skin, for attachment of the Allákah or suspensory thong.
[415]. Koran lxx. 40; see also the chapter following, v. 16.
[416]. Koran x. 5; the “her” refers to the sun.
[417]. Koran xxxvi. 40.
[418]. Koran xxii. 60.
[419]. Arab. “Manázil:” these are the Hindu Nakshatra; extensively used in meteorology even by Europeans unconsciously: thus they will speak of the Elephantina-storm without knowing anything of the lunar mansion so called. The names in the text are successively Sharatán = two horns of the Ram; (2) the Ram’s belly; (3) the Pleiades; (4) Aldebaran; (5) three stars in Orion’s head; (6) ditto in Orion’s shoulder; (7) two stars above the Twins; (8) Lion’s nose and first summer station; (9) Lion’s eye; (10) Lion’s forehead; (11) Lion’s mane; (12) Lion’s heart; (13) the Dog, two stars in Virgo; (14) Spica Virginis; (15) φ, ι and κ in foot of Virgo; (16) horns of Scorpio; (17) the Crown; (18) heart of Scorpio; (19) tail of Scorpio; (20) stars in Pegasus; (21) where no constellation appears; (22) the Slaughterer’s luck; (23) Glutton’s luck; (24) Luck of Lucks, stars in Aquarius; (25) Luck of Tents, stars in Aquarius; (26) the fore-lip or spout of Urn; (27) hind lip of Urn; and (28) in navel of Fish’s belly (Batn al-Hút); of these 28 to each of the four seasons 7 are allotted.
[420]. The Hebrew absey, still used by Moslems in chronograms. For mnemonic purposes the 28 letters are distributed into eight words of which the first and second are Abjad and Hawwaz. The last six letters in two words (Thakhiz and Zuzigh) are Arabian, unknown to the Jews and not found in Syriac.
[421]. Arab. “Zindík;” properly, one who believes in two gods (the old Persian dualism); in books an atheist, i.e. one who does not believe in a god or gods; and, popularly, a free-thinker who denies the existence of a Supreme Being, rejects revelation for the laws of Nature imprinted on the heart of man and for humanity in its widest sense. Hence he is accused of permitting incestuous marriages and other abominations. We should now call him (for want of something better) an Agnostic.
[422]. Koran xxxi. 34. The words may still be applied to meteorologists especially of the scientific school. Even the experienced (as the followers of the late Mathieu de la Drôme) reckon far more failures than successes. The Koranic passage enumerates five things known only to Allah; Judgment-day; rain; sex of child in womb; what shall happen to-morrow and where a man shall die.