“Here They All Pitch Their Tents (It Being In A Spacious Plain), And
Spend The Time Of Curbaen Byram, Viz.
Three days.
As soon as their
tents are pitched, and all things orderly disposed, every individual
Hagge, the first day, goes and throws seven of the small stones, which
they had gathered, against a small pillar, or little square stone
building.[FN#36] Which action of theirs is intended to testify their
defiance of the devil and his deeds; for they at the same time
pronounce the following words, viz. Erzum le Shetane wazbehe[FN#37];
i.e. stone the devil, and them that please him.[FN#38] And there are
two other of the like pillars, which are situated near one another; at
each of which
[p.377] (I mean all three), the second day, they throw seven stones;
and the same they do the third day. As I was going to perform this
ceremony of throwing the stones, a facetious Hagge met me; saith he, ‘You
may save your labour at present, if you please, for I have hit out the
devil’s eyes already.’ You must observe, that after they have thrown the
seven stones on the first day (the country people having brought great
flocks of sheep to be sold), every one buys a sheep and sacrifices it;
some of which they give to their friends, some to the poor which come
out of Mecca and the country adjacent, very ragged poor, and the rest
they eat themselves; after which they shave their heads, throw off
Hirrawem, and put on other clothes, and then salute one another with a
kiss, saying, ‘Byram Mabarick Ela,’ i.e. the feast be a blessing to you.
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