‘Gazetteer of Kermanshah.’ [‎53v] (111/504)

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Cutzoii says: “ Benjamin, Moses, Elias, David, Jesus-Christ, Ali and
Haft-Tan (seven bodies) are considered the chief of these incarnations.
The Halt-Tan were seven Pirs or spiritual guides, who lived in the early ages
o£ Islam, being each as worshipped as the Deity, an object of adoration
in some particu'ar part of Kurdistan. Baba Yadgar (-i-Hussein) was one
of them. (1) The whole of the incarnations are thus regarded as one and
the same person, the bodily form of the divine manifestation beino* alone
changed; but the most perfect development is supposed to have taken
place in the person of Benjamin, David and Ali. Ali is, indeed, frequentlv
invoked by them under the name of Daoud or David ; and there are evident
marks of Judaims in their creed. In the twelth century, Rabbi Beniamin
of Tudela appears to have regarded them as Jews.” J
“It is said that their religion enjoins, that at certain periols, they shall
congregate at night m a particular spot. At these the greatest licence is
said to prevail, and the prom scuous intercourse of the sexes form part
of the ceremonies prescribed by their singular creed'’ (Gazetteer of Persia
1885). This festivity is named Chelaktapan or Cheragh-Kushan, and takes
place 4 days before the great feast of Berklg at the beginning of the month
" The religion of the tribes of Luristan-i-Kuchik is very curious and
w eU merits to be attentively observed ; for although the foundation’of all
Ah-Ilanism is the same, consisting in the belief of a series of sue •e'sive
incarnations, yet they have superinduced a number of local superstitions
apparently of remote antiquity. The Lurs do not affect the slightest
veneration for Mohammel and the Koran ; tlvir onlj genenl oh Feet, f
worship is their great saint Baba Buznrg ; but there are also several ho'v
men amongst them, who are considered the living representatives of the
dmne principle, and who are thus regarded bv their particular disciples
with a _ reverence little short of adoration. Their sacrifices and mysti
cal meetings form a subject of much interest; for many of their observances
are certainly to be traced to a source, long anterior to the institution of
Mohammedanism Macdonald Kmneir has noticed the midnio-ht oro-ies
of the Charagh Kushan. It is not probable that any snelf rites lire
observed at the present day, but meetings of this nature were certainly
observed within the last ee itury, and there cannot be a doubt that we may
recognize m them a. relic of the worship of the principles ’of uenernW
and fecundity, which had descended through the orgies of Mithra and
Anatis, from the time when Sesostris erected the emblems of the sexual
organs as objects of adnr ,tion, and Somimmis, delivering herself to’indis
criminate pleasure, doubtless intended to fulfil a religions ceremony.-
“ It is certain that a more than masonic secrecy is maintained amonw
them, in regard to the mystical rites and ceremonies connected with their
religion, and that they are exceedingly jealous of curious inquiries on the
S U ^ ' J 0 0 v «
. “ ^\ en . i ' 1 Mahommedan cities, they outwardly conform to the eeremon-
ies and habits of the established faith.
“ Shiel says that though their tenets are perfectly well known not the
slightest attempt is made to disturb their opinions, though they do not
openly proclaim their dissent from the prevailing religion”of the country,
luey clo not observe Ramazan.
(1) Kurds say that the town of Yezdijird was taken by Imam Hussein in r •
Imamzadeh was erected. Eaba I’adgar is certainly not the name of one of the Haft Tans. thi9