| SWORD DANCE BEFORE A PACHA.
ances of the female dancers of Gades." Indeed, were we not informed
that the Gaditanae or females of this Spanish city (Cadiz), were famous
for their dances of this description, even as far back as the times of
the early Roman emperors, we might infer that they had been introduced
into Spain by the Arabs, so great is the similarity of the Spanish
fandango to the dances of the Ghawazees. However, it is not impossible
that they were brought to Gades from the East originally, perhaps
by the Phoenicians. Possibly Salome's dance before Herod was of this
description. In many of the tombs of ancient Egypt may be found
representations of females dancing at private entertainments, to the
sound of various musical instruments, in a manner similar to that of
these modern figurantes, but with even greater freedom from restraint,
one or more of the performers being generally depicted as nude,
although in the presence of women of the highest rank. Many of the
monuments which bear representations of this mode of dancing date
back to the most remote times—even before the Exodus of the Jews. It
is very probable that the custom has continued down to our time without interruption, and perhaps the modern Ghawazee are descended from
the class of female dancers who amused the Egyptians in the times of
the earlier Pharaohs. Their origin is involved in much obscurity, and
some modern writers assert that they are essentially a distinct race.
They are, in general, distinguished by a cast of countenance slightly
differing from the rest of the Egyptians ; most of them have rather
aquiline noses, and some are extremely handsome. Lane, who lived
so many years in Cairo, observes : "Upon the whole, I think they are
the finest women in Egypt." They call themselves Baramikeh or Bar-
mekees, and boast that they are descended from the famous family of
that name—one of whom, Jaafar, was his celebrated vizier—who were
the objects of the favors, and afterward of the tyranny, of Haroun ErRasheed. This tribe mostly keep themselves distinct from other classes
of the population, abstaining from marriage with any others, but
sometimes a Ghazeeyeh makes a vow of repentance and marries a respectable Arab, who is not considered disgraced by such a connection. All
are not dancers, and most of them marry, but not generally until they
have commenced their public career. The husband is subject to his
wife. He performs for her the offices of a servant, and usually, if she
be a dancer, he is her musician.
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