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APRIL, 1912.]
MISCELLANEA
MISCELLANEA. THE PLANETARY ICONOGRAPHY OF THE maticians, enchanters, soothsayers and persons SIPASIANS, ACCORDING TO
of that description lived in the vicinity of this THE DABISTAN.
temple, where these sciences were taught, and THAT curious work--the Dabistán or School of their maintenance allowed them: they first paid Manners was translated into Gujarati and pub. adoration in the temple and afterwards waited lished at Bombay in 1815 under the imprimatur on the king. All persons ranked among the of Malla Firuz, the notable PÅrsi scholar of that servants of the regent Kaivan were presented to time. In the first section (najar seven copper- the king through the medium of the chiefs and plate figures are inserted in spaces left for them officers of this temple, wbo were always selected in the type. These are the regents of the fror the greatest families in Iran. The words Planets, among the Sip&sians, a sect of Iranians, Shah and Timsar aro appellations of honour, the author says. As Shea and Troyer's trans- signifying dignity, just as Sri in Hindi, and tation is not very well known, the following Hazrat in Arabic. extract, describing these figures, may interest "The image of the regent Hormuzd (Bhribas. Bome readers :--J. BORGEBS.
pati) was of an earthy colour, in the shape of a "It is stated in the Alcharistán that the Sip- man, with a vulture's' face : on his head & • åsian tenets were, that the stars and the heavens crown, on which were the faces of a cock and
are the shadows of the incorporeal effulgences; a dragon; in the right hand a crown or turban; on this account they erected the temples of the in the left a crystal [bottle or] cwer. The seven planets, and had talismans formed of ministers of this temple were of & terrene hue, metal or stone, suitable to each stnr; all which dressed in yellow and white; tbey wore rings of talismans were placed in their proper abode, silver and signets of cernelian; the ineense conunder a suitable aspect: they also set apart a sisted of laurel-berries and such like; the portion of time for their worship and handed viands prepared by them were sweet. Learned down the mode of serving them. When they men, judges, imáns, eminent vazirs, distinguishperformed the rites of these holy statues, they ed men, nobles, magistrates and scribes dwelt burned before then the snitable inconse at the in the street attached to this temple, where they appointed season, anul held their power in ligh devoted themselves to their peculiar pursuits, veneration. Their temples were called Paika- | but principally giving themselves up to the ristan, or image temples', and Shidistan the science of thcology. abodes of the forms of the luminous bodies.' "The temple of the regent Bahram (Mangal)
" It is stated in the Alcharistin, that the image and bis imnge were of red stune: he was representof the regent Kaiván (Sani) was cut out of ed in a buman form, wearing on his head a rod black stone, in a luman shape, with an ape-like crown : his right hand was of the same colour and head; his body like a man's, with a bog's tail, hanging down ; his left, yellow and raised up; in and a crown on biy,head; in the right hand a the right was a blood-stained sword, and an iron siere; in the left a serpent. His temple was verge in the left. The ministers of this temple also of black stone, and his officiating ministers were dressed in red garments; his attendants were negroes, Abyssinians and persons of blacks were Turks with rings of copper on their hands; complexions : they wore 'blue garments, and on the fumigations made before him consisted of their fingers rings of iron : they offered up sandarach and such like ; the viands used here storax and such like perfumer, and generally were bitter. Princes, champions, soldiers, milidressed and offered up pungent viande; they tary men, and Turks dwelt in his street. Peradministered myrobalans se similar gums sons of this description, through the agency of and drugs. Villagers and busbandmen who had the directors of the temple, were admitted to left abodes, nobles, doctors, anchorites, mathe- the king's presence. The bestowers of charity
Three volumes, Paris, 1843In the following extract, I have substituted, in most cases, the vernacular aames of the planets for the Eropean. J. B.
• Kerges, a bird feeding on carcasses, and living a hundred years. • Bahrim is also called Manishram,
• The drawing shows a short beard and moustaches.
