Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese Vol II. - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/239

 A considerable portion of the poetry recited by the sadatis and their daléms is erotic and even paederastic in character; while the sadati himself in his female garb forms a special centre of attraction to the onlookers. But it is a mistake to suppose that the profession of sadati implies his being devoted to immoral purposes.

The view taken by the daléms is that both the voice and the personal charms of their charge would quickly deteriorate if he were given over to vicious life. They have devoted much time to his training and much money to his wardrobe, and they take good care that they are not deprived prematurely of the interest on that capital, in the shape of the remuneration they receive from those who employ them as players.

The ratéb sadati always takes the form of a contest; two companies from different gampōngs, each with their sadatis, are always engaged and perform in turns, each trying to win the palm from the other.

The passion of the Achehnese for these exhibitions may be judged from the fact that a single performance lasts from about eight p. m. till noon of the following day, and is followed with unflagging interest by a great crowd of spectators.

We shall now proceed to give a brief description of a ratéb sadati. To avoid misconception of the subject we should here observe, that a ratéb of this description witnessed in Acheh by Mr. L. W. C. van den Berg in 1881, was entirely misunderstood by him.

First of all, this performance was given at the request of a European in an unusual place, and thus fell short in many respects of the ordinary native representation; and in the next place Van den Berg only saw the beginning of the ratéb duëʾ, and those who furnished the entertainment found means to cut it short by telling him, in entire conflict with the truth, that the rest was all the same. Nor were these the only errors into which he fell. In the pious formulas recited by the chèh or leader by way of prologue, the names of all famous mystic teachers, (and among them that of Naqshiband) are extolled. Hearing this name he rushed to the conclusion that this was a mystic performance of the Naqshibandiyyah. The first Achehnese he met could have corrected this illusion had he enquired of him; and had the person questioned had some knowledge of the Naqshibandiyyah form of worship (which,