Page:Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened.djvu/180

174 Eating. They sit flat upon the ground and eat from the same dish with wooden spoons, or dip the bread, which, being thin and soft, is folded like a dipper or cup-shape. As a rule, women do not eat with men; they have their black coffee after each meal. Tea is very little used among the Turks; wine never, but brandy and other liquors are much used. Among the fruits, grapes are used the most, because they are plenty and very cheap. They are gluttonous in their eating; their motto is, "never mind the death of a horse if it is from barley."

Dreaming. They give vital importance to dreams. To dream of a white horse is wealth, riding upon it is gaining wealth; of red color is some event which is going to take place soon; of a girl is some "hot news;" of fifth, is luck; of a Christian priest, is angel; of water is trouble, bathing is bad. Pulling the tooth in a dream shows the death of some friend, the nearer to the back teeth the worse. To take food from the hand of a dead friend is an ill-omen for the taker.

Burial. They bury their dead as soon as possible, while the sun is up. The corpse is washed with hot water and soap and wrapped in a white, cotton cloth like a mummy. The body is put in a long bier (frame) and carried upon the shoulders of four men, changing hands frequently for an honor to the dead, and for the religious merit which is promised by Mohamet to those who carry a Moslem corpse seven steps. A religious service is held in the cemetery by all the friends and neighbors, which is a common