Page 777 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Friday May 5th 10th Muharram

In the morning everyone went down to the big square near the mosque to see the Muharram procession. M & Mrs Holmes &
the others went to a house in the square belonging to a Persian watchmaker where he had arranged an upper room for the
English ladies. They had a good view and were quite cool. I stood outside the mosque in the crowd and then climbed onto
the edge of the mosque where I got a good position for taking photographs, I had Hamood with me and several attendants.
Before the procession I went to a place where the men were beginning to cut themselves with swords, this year the Baharna
as well as the Persians took part in the sword play which is a new departure. The procession was the best and biggest I have
ever seen here, there were hundreds & hundreds of men taking part in it and the sort of episodes were very well acted. Some
of the things were very realistic and several "corpses" looked most alarmingly lifelike. One especially which was supposed to
be a man with his head cut off was very cleverly done, in another there was a lion which was supposed to be eating a dead
man, very gory and realistic. The thing is really a sort of mystery play showing the history of the Shia martyrs who were killed
1300 years ago and it is acted on 10th Muharram every year. This year there were hundreds of men beating their chests,
flaying their backs with bunches of chains, & cutting themselves with swords besides all the actors and the people carried in
litters etc. Afterwards most of the performers came round to our house so that I could photograph them - an entirely new
idea, but much to my disappointment I only had two or three films left. Motored after lunch & dined with the Holmes after
playing Bridge at de Greniers.

Saturday 6th May