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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A man at one with the people
By Jill Kamil
The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians is a unique account of life in Egypt in the early 19th century which became a classic in its field. Other pioneering anthropologists attempted similar studies in other parts of the world: the American Francis Parkman lived for some time among the North American Indians and Arminius Vambery from Hungary, disguised as a dervish, travelled among the Tartars of Central Asia. However, Lane was the first to come to Egypt and stayed longer than his successors.
He donned traditional clothing and engaged two professors to instruct him in Arabic as well as in Muslim religion and law; he assumed an Arabic name and adopted the manners and customs of the country. His insight into the lives of the people, their social and religious activities and their houses, bazaars and even mosques was the result of a three-year stay in Egypt.
However, he was at first unsuccessful in finding a publisher for his work. Although there was considerable interest in Egypt in the 19th century, this was more geared to ancient than to contemporary history and publishers considered Lane's book risky. It might have been relegated to the shelves of the unpublished had it not been for Lord Brougham's recommendation for publication by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.
Useful knowledge, indeed. Lane not only lived among Egyptians, but adopted their customs to the extent that he abstained from eating food forbidden by Islam and from drinking wine. He even abandoned knives and forks to eat like the Arabs with whom he mingled.
He was an intimate of many. His friends were at no pains to conceal their feelings and thoughts or the reasons for their actions from him. In this way he was in a unique position to penetrate the inner life of the people of Egypt.
Edward William Lane was the third son of a niece of the painter Gainsborough, a woman of great intellect, and the Rev. Theophilus Lane of Hereford Cathedral.
He distinguished himself in classics and mathematics and was expected to go to Cambridge with a view to entering the Church. But he abandoned the idea and began his working life as an engraver with his brother Richard in London. Although he worked hard, he found time to study Arabic.
Overwork and an attack of fever which nearly proved fatal resulted in his doctor recommending a stint abroad. He naturally turned to the East and to Egypt, where he could recover his health and pursue his favourite study.
In 1825 he joined the government service in Alexandria and before long was totally immersed in Egyptian life. After a period of three years -- during which time he travelled in Cairo, Alexandria and Upper Egypt -- he returned to England with the material for his Description of Egypt, complete with his own drawings.
By the time the book was finally accepted for publication Lane was inspired to improve it with another trip to Egypt. He returned in 1833 and stayed for two years during which time he obtained additional information and new insights. The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, illustrated with Lane's own admirable woodcuts, was published in 1836 in two volumes of the Library of Entertaining Knowledge.
There was no subject that he did not cover in depth; his interests included magic and alchemy, the public bath and public dancers, laws and superstition, festivals, death and funeral rites, Copts, Jews and Egyptian female ornaments.
The book was an immediate success. Its accuracy, fairness and comprehensiveness were immediately recognised. Its most surprising quality is that so much of what he wrote is still relevant today. Many features of Lane's time endure today. Take the following example:
"Buying and selling are here very tiresome processes to persons unaccustomed to such modes of bargaining. When a shopkeeper is asked the price of any of his goods, he generally demands more than he expects to receive; the customer declares the price exorbitant, and offers about half or two-thirds of the sum first named. The price thus bidden is, of course, rejected, but the shopkeeper lowers his demand; and then the customer, in his turn, bids somewhat higher than before: thus they usually go on until they meet about half-way between the sum first demanded and that first offered, and so the bargain is concluded. But I believe that most of the tradesmen are, by European travellers, unjustly blamed for thus acting, since I have ascertained that many an Egyptian shopkeeper will sell an article for a profit of one per cent, and even less."
He wrote at length about music: "The most remarkable peculiarity in the Arab system of music is the division of tones into thirds. Hence I have heard Egyptian musicians urge against the European systems of music that they are deficient in the number of sounds. These small and delicate gradations of sound give a peculiar softness to the performances of the Arab musicians, which are generally of a plaintive character..."
Lane stated that the population stood at nearly two million which he broke down into 1,750,000 Muslims, 150,000 Copts, 10,000 Turks, 5,000 each of Syrians, Greeks and Jews, and 2,000 Armenians.
