For these fabled Giant rulers of Syria, Og King of Bashan, etc. see vols. vii. 84; ix. 109, 323. D’Herbelot (s.v. Giabbar = Giant) connects “Jabábirah” with the Heb. Ghibbor, Ghibborim and the Pers. Dív, Diván: of these were ’Ád and Shaddád, Kings of Syria: the Falastín (Philistines) ’Auj, Amálik and Banú Shayth or Seth’s descendants, the sons of God (Benu-Elohim) of the Book of Genesis (vi. 2) who inhabited Mount Hermon and lived in purity and chastity.
The H. V. explains that the Jinni had appeared to the mother in hideous aspect, with noise and clamour, because she had scoured the Lamp roughly; but was more gentle with Alaeddin because he had rubbed it lightly. This is from Galland.
Arab. Musawwadatayn = lit. two black things, rough copies, etc.
Arab. Banú Adam, as opposed to Banú Elohim (Sons of the Gods), B. al-Jánn etc. The Banú al-Asfar = sons of the yellow, are Esau’s posterity in Edom, also a term applied by Arab historians to the Greeks and Romans whom Jewish fable derived from Idumæa: in my vol. ii. 220, they are the people of the yellow or tawny faces. For the legend see Ibn Kkall. iii. 8, where the translator suggests that the by-name may be = the “sons of the Emperor” Flavius, confounded with “flavus,” a title left by Vespasian to his successors. The Banú al-Khashkhash = sons of the (black) poppy are the Ethiopians.
Arab. Há! há! so Háka (fem. Háki) = Here for thee!
So in Mediæval Europe Papal bulls and Kings’ letters were placed for respect on the head. See Duffield’s “Don Quixote.” Part i. xxxi.
Galland makes the Juif only _rusé et adroit_.
Arab. “Ghashím” = a “Johnny Raw” from the root “Ghashm” = iniquity: Builders apply the word to an unhewn stone; addressed to a person it is considered slighting, if not insulting. See vol. ii. 330.
The carat (Kírát) being most often, but not always, one twenty-fourth of the dinar. See vols. iii. 239; vii. 289.
Here and below silver is specified, whenas the platters in Night dxxxv. were of gold. This is one of the many changes, contradictions and confusions which are inherent in Arab stories. See Spitta-Bey’s “Contes Arabes,” Preface.
This may be true, but my experience has taught me to prefer dealing with a Jew than with a Christian. The former will “jew” me perhaps, but his commercial cleverness will induce him to allow me some gain in order that I may not be quite disheartened: the latter will strip me of my skin and will grumble because he cannot gain more.