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THE BEDOUINS ARE CHIVALROUS AND ROMANTIC
Among the Bedouins of Kufra as in other oases of
northern Africa, one sees only old women or very young girls. The newly
married women are generally in the house, because that is the woman's
place in the desert.
The Bedouins lead very chivalrous and romantic
lives. When a young man wishes to marry he goes to his sweetheart's camp
and sings to her, in many cases his own verses. If the girl likes him,
she sings to him in verse tune. Then, if the girl's family approves,
there is a marriage.
But occasionally there are elopements, and
sometimes vendettas have begun thus. If, in the feud, one man kills
another, the family of the deceased generally goes to an ikhwan,
a learned man of the Senussi sect. The ikhwan takes the murderer and
goes to the camp of the dead man's tribe and says to his relatives:
"This is the man who killed your
(p251)
relative. You have him here. You can do what you like with him."
Usually the reply is, "May God forgive him, we know
it." The blood-money question is then agreed upon—generally $3000, or
possibly $2,000 cash and the remainder in camels and slaves. Nearly
always blood money is accepted. Sometimes, however, when the feud is
strong, this is refused. In such cases the murderer is sure to be slain.
He may be allowed to live five, or ten, or fifteen years, but he is
bound to be killed, or, if not, then the highest man in his tribe is
slain.
The black Bedouins of the south are more
reasonable. If a man has killed another, he pays blood money, or he is
killed by the slain man's family. But once the murderer dies, no other
member of the clan is involved.
The Bedouins marry more than one wife if they can
afford it, and in many cases the wives live on good terms with each
other. But the eldest, or first, wife remains the mistress of the house.
Once, while visiting an old man in Kufra, I was startled, as we entered
the courtyard, to hear my companion address one of these wives as "You
gray-haired woman!"
"Hush! Don't call her 'gray-haired woman'!" I
cautioned. But he assured me that it pleased her, and he was right. She
welcomed us, and I found that with these people reference to one's age
is a mark of respect.
 
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