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Assassins

To: rec.arts.horror.written,alt.fan.rawilson,alt.fan.william-burroughs,alt.illuminati,alt.satanism
From: Dagon Productions 
Subject: Re: Assassins
Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 23:13:48 GMT

Matango wrote:

> I read somewhere (Hakim Bey, I think), that "Assassins", the term,
> comes from "Hashishim", regarding their practice of numbing the body
> with hashish before a battle...

The etymology of the words "assassin" and "hashish" do not point
conclusively to the above... in fact there has been much speculation
on the origin of both words over the years. There is an excellent
chapter on this subject in "The Assassin Legends - Myths of
the Isma'ilis" by Farhad Daftary... one of the better scholars on
the subject of the Nizari Isma'ilis.

There is also no conclusive evidence pointing to the adherents
smoking hashish as its use was not condoned within the Nizari
Isma'ilis. Myths suggest it was used primarily as an inducement in
recruiting new initiates and possibly by those trained as assassins.
Though the use of intoxicants to recruit new members does not
seem unreasonable I find the attribution of drug use to the Nizari
Isma'ilis to be dubious considering Hasan Ibn Sabahs own
abstentious nature as well as having his son executed for public
drunkeness.

-Douglas

> Dagon Productions  wrote in message news:<3CE2EE98.B16BBFB@earthlink.net>...
> > You have provided many any interesting takes on the Assassins or more
> > properly called the Nizari Isma'ilis.
> >
> > One must be careful in taking much of the below as fact... the
> > majority of legends/myths of the Assassins were propagated  by
> > their enemies and have only a slight basis in fact.
> >
> > Such as calling the Master of Alamut "The Old Man of the
> > Mountains"... the "Old Man of the Mountains" was not
> > Hassan Ibn Sabbah but  Rashid Al-Din Sinan, Grand Master
> > of the Syrian Assassins from about  1162 to his death in 1193.
> > The phrase "Old Man of
> > the Mountains" being of Syrian origin. Later other  leaders
> > were often called this name by westerners but this
> > is apparently traced back to a misunderstanding of the Arabic
> > word "shaykh", often used of the Isma'ili chiefs.
> >
> > -Douglas
> >
> > Dan Clore wrote:
> >
> > > For whatever interest it may have, I've put together a few
> > > excerpts from texts that deal with the Assassins.
> > >
> > > _The Voyages and Travels of Sir John Mandeville_ is a
> > > twelfth-century pseudo-travel record that recounts all sorts
> > > of marvels which the author, whoever he was, had borrowed
> > > from his reading.
> > >
> > > There was a man that was called Catolonapes, he was full
> > > rich, and had a fair castle on a hill, and he made a wall
> > > all about the hill right strong and fair, within he had a
> > > fair garden wherein were many trees bearing all manner of
> > > fruits that he might find, and he had planted therein all
> > > manner of herbs of good smell and that bare flowers, and
> > > there were many fair wells, and by them were made many halls
> > > and chambers well dight with gold and azure, and he had made
> > > there divers stories of beasts and birds that sung and
> > > turned by engine and orbage as they had been quick [alive],
> > > and he had in his garden all thing that might be to man
> > > solace and comfort, he had also in that garden maidens
> > > within the age of XV year, the fairest that he might find,
> > > and men children of the same age, and they were clothed with
> > > cloth of gold, and he said that they were angels, and he
> > > caused to be made certain hills and enclosed them about with
> > > precious stones of jasper and crystal, and set in gold and
> > > pearls, and other manner of stones, and he had made a
> > > conduit under the earth, so that when he would the walls ran
> > > sometime with milk, sometime with wine, sometime with honey,
> > > and this place is called Paradise, and when any young
> > > bachelor of the country, knight or squire, cometh to him for
> > > solace and disport, he leadeth them into his paradise, and
> > > showeth them these things as the songs of birds, and his
> > > damsels, and wells; and he did strike diverse instruments of
> > > music, in a high tower that might be heard, and said they
> > > were angels of god, and that place was paradise, that god
> > > hath granted to those that believed, when he said thus:
> > > _Dabo vobis terram fluentem lacte et melle_; that is to say,
> > > I shall give you land flowing with milk and honey. And then
> > > this rich man did these men drink a manner of drink, of
> > > which they were drunken, and he said to them, if they would
> > > die for his sake, when they were dead, they should be of the
> > > age of those maidens, and should dwell alway with them, and
> > > he should put them in a fairer paradise where they should
> > > see god in joy, and in his majesty: and then they granted to
> > > do what he would, and he bade them go and slay such a lord,
> > > or a man of the country that he was wroth with, and that
> > > they should have no dread of no man. And if they were slain
> > > themself for his sake, he should put them in his paradise
> > > when they were dead. And so went these bachelors to slay
> > > great lords of the country, and were slain themself in hope
> > > to have that paradise, and thus he was avenged of his
> > > enemies through his desert, and when rich men of the country
> > > perceived this cautell [guile] and malice, and the will of
> > > this Catolonapes, they gathered them together and assailed
> > > the castle and slew him and destroyed all his goods and his
> > > fair places and riches that were in his paradise; and the
> > > place of the walls is there yet, and some other things, but
> > > the riches are not, and it is not long ago since it was
> > > destroyed.
> > >
> > > Another version:
> > >
> > > There was dwelling, sometime, a rich man; and it is not long
> > > since; and men clept him Gatholonabes. And he was full of
> > > cautels and of subtle deceits. And he had a full fair castle
> > > and a strong in a mountain, so strong and so noble, that no
> > > man could devise a fairer ne stronger. And he had let mure
> > > all the mountain about with a strong wall and a fair. And
> > > within those walls he had the fairest garden that any man
> > > might behold. And therein were trees bearing all manner of
> > > fruits, that any man could devise. And therein were also all
> > > manner virtuous herbs of good smell, and all other herbs
> > > also that bear fair flowers. And he had also in that garden
> > > many fair wells; and beside those wells he had let make fair
> > > halls and fair chambers, depainted all with gold and azure;
> > > and there were in that place many diverse things, and many
> > > diverse stories:  and of beasts, and of birds that sung full
> > > delectably and moved by craft, that it seemed that they were
> > > quick. And he had also in his garden all manner of fowls and
> > > of beasts that any man might think on, for to have play or
> > > sport to behold them.
> > >
> > > And he had also, in that place, the fairest damsels that
> > > might be found, under the age of fifteen years, and the
> > > fairest young striplings that men might get, of that same
> > > age. And all they were clothed in cloths of gold, full
> > > richly. And he said that those were angels.
> > >
> > > And he had also let make three wells, fair and noble and all
> > > environed with stone of jasper, of crystal, diapered with
> > > gold, and set with precious stones and great orient pearls.
> > > And he had made a conduit under earth, so that the three
> > > wells, at his list, one should run milk, another wine and
> > > another honey. And that place he clept Paradise.
> > >
> > > And when that any good knight, that was hardy and noble,
> > > came to see this royalty, he would lead him into his
> > > paradise, and show him these wonderful things to his
> > > disport, and the marvellous and delicious song of diverse
> > > birds, and the fair damsels, and the fair wells of milk, of
> > > wine and of honey, plenteously running. And he would let
> > > make divers instruments of music to sound in an high tower,
> > > so merrily, that it was joy for to hear; and no man should
> > > see the craft thereof. And those, he said, were angels of
> > > God, and that place was Paradise, that God had behight to
> > > his friends, saying, DABO VOBIS TERRAM FLUENTEM LACTE ET
> > > MELLE. And then would he make them to drink of certain
> > > drink, whereof anon they should be drunk. And then would
> > > them think greater delight than they had before. And then
> > > would he say to them, that if they would die for him and for
> > > his love, that after their death they should come to his
> > > paradise; and they should be of the age of those damosels,
> > > and they should play with them, and yet be maidens. And
> > > after that yet should he put them in a fairer paradise,
> > > where that they should see God of nature visibly, in his
> > > majesty and in his bliss. And then would he shew them his
> > > intent, and say them, that if they would go slay such a
> > > lord, or such a man that was his enemy or contrarious to his
> > > list, that they should not dread to do it and for to be
> > > slain therefore themselves. For after their death, he would
> > > put them into another paradise, that was an hundred-fold
> > > fairer than any of the tother; and there should they dwell
> > > with the most fairest damosels that might be, and play with
> > > them ever-more.
> > >
> > > And thus went many diverse lusty bachelors for to slay great
> > > lords in diverse countries, that were his enemies, and made
> > > themselves to be slain, in hope to have that paradise. And
> > > thus, often-time, he was revenged of his enemies by his
> > > subtle deceits and false cautels.
> > >
> > > And when the worthy men of the country had perceived this
> > > subtle falsehood of this Gatholonabes, they assembled them
> > > with force, and assailed his castle, and slew him, and
> > > destroyed all the fair places and all the nobilities of that
> > > paradise. The place of the wells and of the walls and of
> > > many other things be yet apertly seen, but the riches is
> > > voided clean. And it is not long gone, since that place was
> > > destroyed.
> > >
> > > _Gesta Romanorum_ (or _Deeds of the Romans_) is a mediaeval
> > > collection of tales gathered from a very wide range of
> > > sources (despite the title), retold and voluminously
> > > moralized. The translator has been kind enough to cut most
> > > of the morals down to essentials, as in this excerpt.
> > >
> > > Tale XXIV
> > >
> > > Of the Suggestions of the Devil
> > >
> > > There was a celebrated magician, who had a very beautiful
> > > garden, in which grew flowers of the most fragrant flavour.
> > > In short, nothing on earth could exceed it. But he
> > > invariably refused admittance to all except fools, or such
> > > as were his enemies. When suffered to pass in, however,
> > > their wonder was extreme; and they straightway implored to
> > > be allowed to remain. But the magician would grant this boon
> > > to no one who did not give up his inheritance to him. The
> > > fools, of course, believing it to be Paradise, while they
> > > themselves were the chosen and happy possessors of the land,
> > > gave not another thought to the future. The consequence was
> > > that, one night, finding them asleep, the magician cut them
> > > off; and thus, through the instrumentality of a factitious
> > > Eden, perpetrated the foulest enormities.
> > >
> > > Application
> > >
> > > My beloved, the magician is the world. It supplies what is
> > > called wealth; and this, when men have obtained, they close
> > > their hand upon it, and believe themselves rich. Presently
> > > they open their hands, and the treasure has disappeared.
> > >
> > > Robert Burton's encyclopedic masterpiece, _The Anatomy of
> > > Melancholy: What It Is, With All the Kinds, Causes,
> > > Symptomes, Prognostickes & Severall Cures of It_, includes a
> > > retelling of the story:
> > >
> > > A Tartar prince, saith Marcus Polus [Marco Polo], lib. I,
> > > cap. 28, called Senex de Montibus [the Old Man of the
> > > Mountains], the better to establish his government amongst
> > > his subjects, and to keep them in awe, found a convenient
> > > place in a pleasant valley, environed with hills, in which
> > > "he made a delicious park full of odoriferous flowers and
> > > fruits, and a palace of all worldly contents" that could
> > > possibly be devised, music, pictures, variety of meats,
> > > etc., and chose out a certain young man, whom with a
> > > soporiferous potion he so benumbed that he perceived
> > > nothing; "and so, fast asleep as he was, caused him to be
> > > conveyed into this fair garden"; where after he had lived
> > > awhile in all such pleasures a sensual man could desire, "he
> > > cast him into a sleep again, and brought him forth, that
> > > when he awaked he might tell others he had been in
> > > Paradise." The like he did for hell, and by this means
> > > brought his people to subjection.
> > >
> > > Donn Byrne, _Messer Marco Polo_ (1921) In this nifty little
> > > Oriental fantasy, an Irish story-teller describes the
> > > adventures of Marco Polo, taking a small amount of poetic
> > > liberty with the details, such as in this visit with Hassan
> > > bin Sabbah.
> > >
> > > And they came to Alamoot, the fortress of _Senex de Monte_,
> > > the Old Man of the Mountain, the King of the Assasins [sic],
> > > the greatest wizard of all time . . .
> > >
> > > Now this is the tale of the Old Man of the Mountain.
> > >
> > > Whenever within his dominions there was a fine young
> > > horseman, the Old Man would put a spell on him and draw him
> > > to the Castle of Alamoot, and outside of the castle sleep
> > > would come on him. And when he woke up, he would be inside
> > > the castle, in the wonderful gardens. And they'd tell him he
> > > was dead and in paradise. And paradise it would be for him,
> > > what with the lovely women and the great playing on the
> > > flutes, the birds singing, and the sun shining, the crystal
> > > rivers and the flowers of the world. And after a while the
> > > Old Man of the Mountain would call for him, and tell him he
> > > was sending him back on earth again on a mission to punish
> > > Such-and-Such. And the Old Man would put sleep on him and a
> > > knife in his hand, and when he woke he would be outside the
> > > Castle of Alamoot. And he would start on his mission. And
> > > when he came back he would be readmitted to paradise. And if
> > > he didn't come back, there were others to take his place.
> > >
> > > The Old Man of the Mountain always kept one hundred and one
> > > assasins [sic] and four hundred and four women to tend them.
> > >
> > > Now when the caravan of the Polos had come to rest for the
> > > day, the Old Man of the Mountain put out white, not black
> > > magic, and he drew Marco Polo to the castle as a magnet
> > > draws a needle. And Marco Polo galloped up to the Castle in
> > > the waning moon, and the Old Man looked down on him from the
> > > battlements and stroked his long white beard.
> > >
> > > "Do you know me, Marco Polo?"
> > >
> > > "I know you and I have no fear of you, Old Man of the
> > > Mountain."
> > >
> > > "And why have you no fear of me, Marco Polo?"
> > >
> > > "Because the cross of the Lord Jesus is between me and harm.
> > > Because it protects me night and day."
> > >
> > > "I know Eesa ben Miriam [i.e., Jesus son of Mary]," said the
> > > Old Man. "He was a great prophet. But whether he would have
> > > protected you from me, we will differ about that. I've often
> > > thought of you, Marco Polo, and you coming this way. I could
> > > have used you in my work of keeping the kings and chieftains
> > > of the world in fear and subjection."
> > >
> > > "Then why amn't [sic] I in your garden, Old Man of the
> > > Mountain?"
> > >
> > > "The four most beautiful women in the world are in my
> > > garden. There is a tall, black-haired woman, and she is
> > > fairer and more adroit than Lilith, who was before Eve; and
> > > there is a tall, blond woman, and she is like a queen; and
> > > there is a slim, copper-colored woman, and she is like an
> > > idol in a shrine; and there is a little brown-haired woman,
> > > and she is like a child. But none of those women could make
> > > you believe you were in paradise while there's a face in
> > > your heart. Not the cross of the Lord Jesus is between you
> > > and me, but the face of little Golden Bells of China."
> > >
> > > "But I am not going to China to woo Golden Bells, Old Man of
> > > the Mountain. I am going to convert the men of Cathay."
> > >
> > > The Old Man of the Mountain laughed and stroked his beard.
> > >
> > > "You had a sermon from Gregory before you came away. Did he
> > > tell you you were to convert the men of Cathay?"
> > >
> > > "He did not."
> > >
> > > "Ah, Gregory's a sound man. He knew you can't make saints in
> > > a day. Why, child, I've seen the beginning of the world, and
> > > I've seen the end of it. I've seen the beginning in a
> > > crystal glass, and I've seen the end in a pool of ink in a
> > > slave's hand. I've seen mankind begin lower nor the
> > > gibbering ape, and I've seen them end the shining sons of
> > > God. Millions on millions on millions of years, multiplied
> > > unto dizziness, crawling, infinitesimal work on overcoming
> > > nature, overcoming themselves, overcoming the princes of the
> > > powers of darkness, one of whom I am. But this is too deep
> > > for you, Marco Polo.
> > >
> > > "Now you can go on your way without hindrance from me, Marco
> > > Polo, because of the memory of an old time, when the
> > > courting of a woman was more to me than the killing of a
> > > man, when beauty meant more nor power.
> > >
> > > "Let you be on your way, Marco Polo, while I sit here a
> > > lonely old man, with wee soft ghosts whispering to him. Let
> > > you be hastening on your way before I remember I am a prince
> > > of the powers of darkness and should do you harm . . ."
> > >
> > > Robert E. Howard's novel _Three-Bladed Doom_, published
> > > posthumously in 1977, involves a revival of the Assassins.
> > > From their secret base in Afghanistan, these hemp-maddened
> > > fanatics carry out terrorist attacks against the West. When
> > > the protagonist, Francis Xavier Gordon, confronts their
> > > leader, they both seem to have come fresh from reading
> > > reference works on the Assassins.
> > >
> > > "Then you know our purpose? Our ambition?"
> > >
> > > "I know what you call yourselves. Long ago there was another
> > > city on a mountain, ruled by _emirs_ who called themselves
> > > Shaykhs Al Jebal-the Old Men of the Mountain. Their
> > > followers were called Assassins. They were hemp-eaters,
> > > _hashish_ addicts, and their terrorist methods made the
> > > Shaykhs feared all over Western Asia."
> > >
> > > "Aye!" a dark fire lit the Persian's eyes. "Saladin himself
> > > feared them. The Crusaders feared them. The Shah of Persia,
> > > the _emirs_ of Damascus, the Khalifs of Baghdad, the Sultans
> > > of Egypt and of the Seljuks paid tribute to the Shaykhs Al
> > > Jebal. They did not lead armies in the field; they fought by
> > > poison and fire and the triple-bladed dagger that bit in the
> > > dark. Their scarlet-cloaked emissaries of death went forth
> > > with hidden daggers to do their bidding. And kings died in
> > > Cairo, in Jerusalem, in Samarcand, in Brusa. On Mount
> > > Alamut, in Persia, the first Shaykh, Hassan ibn Sabah, built
> > > his great castle-city, with its hidden gardens where his
> > > followers were permitted to taste the joys of paradise where
> > > dancing girls fair as _houris_ flitted among the blossoms
> > > and the dreams of _hashish_ gilded all with rapture."
> > >
> > > "The follower was drugged and placed in the garden," grunted
> > > Gordon. "He thought he was in the Prophet's Paradise. Later
> > > he was drugged again and removed, and told that to regain
> > > this rapture he had only to obey the Shaykh to the death. No
> > > king was ever given such absolute obedience as the _fedauis_
> > > accorded the Shaykhs. Until the Mongols under Hulagu Khan
> > > destroyed their mountain castles in 1256, they threatened
> > > Oriental civilization with destruction."
> > >
> > > "Aye! And I am a direct descendant of Hassan ibn Sabah!" A
> > > fanatical light gleamed in his dark eyes. "Throughout my
> > > youth I dreamed of the greatness of my ancestors. Wealth
> > > that flowed suddenly from the barren lands of my
> > > family-western money that came to me from minerals found
> > > there-made the dream become reality. Othman el Aziz became
> > > Shaykh Al Jebal!
> > >
> > > "Hassan ibn Sabah was a follower of Ismail, who taught that
> > > all deeds and men are one in the sight of Allah. The
> > > Ismailian creed is broad and deep as the sea. It overlooks
> > > racial and religious differences, and unites men of opposing
> > > sects. It is the one power that can ultimately lead to a
> > > united Asia. The people of my own native hills had not
> > > forgotten the teachings of Ismail, nor the gardens of the
> > > _hashishin_. It was from them I recruited my first
> > > followers. But others soon flocked to me in the mountains of
> > > Kurdistan where I had my first stronghold-Yezidees, Kurds,
> > > Druses, Arabs, Persians, Turks-outlaws, men without hope,
> > > who were ready even to forswear Muhammad for a taste of
> > > Paradise on earth. But the _Batini_ creed forswears nothing;
> > > it unites. My emissaries travelled throughout Asia, drawing
> > > followers to me. I chose my men carefully. My band has grown
> > > slowly, for each member was tested to prove that he was fit
> > > for my service. Race and creed make no difference; I have
> > > among my _fedauis_ Moslems, Hindus, worshippers Melek Taus
> > > from Mount Lelesh, worshippers of Erlik from the Gobi.
> > >
> > > "Four years ago I came with my followers to this city, then
> > > a crumbling mass of ruins, unknown to the hillmen because
> > > their superstitious legends kept them far from it. Centuries
> > > ago it was a city of the Assassins, and was laid waste by
> > > the Mongols. When I came, the buildings were crumbled stone,
> > > the canals filled with rubble, the groves grown wild and
> > > tangled. It took three years to rebuild it, and most of my
> > > fortune went into the labor, for bringing material here
> > > secretly was tedious and dangerous work. We brought it out
> > > of Persia, from the west, over the old caravan route, and up
> > > an ancient ramp on the western side of the plateau, which I
> > > have since destroyed. But at last I looked upon forgotten
> > > Shalizahr as it was in the days of the ancient Shaykhs.
> > >
> > > "Look!" He rose and beckoned Gordon to follow him. The giant
> > > blacks closed in on each side of the Shaykh, and he led the
> > > way into an alcove unsuspected until one of the negroes drew
> > > aside a tapestry behind the throne. They stood in a latticed
> > > balcony looking down into a garden enclosed by a
> > > fifteen-foot wall, which wall was almost completely masked
> > > by thick shrubbery. An exotic fragrance rose from masses of
> > > trees, shrubs and blossoms, and silvery fountains tinkled
> > > musically. Gordon saw women moving among the trees, unveiled
> > > and scantily clad in filmy silk and jewel-crusted
> > > velvet-slim, supple girls, Arab and Persian and Hindu,
> > > mostly, and he suddenly saw the explanation of the
> > > mysterious disappearances of certain Indian girls, which of
> > > late years had increased too greatly to be explained by
> > > casual kidnappings of native princelings. Men, looking like
> > > opium-sleepers, lay under the trees on silken cushions, and
> > > native music wailed melodiously from unseen musicians. It
> > > was easy to understand how an Oriental, his senses at once
> > > drugged and inflamed by _hashish_, would believe himself to
> > > be in the Prophet's Paradise, upon awakening in that
> > > fantastic garden.
> > >
> > > "I have copied, and improved upon, the _hashish_ garden of
> > > Hassan ibn Sabah," said the Shaykh, at last closing the
> > > cleverly disguised casement and turning back into the
> > > throneroom.
> > >
> > > Mack Reynolds' _After Utopia_ (1977) is one of a large
> > > number of science-fiction novels by this author, exploring
> > > different socio-politico-economic systems, usually in the
> > > year 2000. This one introduces a device that will create a
> > > dream to order, subjectively indistinguishable from reality.
> > >
> > > Tracy said, "Well, one thing that's always intrigued me was
> > > the gardens of Hasan Ben Sabbah."
> > >
> > > Jo Edmonds said, "Never heard of him. Stretch out on the bed
> > > here. You can do this yourself, after the first time. I'll
> > > show you how."
> > >
> > > Tracy obeyed orders. "Nothing can go wrong, eh?"
> > >
> > > Edmonds put electrodes on both of Tracy's eyes and one at
> > > the nape of his neck. "The idea is," he explained "to send
> > > low-frequency pulses to your cerebral cortex. All right, now
> > > tell all you know about this Hasan-whatever-his-name-was and
> > > about those gardens of his."
> > >
> > > Tracy said, "I read a biography about him while I was in a
> > > concentration camp. Hasan Ben Sabbah was a contemporary of
> > > Omar Khayyam, the poet. In fact, they went to school
> > > together and were friends. Hasan became head of the Persian
> > > sect of the Ismailian Moslems and began a reign of terror in
> > > the country. He seized the castle of Alamut on a mountain
> > > just south of the Caspian Sea, and it was there he built
> > > possibly the most fabulous gardens ever known. When the
> > > Crusaders came, he was known to them as the Old Man of the
> > > Mountains. He became the most powerful force in Persia. This
> > > is how his system worked. He would take one of his younger,
> > > stronger-and more stupid, it's to be assumed-men and feed
> > > him some hashish. The follower would pass out and when he
> > > awakened find himself dressed like a Prince from the Arabian
> > > Knights [sic]. He would be in beautiful gardens the
> > > fountains of which gushed wine, supposedly forbidden by
> > > Allah on Earth, but available in abundance in paradise. The
> > > walks of these fabulous gardens were graveled with precious
> > > and semiprecious stones. The buildings were probably similar
> > > to those later erected by the Moors in Spain in Grenada, the
> > > Alhambra.
> > >
> > > "The follower was a simple Arab. He probably came from a
> > > small desert town, or had been in nomad tents. This to him
> > > was inconceivable. The most water he had probably ever seen
> > > in his life would have been only enough to quench his
> > > thirst. He had probably never been clean before in his life.
> > > But the baths and fountains here were everywhere. On top of
> > > all else, there were eight of the most beautiful women he
> > > had ever dreamed of, and they came in a wide selection of
> > > flavors. And they all adored him. They were obviously the

> > > houris promised by Mohammed for each man when he entered
> > > paradise. They were supposedly not truly human-because the
> > > Moslem woman does not enter paradise, but only the man-but
> > > each was more beautiful than any woman on Earth. At least,
> > > the Hasan follower must have thought so, probably never
> > > having seen a truly beautiful woman in his life, certainly
> > > not unveiled.
> > >
> > > "On him they pressed the most delicious food he had ever
> > > eaten. They vied for his favors. They continued to ply him
> > > with hashish. They played exotic music for him, sang softly
> > > to him, saw he was most comfortable on his cushions. And,
> > > above all, they submitted him to every sexual act known at
> > > the time . . . and they knew as much then as ever before or
> > > after. [ellipsis in original]
> > >
> > > "Before he became seated [sated?], they gave him still more
> > > hashish so that he passed out again. When he awakened, he
> > > was back in the presence of Hasan Ben Sabbah, in that
> > > worthy's throne room. The follower was again in his original
> > > dirt and rags, and probably had a hangover, at least a
> > > slight one, from the unaccustomed wine, the rich food, the
> > > sex, and the hashish.
> > >
> > > "Hasan explained to him gently that he had just been to
> > > paradise, just as a sample of what would be his for all
> > > eternity if he but followed the commands of Hasan Ben
> > > Sabbah, leader of all the faithful Ismailians. Upon death,
> > > in the service of Hasan, he would immediately return to
> > > paradise and his eight houris. Obviously, the simple
> > > countryman swore devotion.
> > >
> > > "Hasan would then dispatch him to assassinate this vizier,
> > > this sheik, or that emir, who was currently standing the way
> > > of Ismailian ambitions. When it comes to assassination,
> > > there is little defense against who is willing to die in the
> > > attempt. Or, if there was a successful defense against the
> > > first one, another assassin came, and a third, and a fourth.
> > > And finally the proposed victim either got the message and
> > > made his peace with Hasan, or, sooner or later, he fell to
> > > the knives of the assassins.
> > >
> > > "The origin of the word assassin is debated. It is evidently
> > > either derived from 'Hasan' or 'hashish' the drug he
> > > befuddled his followers with."
> > >
> > > "To use your favorite term, Jesus Christ," Jo Edmonds said.
> > > "Just what do you want to dream doing in this garden of
> > > Hasan Ben Sabbah?"
> > >
> > > Tracy said, "I want to enter it exactly as did his drugged
> > > followers. I'll have to be able to speak Arabic or Persian,
> > > or whatever it was they spoke in Omar Khayyam's time. Either
> > > that, or whoever I meet will have to speak English."
> > >
> > > "That's no problem," Edmonds said. "All right. Here you go."
> > > He reached over to the small table beside bed and flicked a
> > > switch.
> > >
> > > James Branch Cabell, "The Music from Behind the Moon:
> > > Another Comedy of Woman-Worship" (combined with _Domnei: A
> > > Comedy of Woman-Worship_ in most editions, hence the
> > > subtitle) makes a brief mention, as follows.
> > >
> > > Just so it fared with Madoc in many kingdoms. He wandered
> > > everywhither, writing noble songs with his black pen. He
> > > sang these songs before great notabilities, before the
> > > Soldan of Ethiopia under a purple awning worked with silver
> > > crescents, and before the Pope of Rome in a white marble
> > > room quite empty of all furnishing, and before the Old Man
> > > of the Mountains beside a fire in a grove of fir trees at
> > > midnight. Everywhere people of every estate delighted in
> > > Madoc's song-making.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Dan Clore
> > > mailto:clore@columbia-center.org
> > >
> > > Now available: _The Unspeakable and Others_
> > > Including all my fiction through 2001, and more.
> > > http://www.wildsidepress.com/index2.htm
> > > http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587154838/thedanclorenecro
> > >
> > > Lord We˙rdgliffe:
> > > http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9879/
> > > Necronomicon Page:
> > > http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9879/necpage.htm
> > > News for Anarchists & Activists:
> > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
> > >
> > > I've watched the dogs of war enjoying their feast
> > > I've seen the western world go down in the east
> > > The food of love became the greed of our time
> > > But now we're living on the profits of crime
> > > --Black Sabbath, "Hole in the Sky"

--
**********************************************
Dagon Productions
Chaos Magick & Occult books
http://www.dagonproductions.com
info@dagonproductions.com



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Dan Clore wrote:

> Dagon Productions wrote:
> > Matango wrote:
> >
> > > I read somewhere (Hakim Bey, I think), that "Assassins", the term,
> > > comes from "Hashishim", regarding their practice of numbing the body
> > > with hashish before a battle...
> > >
> > The etymology of the words "assassin" and "hashish" do not point
> > conclusively to the above... in fact there has been much speculation
> > on the origin of both words over the years. There is an excellent
> > chapter on this subject in "The Assassin Legends - Myths of
> > the Isma'ilis" by Farhad Daftary... one of the better scholars on
> > the subject of the Nizari Isma'ilis.
>
> A more likely derivation is from _asas_ meaning something
> like a saint or holy man. They don't seem to have ever used
> the term themselves.
>

Can you cite a source for this claim... I have not been able to
find anything in my reference books on the Assassins pertaining
to such.

I have found a reference to the term "assis" which was a word
they used for the hemp plant though.


>
> > There is also no conclusive evidence pointing to the adherents
> > smoking hashish as its use was not condoned within the Nizari
> > Isma'ilis. Myths suggest it was used primarily as an inducement in
> > recruiting new initiates and possibly by those trained as assassins.
> > Though the use of intoxicants to recruit new members does not
> > seem unreasonable I find the attribution of drug use to the Nizari
> > Isma'ilis to be dubious considering Hasan Ibn Sabahs own
> > abstentious nature as well as having his son executed for public
> > drunkeness.
>
> The Nizari Isma'ilis would certainly have known of the
> effects of hashish, as it was in common use in that time and
> place. This includes among Sufis who used it for spiritual
> illumination.

I agree.


> So, it's not unlikely that the Nizari
> Isma'ilis used hashish, but there would be nothing special
> about such use.

I thought so for years... but current research seems to lean
away from such a stance these days.



> The two stories about their use are both
> likely false. The idea of using hashish while fighting or
> performing an assassination is ridiculous. (The idea that it
> induces a fearless fighting ability seems to be longlived,
> though. One rumor that spread during the Lon Nol regime in
> Cambodia was that the Khmer Rouge gained their fierceness
> through use of hashish, so the Lon Nol soldiers started
> taking it. It did not improve their fighting ability any
> more than the special uniforms equipped with magic sigils
> that Lon Nol had designed for them made bullets bounce off.)
> They still might have used it for its painkilling effects.
> The story about the phony garden of paradise is more
> interesting. Here the big problem would be the location of
> this garden. William Burroughs' buddy Brion Gysin actually
> visited the fortress at Alamut, and if there was any sort of
> garden there it was in the valley below. But see Burroughs'
> comments in _Ah Pook Is Here_ on this matter.

Hard to say if the garden was "phony," since it was destroyed.
I haven't read _Ah Pook is Here_ in a decade but after quickly
thumbing through it I did not find any references to Alamut or
Gysin... could you cite the passage you are refering to?

Gysin did visit Alamut and I've not previously heard of the
garden being in the valley... but here are some pics I have on
file of what is left of Alamut:

http://www.dagonproductions.com/alamuta.jpg

http://www.dagonproductions.com/alamutb.jpg

http://www.dagonproductions.com/alamutc.jpg

-Douglas
--
**********************************************
Dagon Productions
Chaos Magick & Occult books
http://www.dagonproductions.com
info@dagonproductions.com




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