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1. Approaching the source of the Nile 3. Another discovery of the source of the Nile
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James Bruce
8. Floating hair
Why does Coleridge tell us to beware his floating hair?
Bruce accompanies the king of Abyssinia, Tecla Haimanout on a ride through
the country. But the king's long hair gets caught in a tree branch, and he
can only get free by taking off his cloak, debasing himself in public.
To recover his dignity, naturally, he kills the local leader, and his son.
Reason enough to fear someone with floating hair.
Lowes says:
That is not the sort of tale which one forgets. And with images of Tartary
and Abyssinia already freely telescoping in the dream, it seems highly
probable that some leap of association from Aloadine's assassins called up
that sharp-etched picture of the ruthless Abyssinian king whose floating
hair precipitated such a tragedy. 379
Text (The king) had desired me to ride before him, and shew him the horse I had
got from Fasil….It happened that, crossing the deep bed of a brook, a plant
of the kantuffa hung across it. I had upon my shoulders a white goat-skin,
of which it did not take hold; but the king, who was dressed in the habit of
peace, his long hair floating all around his face, wrapt up in his mantle,
or thin cotton cloak, so that nothing but his eyes could be seen, was paying
more attention to the horse than to the branch of kantuffa beside him; it
took first hold of his hair, and the fold of the cloak that covered his
head…in such a manner that…no remedy remained but he must throw off the
upper garment, and appear…with his head and face bare before all the
spectators.
This is accounted great disgrace to a king, who always appears covered in
public. However, he did not seem to be ruffled…but with great composure, and
in rather a low voice, he called twice, Who is the Shum of this district?
Unhappily he was not far off. A thin old man of sixty, and his son about
thirty, came trotting, as their custom is, naked to their girdle, and stood
before the king….The king asked if he was Shum of that place? He answered in
the affirmative, and added…that the other was his son.
There is always near the king, when he marches, an officer called Kanitz
Kitzera, the executioner of the camp; he has upon the tore of his saddle a
quantity of thongs made of bull's hide…this is called the tarade. The king
made a sign with his head, and another with his hand, without speaking, and
two loops of the tarade were instantly thrown round the Shum and his son's
neck, and they were both hoisted upon the same tree, the tarade cut, and the
end made fast to a branch. They were both left hanging…Bruce, IV, 65-67 |
 Other sources
William Bartram |