The House with the Belvedere is a house which cannot be entered without danger of sicknsss or death, and in this respect it resembles the haunted house in the story of Ali of Cairo. In the latter case, however, every one who entered was challenged by the Jinn in the name of a man for whom an enchanted treasure was reserved, and whoever did not respond to the name was put to death. In the tale now under consideration, the house is taken by a young man, who retains his health for some time, when he is accosted by an old woman (the usual go-between in Arab intrigues), who, finding him well, says, "I suppose thou hast not gone up to the upper story, neither looked out from the belvedere there."[1] On searching the garden, the young man finds a door covered with cobwebs, and hesitates to open it lest this should be a sign of death lurking within. (The incident of the cobwebs is probably taken from the story of Mohammad hiding in a cave during his Flight, and his pursuers being deceived by a spider's web woven over the mouth.) Our hero at length summons courage, ascends to the belvedere, and sees a beautiful damsel sitting in another belvedere, and at once falls ill with love. Ultimately he obtains possession of her by means of the old woman. In the corresponding and probably older story of the Concealed Robe in the Persian Book of Sindibad (given by Mr. Clouston in his work on Sindibad, p. 73) the secret door does not appear. But I believe that there is some connection between forbidden doors and the adventures of the god Frey in the Eddas. Othin and Frigga alone are privileged to sit on the throne Hliðskjálf, from whence they can view the whole earth ; but Frey, moved by curiosity, once ascended it, and, as a just punishment for his presumption, was seized with mad love for the giantess Gerda, whom he could only obtain by giving up to his messenger Skimir the sword which he ought to have reserved to fight the enemies of the gods; and, having thus lost his weapon, he will be slain by the terrible Surtur at the great battle of Ragnarõk ; and, although we are told that Surtur is to vanquish all the gods, yet Frey is the only antagonist with whom his encounter is specially mentioned.
- ↑ I have generally followed Sir Richard Burton's version, though in some cases I have preferred Lane's spelling of proper names.
