Habers and Their Dashes

(Our Serious Article)

A correspondent desires to know
more of the cult of dashing the haber
referred to in this column on Saturday.
Out of our erudition we are
ever ready to elucidate.

The origin of the ancient tribe of
dashers (pronounced dash-ers) is so
remote as to be lost in the mists of
ages. It is known that in the early
seventh century they flourished in
northern Mesopotamia. Each carried
a peculiar, wand-like weapon known
as the "haber," and with these they
fiercely dashed their enemies or
jousted with one another in tourna-
ment. They were very popular with
the ladies of the period, particularly
in England, where a strong off-shoot
of the tribe existed in 832-864 A.D.

One literary fragment that has been
preserved gives us some inkling of
the fierce valour of these interesting
Dashers. It runs:
"Eke, I'll dash mine haber for
    Emmaline
 On yo billowie bent of Lincoln
    Greene!
And, by my klobba and counter
    stroke,
She'll vow me a valyant Dasher
    bloque."

(N.B.—"Klobba" means the curious
mail worn by the Dashers.)

Unfortunately, during either the
late years of the ninth or the early part
of the tenth century, the Dashers con-
tracted the habit of cotton-biting.
This vice soon became general among
them, so that their enemies used to
say: "Give a Dasher enough cotton
and he'll bite himself to death."

This prophecy proved all too true,
and the lone surviving Dasher dashed
his last about 952 A.D.

Though the tribe vanished, the order
still persists, even to this day; but the
fierce war-like spirit is not quite so
marked.

If any archaeologist or University
professor cares to supply further in-
formation about these interesting
people it will be published gladly,
perhaps.

(Note.—The word "haber" is pro-
nounced ha-ber, and rhymes with
"jabber." The "h" is frequently not
silent.)