Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, English, 1689-1762

Date of Travel: 1716-1718 

Lady Mary traveled to Constantinople with her husband, the ambassador.

Source: “To Lady Mar 18 April 1717.” 1965.  The Complete Letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Volume 1. Edited by Robert Halsband. Oxford: Clarendon Press .

Text and Commentary:

As the wife of the Ambassador to Turkey, Lady Mary was invited to dine at the house of the Grand Vizier’s Lady:

She entertain’d me with all kind of Civillity till Dinner came in, which was serv’d one Dish at a time, to a vast Number, all finely dress’d after their manner…

The Treat concluded with Coffee and perfumes, which is a high mark of respect, 2 slaves kneeling cens’d my Hair, Cloaths, and handkerchief. After this Ceremony she commanded her Slaves to play and dance, which they did with their Guitars in their hands and she excus’d to me their want of skill, saying she took no care to accomplish them in that art. I return’d her thanks and soon after took my Leave.”

Commentary: The dancers of this passage are all female slaves of the Grand Vizier’s Lady. Little is said about their specific technique but Lady Mary comments that the dancers get very little training and that the Grand Vizier’s Lady has no interest in changing that fact. However she states that they danced with guitars in their hands, which means that they not only danced but played the music they danced to. She does not state what nationality the dancers were, but considering the fact that they are in Turkey the dancers were probably of Turkish decent. The dancers themselves are women performing for women in a private area set aside for the women of the household (the Haram). This shows the practice of a widely verified custom of Middle Eastern culture and further proves that women entertain their guests with female dancers. Also, the dancers were of the lowest social standing as they were slaves and were robbed of their rights to choose.

Visit to the Kahya’s Lady (later that same night) at her home:

The very house confess’d the difference between an Old Devote and a young Beauty. It was nicely clean and magnificent. I was met at the door by 2 black Eunuch’s who led me through a long Gallery between 2 Ranks of beautifull young Girls with their Hair finely plaited almost hanging to their Feet, all dress’d in fine light damasks brocaded with silver….Entrance into a Large room, or rather Pavilion, built round with gilded sashes which were most of ‘em thrown up; and the Trees planted near them gave an agreeable Shade which hinder’d the Sun from being troublesome, the Jess’mins and Honey suckles that twisted round their Trunks sheding a soft perfume encreas’d by a white Marble fountain playing sweet Water in the Lower part of the room….On a sofa rais’d 3 steps and cover’d with fine Persian carpets sat the Kahya’s Lady, leaning on cushions of white Satin embrodier’d, and at her feet sat 2 young Girls, the eldest about 12 year old, lovely as Angels, dress’d perfectly rich and almost cover’d with Jewells.

Her fair Maids were rang’d below the Sofa to the number of 20, and put me in Mind of the pictures of the ancient Nymphs. I did not think all Nature could have furnish’d such a Scene of Beauty. She made them a sign to play and dance. 4 of them immediately begun to play some soft airs on Instruments between a Lute and a Guitarr, which they accompany’d with their voices while the others danc’d by turns. This Dance was very different from what I had seen before. Nothing could be more artfull or more proper to raise certain Ideas, the Tunes so soft, the motions so Languishing, accompany’d with pauses and dying Eyes, halfe falling back and then recovering themselves in so artfull a Manner that I am very positive the coldest and most rigid Prude upon Earth could not have look’d upon them without thinking of something not to be spoke of.”

Commentary: The dancing in this passage is more detailed then the previous one. The maids took turns dancing to the lute/guitar like music (possibly an oud) played by their peers. The author describes the dancing as being very different and moving. She admits that the dance brought on strong emotion. Her view of the dance as sexual is most likely brought on by the “artfull” or articulated hip movements and dips that were most likely performed. The author also refers to “the motions so languishing, accompany’d with pauses and dying Eyes.” By this she seems to be expressing the deep emotions of the dancers’ wistful or languid air so as to draw emotional sympathy from their audience. The dance seemed to move the author; she was entranced in the emotions of the dancers. Also, we learn from this passage that the dancers were better trained then the other dancers because there was no comment about their lack of training and the author describes more details about their style of dance. The dancers themselves were the maids of the household and not specifically professional dancers

From this passage the lifestyle of the wealthy Turkish women is conveyed.  In their harams they treated visiting women with respect and offered them entertainment. Both the Grand Vizier’s Lady and Kahya’s Lady were surrounded by female servants and slaves. The custom of entertaining their guests with music and dance is practiced by both women. Women dancing for other women to convey emotion and sexuality without tainting themselves by the hungry eyes of men were also practiced.

Rachael Shearouse