Part 6
The Hindus love amusements. They are fond of music and have many curious instruments. Dancing girls dance for the amusement of guests at feasts given in the homes of the wealthy. They usually take their own musicians with them; one of these plays upon a little drum, the other on a kind of guitar. Street exhibitions are frequent. Parties of acrobats go about performing feats. Everyone has heard of the Hindu jugglers. Mr. Ward describes some tricks he saw done. Thus, the juggler spreads a cloth on the ground: in a moment a movement is seen under it: the cloth is raised and under it are pineapples growing. The juggler picks the fruit and presents it to the spectators to show that it is real. Again, he takes a large, clay jar, fills it with water, and turns it upside down to let the water run out; when he turns it up again, it is full of water. Again, he puts a lean dog into a common basket; opening it, he shows the dog with a litter of pups; covering these and opening again, there is a goat; again the basket is put down and raised and shows a live pig; again—and the pig is dead with its throat cut; then he ends the trick by again covering and uncovering, when the pig is seen alive and well. _How_ does he do it? Almost as wonderful as these juggler’s tricks are the performances of the snake charmers. They carry the dreaded, poisonous cobras around in baskets and handle them, playing at the same time on their little flutes, quite as if the creatures were entirely harmless.
Nowhere in the world are there more dreadful religious customs than in India. People there are so crowded that life is hard. The result of this was that parents often destroyed their little babies, particularly girls. Often the mothers themselves threw the little beings into the sacred river, where they were drowned in its waters or were eaten by crocodiles. At the great religious festivals, men tortured themselves fearfully, or threw themselves under the chariot of the god that they might be crushed to death. The dead among the Hindus were usually cremated—burned upon a great open fire of wood. Formerly the widow of the dead man mounted the funeral pyre and was burned with his body. The English government has put an end to many of these practices, and among them this _suttee_, or burning of the widow. It has really done little good, as a widow’s life is so sad that she might almost better die. A widow must shave her head, wear miserable clothing, and serve every one like a slave: she is despised and harshly treated.
Few peoples have caused as much wonder as the Gypsies. With their swarthy complexions, black hair and eyes, and handsome faces, they are a striking type. They love out-door life, and hate to be within walls. They wander from place to place, pitching their tents where fancy leads them. They are tinkers, mending pots and kettles; they are horseshoers, jockeys, horse traders, horse doctors; they tell fortunes, in which almost all of us believe a little, and every one fears them a little. There are many thousands of them in the United States: there are many in Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Poland, and other European countries; they are in North Africa, in Mexico, in Brazil, in India. Everywhere they are the same, and everywhere they talk their own language, the _Romany_. It is believed that they first came from India, and that they are related to the Hindus.
XIX. TODAS.
In the “hill country” of India live many curious brown peoples whose languages are different from the Aryan tongue of the Hindus. These peoples, called Dravidians, are considered the earliest occupiers of India. Among them no tribe is more curious than the Todas. In some ways they are like the Ainu. Though brown, they are probably really white or Caucasic. They have the features, strong beards, and hairy bodies of whites, and in these respects are like the Ainu.
The Todas live on a tableland whose surface is covered with hills and rolling prairies. The hills are clad with coarse grass, and in some of the valleys are deep forests. The sunshine is bright and warm, and the dry season is long.
The Todas think only of their cattle. They do not hunt—in fact, they have no weapons; they do not cultivate any fields, getting what plant food they use from the Badagas and other neighboring tribes. But they _do_ raise cattle—buffalo. Their villages are located in the midst of pasture land. No village is occupied for a whole year, but the people have always at least two villages and live first in one, then in the other. This is to have fresh pasture for their cattle and to be secure in the wet season. Toda villages contain but few houses, most of which consist of a single room eight feet square; sometimes two or three such rooms are set side by side—these do not open into each other, but each has an outside door. The roofs of these houses are thatched and project a yard or so beyond the house walls. The people sit under the shelter of these projecting roofs while they work or visit. There are no windows or chimneys to the houses. Everything in the house has its proper place—the pestle and mortar for pounding grain, the fireplace, and the raised bank of clay that serves the old people as a sleeping place. Near the house is a pen of stones and mud for the owner’s cattle.
All the cattle of the villages are herded together. There is one dairy for the village, and all the cattle are milked there by special dairymen. After milking, these men give out so much milk as is needed to every one in the village; from the balance they make butter which they divide to the men of the village according to the number of cattle each owns. We have already said that the Todas raise no crops. The Badagas and Kotas live on the land of the Todas; they are stronger and more vigorous than the Todas, and both tribes have weapons and could easily defeat them in battle. But they live in peace with them and pay them, as rent for their land, grains and other produce they need.
We have spoken of the common village herds. There are other (sacred) herds, which are cared for by dairymen priests, who are themselves almost worshipped. The priest has an assistant who cuts wood for him and otherwise serves him. When the priest milks the sacred cows, and he alone may do so, he repeats a prayer. He does the same when he carries the milk into the dairy. The village people treat him and his assistant with great respect and may not touch them, nor any of the implements they use. Men and boys may go to the wall that encloses the dairy buildings, but may not enter. Women may not go near the place.
The cows in the sacred herds have descended from sacred cows of the past. In each herd there is an especially sacred “bell-cow.” This means that she is the owner of an ancient cow-bell which the dairyman priest keeps in the dairy. It belonged to her mother before her and to _her_ mother, and so on back. When a bell-cow dies, the bell has to be put upon her daughter. The priest brings it out from the dairy and waves it around and around the head of the cow morning and night for three days. As he does so he says:—
“What a fine cow your predecessor was. How well she supported us with milk; Won’t you supply us in like manner? You are a god among us. Do not let the Tirieri[2] go to ruin. Let one become a thousand! Let all be well! Let us have plenty of calves! Let us have plenty of milk!”
The cow wears the bell for three days and nights, after which it is taken off forever. It is not used again until the old cow dies and her daughter is then made bell-cow in her place.
Footnote 2:
Sacred dairy.
Perhaps you would like to know how the priest fills his time? One day is much like another with him. When he rises he washes his face, hands, and teeth. He makes a little lamp from a leaf and after filling it with butter places five wicks in it. After lighting it he sets it to burn in front of the ancient bells and other sacred objects. He then takes his staff and bamboo milk pail and goes to milk the cows. He salutes them and prays to them before milking. Carrying the milk into the dairy, he sprinkles some drops upon the sacred bells as an offering and repeats the names of the gods. He then makes butter from the milk of the preceding day. His work is now done, and he prepares food for himself and his assistant. This man then drives the herd to pasture and gathers firewood. The last thing before going to sleep at night, the priest puts fresh butter and wicks into the little lamp before the bells.
The Todas have other curious customs, but we have no space to describe them. Their salutations, the naming of children, the yearly feast, when they eat a young buffalo bull (they rarely eat meat at any other time), and their funeral customs are all interesting. Every man who dies among the Todas has _two_ funerals, called the green and the dry funeral, a year apart.
XX. ANDAMANESE: MINCOPIES.
East of British India and south of Cochin-China in the Bay of Bengal are the Andaman Islands, on which the Mincopies live. They are small in stature, black or _dark_ brown, with broad round heads, and crinkly or woolly hair. They are often called _negritos_, or little negroes.
An Englishman named Man lived for some years in the Andaman Islands and became much interested in the little blacks. He learned their language and has described their customs.
The Mincopies are true savages, living entirely on wild food; they are gentle and non-savage in disposition. The islands are well supplied with food. “The sea which washes their coasts is full of fish and abounds with turtles; the jungles are filled with wild pigs; the bees furnish abundance of wild honey.” From plants they get roots and fruits. They have no cultivated fields and no domestic animals. Although savages, these little people know how to build good houses. These are huts some thirty-five by forty feet; the framework is of posts and poles and the firm thatch is of palm leaves. The huts are arranged about an oval or elliptical cleared space, where they hold their dances. When off on long hunting trips the Mincopies build rude shelters of branches and leaves. In their villages boys and girls, unless they are still babies, do not sleep in the houses with grown persons, but there are two special sleeping houses—one for boys and the other for girls. In the houses of the Mincopies fires are kept burning. It is said that these people do not know how to kindle fire; if this is true, they are almost the only people who are ignorant of this important knowledge. They are careful of the fires they have and feed them well.
Unless they think they have some reason to fear strangers, the Mincopies receive them kindly. The little children are taught to respect visitors. “They are the first served; the best dishes are offered to them; they are accompanied at their departure; before separating they clasp hands, and instead of embracing they blow in each other’s faces; then they engage in an affectionate dialogue. Finally they separate with mutual promises of meeting again.”
The adoption of children is common among Mincopies. It is rare that any child remains with its parents after it is six or seven years old. Some friend of the family wishes to show his friendship and asks to adopt the child. The little one goes to his house and belongs to him. The parents may visit him in his new home, but no longer have any control over him. His new father may do what he likes with him, even to giving him away to some other person who may wish to adopt him. When children are about twelve years of age, they begin a fast, which is kept up until they are almost men and women; during that time they must not eat turtle, pork, fish, or honey. After several years of thus fasting, they may again eat these foods.
There are rules about foods for grown persons, too. During certain parts of the year they must not eat some kinds of roots and fruits; their god Puluga will be displeased if they do. Children must not eat the flesh of the two water animals, the dugong and porpoise. And to _every_ person there is some one kind of food which he must not eat in all his life; this forbidden food differs with the persons.
We have said a good deal about the kindness of the Mincopies: they are not always good. They have their quarrels and battles like the rest of the world. They are quick-tempered and often become angry for a small offence. When a Mincopy _is_ angry, he acts like a naughty child, striking and breaking everything around him, even his own choicest treasures. Trouble sometimes breaks out between two tribes in the midst of a feast. In their wars they destroy and carry off property; they take no prisoners among the men, killing the wounded, but children of the enemy are usually kept alive and kindly treated. Sometimes they try to harm enemies by witchcraft, or conjuring. They think that Puluga dislikes the smell of burning beeswax and will, in his anger, send forth a storm. So, when they know that their enemy is going fishing or hunting, they burn beeswax so that the angry Puluga will send a storm.
Most curious is the funeral of a child among the Andamanese. When a little one dies there is general weeping. Parents and friends paint their bodies with clay; their heads are fresh shaved, and upon them, over the forehead, men place a lump of clay, while women put one upon the top of the head. The mother prepares the little body for burial; she shaves and paints the head, neck, wrists, and knees with red ochre; she then folds the little body together and wraps it in great leaves and binds the bundle thus made with cords. The grave is dug in the floor of the hut, under the fireplace. After gently blowing a few times upon the little face in farewell, the child is buried and the fire is rebuilt over the grave. The mother leaves a few drops of her own milk in a cup on the grave. The hut is then deserted, a garland of rushes being fastened around it to show that a death has taken place. The whole village then moves, that the child’s spirit may not be disturbed. After three months of mourning, they all return. The little skeleton is dug up, the bones are painted red or yellow and distributed as keepsakes to the friends, who wear them as necklaces in memory of the dead child. This seems dreadful to us, but our people often keep locks of hair cut from a dead child’s head; it is the same thing. At this time the lumps of clay, signs of mourning, are removed from the heads and foreheads. Some days later, there is a gathering of all the friends. The father, holding his remaining children in his arms, sings a mourning song: the women take part in the chorus, and all the rest cry noisily. The parents then dance “the dance of tears,” after which they withdraw to the hut. The visitors keep up the dance some hours longer.
XXI. ARABS.
The old home of the Arabs was Arabia; to-day they are found not only in Arabia, but over half of Asia and all of Northern Africa. Their great wanderings began with the founding of Mohammedanism about the year 622 A.D. Full of zeal, the Arabs carried the new religion in every direction.
The Arab is a white man, but a dark one. His language belongs to the Semitic family and resembles the old Hebrew language. Arabic is a soft and poetical language which is spoken to-day by myriads of people who are not Arabs by blood. The Arab is of moderate stature; he is thin but muscular, and has great endurance; he has a long head and a narrow, oval face; his nose is long, thin, and prominent; his hair and eyes are black.
We always think of the Arab as dwelling in tents. This is only partly true. In Arabia itself about one-fourth of the Arabs are wandering tent-dwellers; in Northern Africa, especially near the great desert, many are nomadic. But everywhere we also find settled, town-inhabiting Arabs also.
The tents of the desert Arabs are large, low, and flat; the covering is a firm wool and camel’s-hair cloth. During the daytime, at least, the sides are raised to permit the air to circulate. These tents are easily taken down and packed, and as easily set up. Desert Arabs have flocks of sheep and herds of goats, camels, and horses. Every one has heard of the beauty, gentleness, and spirit of the Arabian horses—the finest perhaps in the world. Their owners love them and treat them as tenderly as children. Horses are rarely used by Arabs as draught animals or burden bearers, but only for riding. The camel it is upon which the Arab packs his heavy burdens for desert travel. The nomad Arab lives chiefly on food drawn from his flocks and herds. Mutton is his most important meat; couscous is a favorite food (see Kabyles). The nomad Arabs are pillagers, and fall upon caravans of traders to rob them. Still they are hospitable to the stranger who comes to their tent asking shelter; in fact, they treat him with the greatest politeness. A table is set before him; he is given water to wash his hands; the master himself receives the food from the servants and places it before his guest. The Arabs admire strength and agility, and at evening, before their tents, the young men of the encampment practise tumbling, wrestling, hurling, and other feats of strength.
The town Arabs live in comfortable houses. Most of these are of a single story, though some are of two; they enclose a central open court; they are flat-roofed; a large gateway gives entrance to the court, and is high enough for a man on horseback to ride through. The flat house tops make a favorite resting-place in the cool of the day. Streets in Arab towns are narrow, crooked, and filthy. In Arab towns are noticed at once many domes and minarets: the domes usually mark some famous grave; the minarets, mosques. These graves are those of some pious Mohammedan saint. There are thousands of them to which the Arabs flock to say their prayers and to be cured of disease. Often at such tombs dervishes go through with their strange performances. Some pierce themselves with swords, with no signs of pain; others spin around and around on their heels until one wearies of watching them, and wonders why they do not fall.
The town Arab is more particular about his religion than the Bedouin dweller in the desert. He must—and every good Mohammedan _should_—wash his hands before eating; he must pray five times a day with his face turned toward Mecca. Mecca is so sacred to them because it was the home of Mohammed; every Arab and other good Mohammedan tries, once in his life, to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he must see the _Kaabah_, or black-stone. Arabs are much given to pious exclamations. Thus before eating or beginning any business they say _Bismallah_, which means _In God’s name_, and on finishing the meal or successfully completing the business they say _Hamdouallah_, _Praise God_. This piety does not interfere with the town Arab driving hard bargains in business. He loves trade and money. He frequently goes in caravans to trade in other places. The Arabs, too, are the slave-traders in Africa. This cruel business has not yet been stopped completely. The traders buy negroes where they can, and hunt them almost like wild animals when they cannot buy them. In some places the hunted beings take refuge in trees, which have been prepared as places of safety from which they defend themselves.
Formerly the Arabs were more important than now. Seven or eight hundred years ago Arabia was the world’s centre of learning—or at least the Arab cities were. At a time, when Europe had lost much of what she once possessed, the Arab world was full of philosophers, physicians, poets, and astrologers. From the Arabs Europe gained much of the knowledge that we now possess. But those bright days of Arabian glory are past. To-day the boys in Arab schools learn little but reading, writing, and arithmetic. They learn long passages from the Koran—the sacred book of Mohammedanism. The little fellows—for girls do not go to school—sit on the floor, and all study aloud, the louder the better, because then the teacher will know that they _are_ studying.
XXII. THE PEOPLES OF AFRICA: KABYLES.
We rightly think of Africa as the home of the negroes, but it is a mistake to think that no other peoples dwell in that continent. The peoples of North Africa are white peoples; their complexions are often dark, but in head, form, features, and character they are like Europeans, rather than negroes. There are many types in North Africa. There are the modern Egyptians, who look like their great and famous distant ancestors; there are the Berbers and Kabyles, of whom we shall say more later; there are Arabs; there are “Jews,” especially in Algeria, Morocco, and the other Barbary States; there are Moors also, who are a mixed people with some negro blood.
True Negro-Africa begins near the Equator and stretches southward. The Sudan is the great negro country. There are four areas in this Sudanese negro belt: the upper Nile valley, the Sudan proper, the Senegambian district, and Guinea. In these four sections the people are negroes, though here and there somewhat mixed. Most of Africa south of this negro belt is occupied by negroids, who consist of many tribes and resemble negroes in their narrow heads and woolly hair; they are, however, less dark in color, more graceful in build, and more intelligent. Scattered here and there in Equatorial Africa are bands of Pygmies, men and women among whom are like boys and girls among us in size. In far Southern Africa live the Bushmen and Hottentots, among negroid tribes.
The Kabyles are among the most interesting of North African peoples. There are two types, the dark and the light Kabyles. The latter have light skin, fair hair, blue eyes, and much resemble the light whites of Europe. The Kabyles are tall, well built, and active. They are industrious and love labor. They are a mountain people and love their home. Their towns are located upon the slopes or on the summits. The houses are usually of one story and have flat roofs. There are two rooms,—one for the family and the other for the animals. When there are two stories to a house, it shows that the owner has a married son living with him; the upper story has been built above the old house for the young couple. A little garden always surrounds the house. The Kabyl country is rather cold, and the houses are not widely separated, so that they assist in protecting each other against the winds. In winter the family lives in a sort of cellar under the house.
The Kabyles work hard to raise their little crops. Their fields are down in valleys or are terraced out on the hill slopes. They raise barley, wheat, gourds, cucumbers, and melons; they raise flax; they have some common cultivated plants that have been introduced from Mexico, as the prickly-pear cactus, maguey, maize, tobacco, and potato. The prickly pear and maguey are so common that landscapes in Algeria resemble those of Mexico. The Kabyles raise apples, pears, apricots, olives, figs, grapes, and nuts. They keep bees, and have quite a trade in wax. The men are good workers in metals and leather, and trade their wares to their neighbors.