STRANGE CUSTOMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 April 1935, Page 10

STRANGE CUSTOMS

BENEATH THE HIMALAYAS. Tho Maharajah Sir Jodha Shum Shore Jung Bahadur Rana rules Nepal —where the Gurkhas come from, as Charley’s Aunt might say. This littl.eknown country up against the Himalayas! is called the modern Sparta by Colonel P. T. Etherton in “The Last Strongholds.” The Nepalese certainly share with the Spartans three things—a militant spirit, physical hardihood, and a love of laughter. In contrast to India, Nepal is a smiling principality. The children sing, whatever their studies, for the East believes that knowledge comes through the ears rather than through the eyes, and that primal song is part of the stuff of life. Singing schools are a feature of the Happy Valley, as also is the fact that young men do not have to shave their faces until after the age of twenty, rubbing on animal grease instead, a depilatory that makes them shiny and cheerful. Their sense of humour came out during a war with the Tibetans when the soldiers ran short of food. Being strict Hindus, they could not eat yaks, the oxen of the mountains. So the chief priests were prevailed upon by Army Headquarters to declare that, zoologically speaking, the yak was not a cow at all, but a deer. Tire men wore doubtful at first, since their eyes told them one thing and their leaders another, but. (heir sense of humour triumphed over difficulties. Tho Nepalese coolie carries everything—including his wife in a basket —on his head or back. Even motorcars aiftl lorries have to "be manhandled over the hills. The women, too. trudge along quite cheerfully with a basket-load of merchandise and a baby perched on top of it. the whole secured by a strap round the forehead. Tho record for weight-carrying was said to be held by a. woman, who transported a piano as though it had been a hat-box.

Divorce can bo remarkably easy. A dissatisfied wife need only take a betel nut, place it under her husband's pillow as a token of departure, and then - suit action to deed. Yet records relate that wives are extremely faithful - in Nepal and divorce exceptional. i TOO HUMILIATING. i This may be due to the fact that un- ; faithful wives may find themselves in : prison for life, while the ’ lover is i handed over to the tender mercies of • the husband, who may decide to cut ; him down in public with his avenging kukirl. The co-respondent’s life is. however, spared if he consents to ■ crawl on all fours under his adversary's uplifted leg, a humiliating alternative that is often rejected. In the neighbouring county of Tibet a woman who quarrels with her hus- , band just walks out of his house and joins another husband! After a girl; is married she may find herself taking on two or three other marriages, in; the shapo of brothers, within the next twelve months. Polygamy is practised chiefly for the sake of keeping family property intact; one husband is; called father and the others become uncles to any future offspring—possibly a convenient but hardly a con-]; vincing system. j Burial customs, too. are a little eccentric. Among the nomads tho body; is. exposed on a hill. close to their'! camp, and left for dogs and birds of 1

prey. Should it not bo devoured within a few days the departed is deemed to have led a wicked and wayward life, all his relations being then collected and given a sound beating to serve as a warning for the future.. The sins of the father visited upon the children indeed. In Eastern Mongolia, says Colonel Etherton, the corpse is sometimes placed on a cart and driven at full speed across the plain. The jolting dislodges the body from the Vehicle, but the driver carries on with breakneck energy, never daring to look back, for that would bring upon him the evil spirits. Only when he is sure that the burden can no longer be with him does ho rein in and offer a prayer to his gods.

PUTTING HIS TONGUE OUT.

If a Tibetan puts out his tongue at you, don’t hit him on the jaw—he is merely being polite. The normal form of greeting is to place the hat in front of the stomach and put out the tongue as far as possible. The protrusion of the tongue is not only a sign of respect, but registers strong emotion, and is often reinforced by bulging eyes. No lizard could use his tongue to more effect, since this labial gesture is employed to bear witness to death, birth, robbery, and after important words of speech. When it comes to tea-drinking your Welsh housewife, colonial, or Dr. Johnson would be left standing by the Tibetan. He drinks from thirty to fifty cups of tea every day, one of his great fears being that his stomach will get cold. The tea is placed in a churn, boiled up water flavoured with soda, rancid butter and salt are added, and the whole is stirred into a brew that astonishes the inside of strangers, hut nourishes and sustains the people of the country. Butter is used for other purposes as well as for putting in tea. The people never wash if they can help it; they rub their bodies with butter! The most rancid is employed, the best being kept for the tea—it reminds one of the Mad Hatter and his watch; he used only the best butter! A Tibetan, wo are told, believes in wearing his clothes until they drop off or let in the cold so much that he is forced to renovate them; a woollen gown that lasts a lifetime is held in high esteem and the wearer admired for preserving this museum exhibit upon his person. A Tibetan tailor could announce with pride that he makes' suits which will live.

Dried mutton is regarded as an aristocratic dish, and is often kept for tea year:-!' A leg of mutton, in fact, is generally kept apart for the important guest; but he must not think of eating it. or he will be guilty of a grave breach of good manners. The leg is kept for another time, and with luck may last for a generation.

Ths Tibetan. is an expert stonethrower: it is his favourite recreation apart from snowballing! Stone fights | between families or factions are commqn. Tho Nepalese love bear-hunt-ing. They carry a blanket over th? left hand, a stick in the right, and tho faithful kukri between the teeth. When the bear rises on its hind legs to hug them, they hit him on the nose; before he has recovered from this blow, the sharp steel has found his heart.