The history of mankind (1896) (14577272040)

Identifier: historyofmankind01ratz (find matches)

Title: The history of mankind

Year: 1896 (1890s)

Authors: Ratzel, Friedrich, 1844-1904 Butler, Arthur John, 1844-1910

Subjects: Ethnology Anthropology

Publisher: London, Macmillan and co., ltd. New York, The Macmillan co.

Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library

Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library

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place ; the women meantime making a showof vigorous opposition, and throwing fire-brands. All the hair on the body isplucked out or singed off, thehair of the head is combedwith a spear, and the bodysmeared with oil and ruddle.After fasting and watching forthree days and nights theyare allowed to eat and sleep ;but they must lay their headsacross sticks stuck in theground, drink only through arush, and abstain from allfoods that are permitted towomen. They remain in thiscondition, as narumbe untiltheir beards have grown threetimes. They are forbiddento take a wife, but may goafter any girl of their own age.Formerly death was thepenalty for a breach of theserules ; and it is still firmlybelieved that their infractionwill be punished by growingup ugly and by prematuregrey hairs. The original objectof these laws was perhaps totoughen the men by meansof pain and fatigue ; but nowthey certainly have the con-trary effect, and the healthof the young men is oftencompletely undermined bythem.

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Australian magic-sticks. (Vienna Museum.) But besides the hardening process, there is a deeper meaning in these ceremonies.To begin with, they serve to remove the boy from the women ; which accountsfor the care, amounting to pedantry, that is taken to exclude women from theinitiatory rites. The instrument, resembling the bull-roarer of English boys(of which a representation will be found on a later page), which serves to indicatethat sacred business is going on in the neighbourhood, may not be looked uponor touched by women and children. Similarly women may never, and lads nottill after their last tattooing, behold the sacred quartz implement used for thatpurpose. The meaning of some initiations is quite obscure to us ; as for instance 38o THE HISTORY OF MANKIND one described by Wyatt, in which an Adelaide native opened one of his ownveins, after previously tying it with a string of human hair, and sprinkled theback, head, and breast of the boys with blood, which was allowed to dry on

Die Geschichte der Menschheit 1896 Buchillustrationen Ethnologie Anthropologie Geschichte Reise und Beschreibung Bilder aus dem Internetarchiv

1896

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