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Article CEREMONY OF A GENTOO WOMAN ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ceremony Of A Gentoo Woman
Bramins were "bathing her . On taking her out of the water they put some money in her hand , which she dipped in the river , and divided among the Bramins : she had then a yellow cloth rolled partially round her . They put some red colour , about the size of a sixpence , on the centre of her forehead , and rubbed something that appeared io me to be clay . She was then led to the pile , round-which she walked three times as the sun goes : she then mounted it at the
northeast corner , without any assistance ; and sat herself down on the ri ght side of her husband , who had been previously laid upon the pile . She then unscrewed the pins which fastened the jewels or silver rings on her arms : after she had taken them off , she shut them , and screwed in the pins' again , and gave one to each of two women who were standing : she unscrewed her ear-rings and other toys with great
composure , and divided them among the women who were with her . There seemed to be some little squabble about the distribution of her jewels , which she settled with great precision ; and then , falling gently backwards , pulled a fold of yellow cloth over her face , turned her breast-towards her husband ' s side , and laid her right arm over his breast ; and in this posture she remained without moving .
Just before she lay down the Bramins put some rice in her lap , and also some into the mouth and on the long grey beard of her husband : they then sprinkled some water on the head , breast and feet of both , ' atid tied them gentl y together round the middle with a slender bit of rope : ' they then raised as it were a little wall of wood lengthways on two sides of the pileso as to raise it above the level of the
, bodies ; and then put cross pieces so as to prevent the billets of wood from pressing on them : they then poured on the pile , above where the woman lay , a potftil of something that appeared to me to be oil ; after this they heaped oh more wood , to the height of about four feet above where the bodies were built in ; so that all I now saw was a stack of fire wood .
One of the Bramins , I observed , stood at the end of the pile next the woman ' s head—was calling to her through the interstices of the wood , and laughed several times during the conversation . Lastly , they overspread the pile with wet straw , and tied it on with ropes . A Bramin then took a handful of straw , which he set on fire at the little heap of burning cakes of cow dung ; ,: nd . standing to windward of the pilehe let the wind drive the flame from the . straw till it '
, catched the pile . Fortunately , at this instant , -the wind rose much , higher than it had been any part of . the day , and in an instant the flames pervaded the whole pile , and it burnt with great fury . I listened a few seconds , but could not distinguish any shrieks , which might perhaps be owing to my being then to windward . In a very few minutes the pile became a heap of ashes .
During the whole time of this process , which lasted from first to last above two hours-before we lost si ght of the woman by her being built ' upin the middle cf the pile , I kept my eyes almost constantly upon her ; and I' declare to God that I could not perceive , either in her countenance or limbs , the least trace of either horror ,-fear , oj . 6 yen hesitation : ber countenance was perfectly composed and placid ;
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ceremony Of A Gentoo Woman
Bramins were "bathing her . On taking her out of the water they put some money in her hand , which she dipped in the river , and divided among the Bramins : she had then a yellow cloth rolled partially round her . They put some red colour , about the size of a sixpence , on the centre of her forehead , and rubbed something that appeared io me to be clay . She was then led to the pile , round-which she walked three times as the sun goes : she then mounted it at the
northeast corner , without any assistance ; and sat herself down on the ri ght side of her husband , who had been previously laid upon the pile . She then unscrewed the pins which fastened the jewels or silver rings on her arms : after she had taken them off , she shut them , and screwed in the pins' again , and gave one to each of two women who were standing : she unscrewed her ear-rings and other toys with great
composure , and divided them among the women who were with her . There seemed to be some little squabble about the distribution of her jewels , which she settled with great precision ; and then , falling gently backwards , pulled a fold of yellow cloth over her face , turned her breast-towards her husband ' s side , and laid her right arm over his breast ; and in this posture she remained without moving .
Just before she lay down the Bramins put some rice in her lap , and also some into the mouth and on the long grey beard of her husband : they then sprinkled some water on the head , breast and feet of both , ' atid tied them gentl y together round the middle with a slender bit of rope : ' they then raised as it were a little wall of wood lengthways on two sides of the pileso as to raise it above the level of the
, bodies ; and then put cross pieces so as to prevent the billets of wood from pressing on them : they then poured on the pile , above where the woman lay , a potftil of something that appeared to me to be oil ; after this they heaped oh more wood , to the height of about four feet above where the bodies were built in ; so that all I now saw was a stack of fire wood .
One of the Bramins , I observed , stood at the end of the pile next the woman ' s head—was calling to her through the interstices of the wood , and laughed several times during the conversation . Lastly , they overspread the pile with wet straw , and tied it on with ropes . A Bramin then took a handful of straw , which he set on fire at the little heap of burning cakes of cow dung ; ,: nd . standing to windward of the pilehe let the wind drive the flame from the . straw till it '
, catched the pile . Fortunately , at this instant , -the wind rose much , higher than it had been any part of . the day , and in an instant the flames pervaded the whole pile , and it burnt with great fury . I listened a few seconds , but could not distinguish any shrieks , which might perhaps be owing to my being then to windward . In a very few minutes the pile became a heap of ashes .
During the whole time of this process , which lasted from first to last above two hours-before we lost si ght of the woman by her being built ' upin the middle cf the pile , I kept my eyes almost constantly upon her ; and I' declare to God that I could not perceive , either in her countenance or limbs , the least trace of either horror ,-fear , oj . 6 yen hesitation : ber countenance was perfectly composed and placid ;