Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 1904)
f'i V TOM I It, r"Tv' Mk,' ' W!? Y V flf s4 - c x m r BY PAOLO MONTEGAZZA. X UK social position of woman In said to be a f ml) x of the state of a nation's civilization. It Is Interesting, therefore, to note what posi tion woman occupies In the family and society among the different races of mankind. This study Is one phase of "the ethical psychology of marriage. My Intention is to let facts rather than words speak. When carefully selected and systematically arranged the value of farts always Is greater than that ot the most brilliant and profound theories. Among the Kahyles women are considered as personal property and can be bought and sold. The "anala" given by a woman In the name of her husband Is considered In violable. The ' anala " is a word, either written or spoken, which has the power of stopping a fight or quarrel and of affording safeguard and protection to a traveler. Fight to Uphold Woman's Word. A native of Hal-bonincef, wishing to pass through the country of a neighboring tribe, asked for the " anala " of a friend whom he had In this tribe. This frli-nd being absent, his wife gave the traveler a goat as a sign of the "anala," according to the custom of that tribe. Some time afterwards the goat returned alone and covered with blood. A search was made, and the traveler was found to have been killed. Thereupon the friends of the woman who had given the "anala" took up arms and punished the village In which the crime had been committed. Maslko once was bargaining with a native of the Laks Nyanza region for a goat and had Just concluded the bar gain, when the wife of the native came along. " You are my husband," she said, " and dare to sell a goat without con sulting your wife! What are you thinking about?" Maslko Insisted that the bargain should stand. "No." said, the man. " It will raise too much of a storm agaln9t me. The bargain Is declared ofT." Among the Balondns the wife possesses Blmllar authori ty. Livingstone observed one case where the wife forbade her husband to sell a chicken, and that simply to show that he was mistress. The women among the Loangos can speak to the men only In the gyneceum, or women's part of the house. Like wise among several of the negro tribes women are not al lowed In the society of the men or to take any part in their diversions, or even to eat at the same time as they do. If maltreated by her husband a Mandlgue wife has a right to rebel against his cruelty. At Soullmene the mar riage relation may oe uissoiveu, provmeu nit? irit:e ui me wife Is returned. Damara Men Have Little Authority Among the Pamaras of Southeastern Africa the men possess even less authority than In other African countries. He can bea,t his wife and does so quite often, hut she has the right In such cases to run away from him and place her self under the protection of another man who treats her bet ter. Galton, who is the author of an Interesting book on the Damaras, said that the women have little love for husband or children, and often It Is difficult to tell to whom a woman belongs. Wives entail no extra expense on the husband, as they provide their own food. They cook his food, care for his beasts of burden, and keep the dwelling In proper shape. Kvery woman has a hut of her own, which she constructs herself. Polygamy Is customary, but wives are few. One of them always has the precedence, and her sons possess the right of primogeniture. Among the Ovambos polygamy Is sanctioned and wives bought and sold. The king, however. Is exempted from pay ing anything for his wives. He has one principal wife, whose eldest son Is heir to the throne. If she does not bear a son the throne goes to one of her daughters. Makalolo Women Work Little. Among the Makalolos of central Africa the women oo- upy a high position socially and impose severe labors upon khe men. However, they are supposed to construct tnetr own huts and superintend the domestic affairs. Hut, as they have numerous slaves at their command, they do little actual work. For this reason they retain Ihelr beauty for a long time. They Idle away their time In smoking and drinking, often to such excess that their health Is Injured. Although wives are bought and sold, they consider themselves as be longing to the family from which they came, Ai a matter ' . t v i "". i i in i I -CX X TTZTV 7?Tr7 rz nz? 7777? zrn om HER HUSBAND JTFST BECOME XZJt FATHER'S SLAVE V L ... ALZ SHE DOES If EAT mm mm V i- 1 1 K ' P mm it 0 I ' i Ur ? -i r r m II 1 1 fii of fact, when a Maktilolo's wife dies he must send two oxen to her relatives to indemnify them for the loss they have sustained. Polygamy Is general, but Is considered a blessing by the women themselves, as It allows them to share the worn. They actually revolt at any attempt to Introduce monogamy. Another reason advanced In favor of polygamy is that It is necessary for the exercise of hospitality, which In one or their first duties and greatest pleasures. A Makalolo, seeing Livingstone observe a thermometer and take notes, after having vainly tried to understand what he was doing, began to laugh, saying: " Poor fellow! He plays just like a child." Banyai Men Become Slaves. 1 The Banyais, who Inhabit the banks of the Zambezi, re gard women as equal, and In some respects superior, to men. They cannot be bought, but the man must enter the service of his father-in-law, under whom he works like a slave. If he wants to get out of this slavery he must leave his wife and children, or at least pay a large sum for the privilege of taking them with him. A man never makes any kind of transaction without consulting his wife, while the wife may go to market alone to buy and sell. Among the Karaguea the women do not work. ' Their chief concern In life Is to grow fat. For this purpose they drink enormous quantities of milk and eat bananas almost continually. One man had wives of whom three were so large that they could not pass through a common sized door- 11' ft 4 10 'HI 1 t.-. )ifs imm m TTAKES BEE HUSBAND DO FEE WOKK I w way. When they were going any place they had to be car ried by slaves. The Wngandas living In the region around Lake- Victoria, Nyanza beat their women cruelly. The men use whips mado especially for the purpose of strands of hippopotamus hide. The king bets his wives more than any one else, and some times, simply for the pl asure of It, he may kill two or three In one day. However, If a wife has offended the king she may receive his pardon by presenting him with a beautiful young girl, which she brings before the door of his cahln. If he Is pleased with the girl he takes her upon his knee and the offense Is forgiven. It often happens on a morning that the king will And from tw nty to thirty girls before his oabln. whom he accepts as wlvea or slaves, as the case may be. Scare Husbands from Seeking Divorce. Mandlgue women are placed on tho same footing as the men, but the family Is polygamous. When a wife Is threat ened with divorce because of her domineering she enllxts the aid of friends, who proceed to the husband In a body and dmand Justice for the woman. The demand usually Is ef fective. Among some Hottentot tribes husbands and wives quar rel almost Incessantly. The wife hurls her entire st.n-k of Invective and profanity at her husband, while he, belns !cs eloquent, resorts to blows. A few moments after such an outburst they may be seen to smile and caress. Though she occupies a low position socially the lot of these women Is not as bad as might be supposed, as the men perform the hardest duties In the struggle of life. Moreover, since slavery exists among them, the women can easily shift the greatest part of the work on the slaves. Kaffirs' Wives Regarded as Chattels. The Kaffir men Impose the hardest work on their womn and reserve the easiest duties for themselves. They do not consider this as cruelty, but frankly admit that, as they have paid for them the same as they pay fur their oxen, they expect them to work. An English missionary once tried to shame a Kaffir In regard to this custom by pointing out to him how well the Europeans treated their women. He re ceived this answer: " We buy r women and you do not. Therefore, no comparison Is possible." According to Kaffir law the wife Is the property of her husband an object legitimately purchased which he can dis pose of according to his fancy. If he should kill her no one' has any right to Intervene. Formerly women acquired great political Influence and sometimes carried the title of queen and figured In Kaffir hlBtory. If a Zulu rarely kills or mlstreaits his wife It Is because he. would be punished for doing so. Separations are rare, as the price of the wife must be returned to her father, who , makes the conditions too seve're. The first and only thought of a Kaffir Is to get as much work out of his wife as pos sible and to rear a large family, In order that he may be re imbursed for the sum which he was obliged to pay for her. Hard Work Their Common Lot. The Wanyoros make their wemen work hard and beat them If they leave the Incloeure of their huts after night. Infidelity Is severely punished, sometimes by death. The women of Patagonia work hard, but are not mnl treattd. On the contrary, a husband considers It his duty to defend his wife In any dispute to which she may be a party, and when he beats her It Is done In the privacy of the home. In public he always treats her well. Among many of the uncivilized racea of mankind the Inferiority of women Is consecrated by usage, and she Is not permitted even to eat at the samo time as her husband. This condition is found principally In Africa and India. Some tribes place certain prohibitions upon women. For Instance, they are prohibited from mounting a horse and from eating certain kinds of meat or drinking certain beverages. ess&sssssssssssssssssssssssssssWssssssssssssss: Collector of Kisses for Twenty-five Years Says Only Three Varieties Are Useful, Desirable, or Necessary. msm'. N Chicago there Is a man who, during twenty five years, has made both a pastime and a serious pursuit of collecting kisses. In addi tion to his personal adventures Into osculatory hunts, he has filled his library with the litera ti re of kissing, and gathered into a hundred crapbooks every word and line relative to the ancient, medieval, and modern practice In which he la so keenly Interested. In one sense this extraordinary collector has nothing to show for his persistent and sometimes costly efforts. He has kissed the pope's toe and he has rubbed noses wltn orientals. In his catalocue of kisses experienced by himself there are 217 brides, over 4'M) children, 411 widows, 11) " eligi ble " sweethearts, (Wi old maids, 1 king (a hand kiss), 11 beg gars of both sexes (the kisses in these cases having been accepted but not returned), and about a score of scattered iMHca that have nut tipen cn tnloirilfri. Thp Inttor IncliiiiA issrs bestowed upon the cold foreheads of dead relatives. . V. . . . t. !... ..,..!,, . n 1. , . 1 . . 1 . . . !.,.. Ihit nipBti blui' u in mi- 1 1 ii i i niriii wimiicii w nu wtrre iiriuitrr sweethearts nor relatives, and a few given without faith upon ' miraculous " relics, religious Images, and tombs of canon ized saints and mystics Still Remains a Bachelor. After all of this kissing the man remains a bachelor and an unbeliever so far us established forms of religion are concerned. Ills experiments have all been made upon a strictly scientific basis. Just as other men pursue rare butter flies, orchids, coins, stamps, and other objects of odd snd historical Interest. The kiss of betrayal given by Judaa Uearlot to the Naxarlne is catalogued and described, and hi are the kisses given and taken by I.ieut. Hobtton, the hero of the Merrimuc. The kisses which Marc Antony wasted upon the brow of Egypt occupy pages of space In the clip lings, poems, and.books relative to the life and love affairs of Cleopatra. The collector himself has undertaken a collation and dis quisition upon the origin and meaning of the kiss, and in the Im ginning he chooses the definition of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes as the most perfect In all tradition, history, and literature. "A kiss," said Dr. Holmes, "Is the twenty, seventh letter of the alphabet; the love labial that requires two pairs of lips to utter." Such a kiss, being an expression pf the noblest snd most enduring passion of humanity. Is given the place of rank In a graduated scale which Includes thirty-three different varieties count 'em In the category arranged by tjie Chicago kiss coU ctor. An Accompaniment of Civilization. Vpon some vitally Interesting phases of the practice of kissing the authority upon osculation la evidently puzzled. He has given gretit attention to the fact that the Puritans loroade ni.n t,l rnreau tnelr own W v, K nml ul Oi. anm t ma he expatiates upon the North American Indian's avoidunce ot the same tender exchanges. No aborigine of this country has ever been known to kiss or caress either his squaws or his papooses, but diligent Inquiry has failed to evolve from either the folk lore or the traditions of the Indians any def inite law or reason against a practice that seems to be an accompaniment of only the most advanced civilization. It Is observed also that the more effeminate and senti mental a race becomes the more general and popular oscula tion grows. It Is shown that among the decadent Romans nobles permitted favored slaves to kiss their hands, feet, and cheeks. The Latin races of today are shown to be more given to kissing than the Teutons, the Anglo-Saxons, or the Norse. In France brothers, cousins, fathers, and sons salute one another with kisses upon the lips. The same practice obtains in Italy, Spain, and Greece. Scotch, Irish, Welsh, English, and Scandinavian men kiss their women and chil dren sparingly enough, it is remarked, but they have no such salutation for persons of their own sex. Only Eight Classes of Kisses. The Chicago kiss collector has catalogued the labial salute In this order: The kiss of passion. The parental and filial kiss. The kiss of a (lection (always between women). The devotional kiss. The fraternal kiss. The kiss of curiosity. The kiss of treachery. The fleshly, evil kiss. 1 This Chicago collector of kisses and kiss lore thus lists the various kinds of kisses and appreciates their Importance and value In the order named. Hut be is sadly at sea when it comes to tracing the origin and precedence Of the kiss Itself. He has traced It almost simultaneously to the anclenc Romans and to the still more ancient Greeks, leaving the real origin of the kiss shrouded In doubt. Roman Origin Far from Romantic. The origin of kissing amongst the Romans Is most unro mantle and paltry, If the records speak truly. For" although It was at first a strictly connubial salutation, yet It was prompted by the denlre of the men to find out whether their wives bad dallied over the wlneoup. U la related that pre historic mothers, taking their cue from the birds, fed their Infants from their own mouths, and It was In this sense that the early Greek kiss U-cume an expression of endearment between mothers and bubts. The bible Itself contains references to not lees than fifty two ktasea, but most of these were exchanged between men, and the only purely romantic kiss recorded in holy writ was that which Jacob give to Rachel when he saw her, young, beautiful and singing, betide the ancient well of Palest' ne. The English ki is as old ax this htatory of the race, for In the old Itgends of the Hrulds It figures incessantly, and the Christmas practice of kissing beneath the mistletoe comes) directly from the Druids, with whom It had a deeply spiritual and mystical significance. Why tope's Toe Is Kissed. The practice of kissing the pope's toe originated, accord In to' the Chicago osculatory authority, In the action of an eighth century pontiff, who cauned the amputation of his own hand because It had been Irreverently and passionately kissed by a questionable character who had gained an audience. Thereafter the pontifical toe was substituted for the hand as the object of labial salutation, and the ancient observance Is carried on dally at the Vatican. When Benjamin Franklin went to France as the repre sentative of the United States he appeared at court in the simple garb of an American merchant or commoner. Every effort was made to place him at his ease and to accentuate the esteem in which he was held by the French people many attempts were made to bestow titles, orders, and medals upon him. All of these were refused, but at last at a grand court ball the young and beautiful countess de Pollgnac, leading Mr. Franklin to the center of the brilliant assemblage, placed Pillow Sack to Keep the Baby "Warm. A . 'il O KEEP the baby warm this Is the purpose P W I for which Philander F. Chase, a Chicago In I I ventor of articles for children's comfort, de JL I vised his pillow sack, which has proved a boon to many a mother who has no one to help her In her housekeeping and the care of her chil dren. For It enables her to take her baby with her when she goes marketing, or visiting, no matter how chilly the weather, and it makes It possible for her to leave her little one out on the porch to sleep in winter with a comfortable assurance that he can neither kick off his coverings, or, on the other hand, feel any restraint of his natural activity. The pillow sack Is so simple In construction that it seems a wonder some utilitarian mother did not think of It before. It Is merely a soft pillow, covered with a pretty case and loosely filled with down, with one end folded Into the other end. thus making a bag that Is warmer and softer for Baby Bunting than any rabbit skin could possibly be. It can be fastened up about the child at his waist, or his neck, and one side can be pulled up behind him as a rest for his head, aa we'll as a protection from the cold. The bag Is loose enough to allow him to kick a much as he pleases; It Is soft enough to make him comfortable, and warm enough to prevent him from taking cold. The Invention of the pillow sack has an Interesting; story. When Mr. Chase was superintendent of the Children's Aid society he was r-.uch distressed by the fact that Infants brought to him from the county and other hospitals In winter time were so chilled by their Journey that they did not recover vitality. One day he hit upon the scheme of carry ing each in a ituft pillow folded Into Itself In the manner described above. To his delight he found that the children arrived at their destination In as good condition as when they left the hospitals. It occurred to him that the pillow sack might be used for older children, and that It would be serviceable to mothers who were obliged by circumstances to take their babies out of doors in all kinds of weather. It has proved to e an outdoor covering for winter uo for which the fur robes ot rich children ar a poor substitute. a crown of laurel leaves upon his snow white hair and kissed him full upon the mouth. This kiss was probably given for the purest and most admirable of motives, but there have been historic kisses that smacked of the meanest and most mercenary Interests. Used in Political Campaigns. A certain candidate for the English house of commons who possessed a singularly beautiful and young wife caused her to travel about the country with him, and In order to win votes bade her hold a bright, gold guinea between her teeth, Inviting every man who would pledge himself to vote lor her husband to remove the coin with a kiss If he liked. Jane, the duchess of Gordon, bestowed both guineas and kisses In a similar manner, though for a more noble object. She undertook to enlist a full quota of brave and adventurous men for the famous Gordon Highlanders by offering both her lips and her guineas to any soldier who would enlist In the regiment for service In the war against France. Many a bold Highlander perished on the field of Waterloo with the duchess' coin In his pocket and the savor of her purely pa triotic kiss upon his dying lips. When Columbus landed In San Salvador one ot his earliest acts was to kiss fhe soil which he had consecrated with cross and sword to God and the rulers of Spain. Kissing the cross Is one of the chief Lenten exercises of the Roman Catholic church to this day, and on Holy Thursday the bishops and archbishops of that church continue each year to wash and kiss the feet of the orphans and poor persons of their diocese. For centuries It was the custom of English monarch to wash and kiss the feet of a number of their subjects. Jamts IU performed the ceremony for the final time on Easterday In 1731, and the lord archbishop of York attended him while he laved and saluted with hla lips the feet of forty-eight paupers collected In the streets and slums of London. The Beecher "Inspirational Kiss." The kiss which Mrs. Moulton gave to Henry Ward Beecher became famous during the Heecher-Tllton trial us " the Inspirational kiss." and the reverend pulpiteer himself described It as a " holy kiss of confidence given by a good woman to a fellow creature whom she believed to be ma ligned," and in whom she wished to tx press confidence and to Inspire hope and courage. According to Jho Chicago collector's classification, the Hobson kisses were prompted wholly by the vanity of the object and the curiosity of the participants and had nothing to do with passion, reverence, or rea.iect. Having devoted a quarter of a century to the experience and study of kisses, this osculatory exjert now says that there are only three varieties that are us, ful. desirable, and iKtcesaary vis.: the love klas of man ami maid, the parental kiss, and the filial kin. All the others are perfunctory, ' meaningless, undesirable, or positively treacherous. Ha claims to have enjoyed or endured all kinds. . '