. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. AN OSSETIAN WAEEIOR.(Frojii a Photograph lent by Dr. Beddoe, ) I 468 THE INHABITANTS OF ASIA. scaling their mountains, which they do very skilfully, even with heavyburdens. Many of their customs, as regards marriage, childbirth, burial,etc., recall some of the rudest Indian tribes. Although they have adoptedChristianity, these people have introduced into it numerous hea
. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. AN OSSETIAN WAEEIOR.(Frojii a Photograph lent by Dr. Beddoe, ) I 468 THE INHABITANTS OF ASIA. scaling their mountains, which they do very skilfully, even with heavyburdens. Many of their customs, as regards marriage, childbirth, burial,etc., recall some of the rudest Indian tribes. Although they have adoptedChristianity, these people have introduced into it numerous heathen cus-toms, worshipping the god of war, the mother of earth, the angel of the oak,etc. They keep Friday like the Mahometans, do not eat pork, worshipsacred trees, and make offerings to the spirits of the earth and the air. Cer-tain priests among them have duties like those of medicine men, exorcists,and witch-doctors, who do not fail to reap a rich harvest of are fond of rich garments, and still wear coats of mail and helmets,and a complete apparatus of protection, as well as guns and sabres forattack; this is due to the prevalence of blood revenge, and the constantdanger of GEORGIAN WOMEN. Such is a brief account of some groups of tribes in and around theCaucasus; but it must be understood, that though the most importantThe have been named, there are many others worth}^ of notice,ossetians. ^yi^idi it has been impossible to include. But separate men-tion must be given to one other group,—the Oss, or Ossetians, of the cen-tral Caucasus,—who appear to be an isolated Aryan race, which long agoimmigrated into these mountain tracts, and have maintained theirindividuality ever since. Some have even compared them to Germansin appearance ; being fair, muscular, sluggish, and somewhat have been ascribed to many ^different Aryan families; and we shallnot detail the many theories started about them. It is certain that theyare far inferior in
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectcivilization, georgia, georgian, women
