. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . Customs, ° - Sometimes the hair is allowed to grow as a sign of mourning, sometimes it is shaved off ; and rings of dried grass or palm bark are a frequent sign of mourning. In the ]\Iendi country women and girls who be replaced by narrow strips of cotton a further mark of mourning they shavea furrow one inch wide round the head. The widows of the chief live for six months in a barri or court-house, and are then free to marry again,The Position 1 x 1 xu i of Widows. ^^^* ^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^^y
. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . Customs, ° - Sometimes the hair is allowed to grow as a sign of mourning, sometimes it is shaved off ; and rings of dried grass or palm bark are a frequent sign of mourning. In the ]\Iendi country women and girls who be replaced by narrow strips of cotton a further mark of mourning they shavea furrow one inch wide round the head. The widows of the chief live for six months in a barri or court-house, and are then free to marry again,The Position 1 x 1 xu i of Widows. ^^^* ^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^^y p^^^ *° the eldest brother of the de-ceased ; on his death they go on to thenext brother, and so on till the family isfinished. Then they become free women,which means that they are at liberty todispose of their favours, for a consideration,where they will. So far from being despisedthey are the leaders of society, and when amarried man is successful in securing thegoodwill of one of them, and inducing herto quit her former flame, his wives celebratethe occasion, and he gives vent to his joy. lO/er/i-sy 0/ T. j. .tHiiriogf. /..S.(. MENDl WOMEN PLAYING SEHGURA. OR GOURD-RATTLES (see p. 337). are mourning for a chief put on their headssmall circlets made of finely twisted grasscord, black, yellow, brown, or some com-bination of these colours ; they may also by firing guns ; for such a mark of prefer-ence means that the recipient becomes amore important man in the estimation ofhis neighbours. 342 WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS It appears that among the Vai any malerelative may propose, and his love lettertakes the form of a strip of the bark of theraphia palm. The woman is free to acceptor reject the proposal by retaining or re-turning the bark strip. Di\orce in these lands is a very si:nplematter ; in fact, it consists in sending thewife home to her own peopleand then wrangling with themas to the return of the brideprice. It is far more trouble-some to become a the interior o
Size: 1945px × 1285px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidwomenofa, booksubjectwomen
