In the forbidden land, an account of a journey into Tibet . time, when the bridegroom hasbrothers, they are all regarded as their brothers wifeshusbands, and they one and all cohabit with her, as wellas with her sisters if she has any. The system is not simple, and certainly not very edify-ing, and were it not for the odd savoir /aire of the Tib-etan woman, it would lead to endless jealousies and un-pleasantness: owing, however, largely, no doubt, to theabsolute lack of honor or decency in Tibetan males andfemales, the arrangement seems to work as satisfactorilyas any other kind of marriage. I
In the forbidden land, an account of a journey into Tibet . time, when the bridegroom hasbrothers, they are all regarded as their brothers wifeshusbands, and they one and all cohabit with her, as wellas with her sisters if she has any. The system is not simple, and certainly not very edify-ing, and were it not for the odd savoir /aire of the Tib-etan woman, it would lead to endless jealousies and un-pleasantness: owing, however, largely, no doubt, to theabsolute lack of honor or decency in Tibetan males andfemales, the arrangement seems to work as satisfactorilyas any other kind of marriage. I asked what would happen in the case of a manmarrying a second sister, and so acquiring marital rightsover all her younger sisters, if another man came and mar- 63 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND ried her eldest sister. Would all the brides of the firstman become the brides of the second? No, they wouldnot; and the second man would have to be satisfied withonly one wife. However, if the second sister were left awidow, and her husband had no brothers, then she would. TIBETAN WOMAN become the property of her eldest sisters husband, andwith her all the other sisters. It must not be inferred from these strange matrimoniallaws that jealousy is non-existent in Tibet among bothmen and women; trouble does occasionally arise in Tib-etan house or tent holds As, however, the Tibetan wom-an is clever, she generally contrives to arrange things ina manner conducive to peace. When her husband hasseveral brothers, she despatches them on different errandsin every direction, to look after yaks or sheep, or to trade. 64 DIVORCE DIFFICULT Only one remaining, he is for the time being her hus-band; then when another returns he has to leave hisplace and becomes a bachelor, and so on, till all the broth-ers have, during the year, had an equal period of maritallife. Divorce is difficult in Tibet and involves endless com-plications. I inquired of a Tibetan lady what would shedo in case her husband refused to live
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