DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16243#0453
444
PEOPLE OF INDIA
nor may they be present at any ceremony in which the priest offers his own blood :
to propitiate the gods. The Jugi-Saren, on the other hand, smear their foreheads
with sindiir at the harvest festival, and go round asking alms of rice. With the j
rice they get they make little cakes which they offer to the gods. The Manjhi' I
Khil-Saren, so called because their ancestor was a Manjhi or village headman, are
forbidden, like the Sada-Saren, to attend when the priest offers up his own blood.
The Naiki-Khil-Saren, who claim descent from a naiki or village priest, may not
enter a house the inmates of which are ceremonially unclean. They have a
jahirthan or sacred grove of their own, distinct from the common jahirthan of the
village, and they dispense with the services of the priest who serves the rest of
the village. The Ok-Saren sacrifice a goat or a pig inside their houses, and during
the ceremony they shut the doors tight and allow no smoke to escape. The word
ok means to suffocate or stifle with smoke. The Mundu or Badar-Saren offer
their sacrifices in the jungle, and allow only males to eat the flesh of the animals
that have been slain. The Mal-Saren may not utter the word mal when engaged
in a religious ceremony or when sitting on a panchayat to determine any tribal
questions. The Jihu-Saren may not kill or eat the jihu or babbler bird, nor ma)'
they wear a particular sort of neckl ice known as jihu mala from the resemblance
which it bears to the babbler's eggs. The jihu is said to have guided the ancestor
of the sept to water when he was dying of thirst in the forest. The Sankh-Sarefl
may not wear shell necklaces or ornaments. The Barchir-Saren plant a spear H>
the ground when they are engaged in religious or ceremonial observances. The
Bitol-Saren are so called because their founder was excommunicated on account
of incest.
Girls are married as adults mostly to men of their own choice. Sexual
intercourse before marriage is tacitly recognized, it being understood that if the
girl becomes pregnant the young man is bound to marry her. Should he attenip'
to evade this obligation, he would be severely beaten by the Jag-manjhi, and i"
addition to this his father would be required to pay a heavy fine. It is curious 10
hear that in the Santal Parganiis, shortly after the rebellion of 1855, it became the
fashion among the more wealthy Santals to imitate the usages of high-caste Hindu5
and marry their daughters between the ages of eight and twelve. This fashion ha5'
however, since been abandoned, and it is now very unusual for a girl to be married
before she attains puberty. Polygamy is not favoured by the custom of the tribe-
A man may take a second wife if his first wife is barren, or if his elder brother die5
he may marry the widow. But in either case the consent-of his original wife niu5'
be obtained to the arrangement. Instances no doubt occur in which this rule >5
evaded, but they are looked upon with disfavour.
There seem to be indications that fraternal polyandry may at some time have
existed among the Santals. Even now, says Mr. Skrefsrud, a man's younger
brother may share his wife with impunity ; only they must not go about it very
openly. Similarly a wife will admit her younger sister to intimate relations with
her husband, and if pregnancy occurs scandal is avoided by his marrying the g'r'
as a second wife. It will of course be noticed that this form of polyandry need no!
be regarded as a survival of female kinship.
The following forms of marriage are recognized by the Santals and distinguished
by separate names:—(1) Regular marriage {bapla or kiring iehu, literally bride'
purchase) ; (2) G/iardi jawae; (3) /tut/ (4) Nir-bolok; (5) Sangaj (6) Kiringjatvtf
or husband-purchase. The negotiations antecedent to a regular marriage are
opened by the father of the young man who usually employs a professional match'
maker to look for a suitable girl. If the match-maker's proposals are accepted by
the girl's parents, a day is fixed on which the girl, attended by two of her friendSj
goes to the house of the Jag-manjhi or superintendent of morals, in order to give
the bridegroom's parents an opportunity of looking at her quietly. A similar visf
PEOPLE OF INDIA
nor may they be present at any ceremony in which the priest offers his own blood :
to propitiate the gods. The Jugi-Saren, on the other hand, smear their foreheads
with sindiir at the harvest festival, and go round asking alms of rice. With the j
rice they get they make little cakes which they offer to the gods. The Manjhi' I
Khil-Saren, so called because their ancestor was a Manjhi or village headman, are
forbidden, like the Sada-Saren, to attend when the priest offers up his own blood.
The Naiki-Khil-Saren, who claim descent from a naiki or village priest, may not
enter a house the inmates of which are ceremonially unclean. They have a
jahirthan or sacred grove of their own, distinct from the common jahirthan of the
village, and they dispense with the services of the priest who serves the rest of
the village. The Ok-Saren sacrifice a goat or a pig inside their houses, and during
the ceremony they shut the doors tight and allow no smoke to escape. The word
ok means to suffocate or stifle with smoke. The Mundu or Badar-Saren offer
their sacrifices in the jungle, and allow only males to eat the flesh of the animals
that have been slain. The Mal-Saren may not utter the word mal when engaged
in a religious ceremony or when sitting on a panchayat to determine any tribal
questions. The Jihu-Saren may not kill or eat the jihu or babbler bird, nor ma)'
they wear a particular sort of neckl ice known as jihu mala from the resemblance
which it bears to the babbler's eggs. The jihu is said to have guided the ancestor
of the sept to water when he was dying of thirst in the forest. The Sankh-Sarefl
may not wear shell necklaces or ornaments. The Barchir-Saren plant a spear H>
the ground when they are engaged in religious or ceremonial observances. The
Bitol-Saren are so called because their founder was excommunicated on account
of incest.
Girls are married as adults mostly to men of their own choice. Sexual
intercourse before marriage is tacitly recognized, it being understood that if the
girl becomes pregnant the young man is bound to marry her. Should he attenip'
to evade this obligation, he would be severely beaten by the Jag-manjhi, and i"
addition to this his father would be required to pay a heavy fine. It is curious 10
hear that in the Santal Parganiis, shortly after the rebellion of 1855, it became the
fashion among the more wealthy Santals to imitate the usages of high-caste Hindu5
and marry their daughters between the ages of eight and twelve. This fashion ha5'
however, since been abandoned, and it is now very unusual for a girl to be married
before she attains puberty. Polygamy is not favoured by the custom of the tribe-
A man may take a second wife if his first wife is barren, or if his elder brother die5
he may marry the widow. But in either case the consent-of his original wife niu5'
be obtained to the arrangement. Instances no doubt occur in which this rule >5
evaded, but they are looked upon with disfavour.
There seem to be indications that fraternal polyandry may at some time have
existed among the Santals. Even now, says Mr. Skrefsrud, a man's younger
brother may share his wife with impunity ; only they must not go about it very
openly. Similarly a wife will admit her younger sister to intimate relations with
her husband, and if pregnancy occurs scandal is avoided by his marrying the g'r'
as a second wife. It will of course be noticed that this form of polyandry need no!
be regarded as a survival of female kinship.
The following forms of marriage are recognized by the Santals and distinguished
by separate names:—(1) Regular marriage {bapla or kiring iehu, literally bride'
purchase) ; (2) G/iardi jawae; (3) /tut/ (4) Nir-bolok; (5) Sangaj (6) Kiringjatvtf
or husband-purchase. The negotiations antecedent to a regular marriage are
opened by the father of the young man who usually employs a professional match'
maker to look for a suitable girl. If the match-maker's proposals are accepted by
the girl's parents, a day is fixed on which the girl, attended by two of her friendSj
goes to the house of the Jag-manjhi or superintendent of morals, in order to give
the bridegroom's parents an opportunity of looking at her quietly. A similar visf