Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-05-05
NECKLACES IN ALL AGES.


by All Peoples.
The advantages which the neck, both
from its position and shape, possesses rs
a point for adornment were early seen by
the human race, and the necklace Is one
Of the oldest Of human ornaments. From
tho very first a broad distinction was
drawn between the necklace which could
be removed and tire collar which could
not; the first being the sign Of the free,
the second of the slave. Collars Of metal
were twisted or riveted upon the necks
of captivcs or house born slaves, and
upon them the name OF the owner or
conqueror was rudely cut. This usage
survives today in the dog collars which
are placed upon household pets.
The necklace, however, could for many
years only I've worn by the freeman. In
primitive states OF society Il was the
badge Of the warrior and was often made
Of some distinctive spoil Of the chase or
of war. To this day one Of the most
valuable and coveted possessions Of the
western Indian 10 the necklace Of grizzly
bears claws. a proof that he has met and
conquered the gray terror Of the noun.
tains. Among the Tartars Of the time OF
the Gcnghis Khan the necklace was often
made Of human teeth, strung upon wire.
This particular form Of ornament Is
found in South America in tho graves OF
the Indians.
The earliest known form OF necklace
outside Of such primitive types rs shells
and bits Of colored stone comes from
Egypt. They were Of two kinds-orna-
mental and what may be called. for the
lack Of better word, superstitious. The
former were composed Of small stones, Of
which blue was apparently the favorite
color, set In silver or gold and joined to-
gcthcr in chain. The latter, the ANU
lets. were made Of figures Of gods, from
three to seven inches long. Three or
four Of these were hung In q chain OF
beads.
The sacred images wcrc believed to
ward off danger Of infection. misfortune
or bad luck. Sometimes these amulets
had no gods on them, but were composed
of cowries or bits Of stone arranged In
the forms Of locked horns, fish or crcs-
cents, emblcmatic Of their supposed
powers. This superstitious power Of the
necklace is widely spread today among
people who are not very high in civilian.
tion. In South America there are found
necklaces Of q peculiarly marked seed
which belongs to plant growing only on
the mountains, along the snow line.
These seeds when first gathered are blue
in color. and are strung on strings. They
are highly valued, not only for their
beauty but because Of the great difficulty
in obtaining them. In the old graves.
which are found now and then, strings
of these seeds are often discovered, and
they are supposed to bring the greatest
possible luck. especially to children.
But one does not have TO 80 among the
poems of South America or the negroes
Of Africa with their gee gee necklaces to
find evidence Of superstition. Thousands
Of people place necklaces Of coral beads
around the nccks Of babies with the be.
lief that they will assist the children in
tcething. and there are many persons
who wear necklaces all the time, think
ing that they bring luck. The southern
negroes constantly wear their bead neck
laccs. looking upon them rs genuine
charms, and they are very particular
about keeping them intact. holding that
the charm Is broken IL even the relative
positions Of the beads should be altered
when wear makes o new string neces-
sary.
Among men who have worn the neck
lace must lie ranked the warriors Of an.
cient times. Tho gold torques Of tho
Cclts, the massive gold necklaces Of the
Modes, Etruscans and Egyptians, which
formed the most valued insignia Of tho
warrior class. have come down to US
through the pictures in the tombs and
the actual specimens in the tombs them
selves. Some Of these were enormously
costly. They were bestowed rs rewards
Of valor and rs marks Of civic distinc-
ton. The latter survive today in the
gold chains Of Office worn by the mayors
OF cities in the old world.
Allorders Of knighthood had the neck
lace or collar as principal insignium.
and this custom Of decoration with tho
necklace dates back ut least as far as the
time Of Joseph. for rs mark Of his au-
thority in Egypt, Pharaoh put o gold
chain about his neck" The women Of
antiquity rarely wore them except Us
brides, when to mark the respect in
which they were held necklaces were
placed upon them. Tho necklace, how
ever, was u prominent adornment OF the
statues Of the gods.
The ornament of the necklace was so
valued that when the Saxon dynasty was
overthrown by the Normans NIL persons
below certain rank were forbidden to
wear them under heavy penalties. In
the reign Of Henry VIII. that king celc-
bratcd both for his wives and his revolt
against Rome, any one who had not E200
per year income could not wear neck
lace.
In England amber has always been
one Of tine favorite materials for the
necklace. Even in the harrows Of the
early Britains amber beads are found,
and the specimens Of necklaces from the
reign Of Charles have amber set in gold.
The Puritans abolished them rs they
abolished everything they laid their hands
on which savored Of ornament, but the
necklace was revived again under the
merry monarch more extravagently then
l,cfora Ncu, Work Press