The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-08-29
AMONG THE MINGRELIANS.
HABITS OF THE MoUNTAINEBRs
OF THE WESTERN CAUCASUS.
Their Elaborate Salutations, odd
Table Etiquette and Peculiar
Judicial Proceedings.

In the highland regions of the western
Caucasus the manners of the Crusiniar
mountain folk are pretty much what the,
were quarter of century ago when tn
Russians first came into the country. 4
Mingrelian "How d'you dol" of tn
genuine old-fashioned kind, is still al
elaborate performance that takes no &C
count of time. As in Palestine and else
where, Grusinian etiquette requires tha
salutations shall be exchanged as soon a,
the parties meeting come within sight
oil each other, and to leave out the mos
trivial inquiry relating to the most in.
significant member of another's house
hold is accounted extremely bad form.
SO that couple of silk-shirted Ningre.
Ian elders-they are particularly fond OF
silk garments, which they wear without
changing until they drop to pieces
will begin series of bows and bendings
when half mile from each other and
continue them with a running fire of ex-
clamations until they come within hail.
ing distance. Then the inquiries COM
mence: "How is your healthl" and
"How have you beenm GLOW is your
mother, your wife and your nursel'
(Durses are very important personages in
all Mingrelian households). GLOW is
your overseer and your yardmaster and
herdsmanW SIS your favorite horse
well, and are your cattle and sheep in
good healthn and so on in regular di-
minuendo, ending with the meanest
maid servant or scullion of the person
addressed, if the latter be a man of
standing or position, and not forgetting
even "his honor's dog" When the
principals have finished, their attendants
proceed as deliberately TO exchange
similar compliments. Time is of no
consequence.
The Mingrelians, like the Ossetes of
the mountains, have the extraordinary
custom of going bareheaded one day in
the week-on Saturday, that is, or, as
they term it, the "Shabbat." " This they
do in honor of the Sabbath, though they
make no other distinction between it
and any other day of the week, working
and living as usual. But, wet or dry,
rain or snow, none ever 90 abroad on
Saturday save with uncovered head.
The Mingrelians, like nearly all the
Caucasian mountaineers, eat much and
eat greedily. Their table etiquette is
L
ing to age and positon-according to
age in the house and at family gather
ings, and according to station at public
feasts, to which these people are much
addicted. At home the huge iron pot in
which the food is cooked is placed by
the side of the house-father; for several
married sons often reside in one dwell
ling with their parents. he takes a
piece of meat and large bone out of the
kettle, grasps the bone in the right and
the meat in the left hand, and, facing
south, calls upon 'Brussabsell
tshisadta tshidawgita bidiss"-the
mountain tops and the holy ones
who dwell thereto have mercy upon
those who cry to them. Then messes
are sent round to each, beginning with
the Oldest male; and when these portions
are eaten there is general scramble for
tha contents of the pot, which it is eti-
quette to finish. Every one eats his
mess as fast as he can; for he who has
first finished his plateful has the pick of
the pot. This distribution of the messes
is very nice task, and is sometimes
provocative of quarrel. For at a public
meal-and the e are trequent-the APP
portioning of the food offers tempting
opportunity to the presiding elder for
Iresenting a slight, and the guests are
ready enough to take advantage of any
occasion to start one of the feuds so com
mon among them. In former times the
rump bone, esteemed a specially honora-
BILE mess, when withheld from one CON
sidering himself entitled to it, was the
cause of many murder. And even now
adays the disposal of tempting piece of
'kish-ki, or stuffed entrail, may ac-
count for half dozen broken heads.
The Mingrelians are hearty drinkers.
They make a spirit from grain, and
drink it out Of vessels made of horn with
a very narrow top and very long stem.
But they are mighty beer drinkers They
brew from barley, and their drinking
vessels are fashioned of the huge horns
of the aurochs, which still ranges the
Caucasus. Some of these beer horns are
yard and quarter long. Their sim
pie rule in drinking, Judging from what
we have ourselves witnessed, is plenty
and often. Whenever they partake of a
meal, portion of meat and drink is re-
served and placed in a separate room for
the household spirits.
! In remote villages the old patriarchal
system of the Grusinians is in full force.
The Mingrelian father is lord and mas
ter in the fullest sense. His power is
unquestioned, and he is honored so long
as there IS breath in his body. He has a
special armchair, the house fathers seat.
which no other person would ever ven
ture to sit in. In all disputes, civil and
criminal, the decision of the elders-that
is, number of house-fathers bind
ing. Ii cause of action arise, the ap-
grieved parties select each of them three
elders, who must be in no way related to
either of them, and the matter is submit
mitted to this court of six. There are
prescribed penalties for every offence,
from manslaughter to petty larceny. The
fine is always payable in oxen. Accord.
ing to the old laws of the tribes, the fine
for the murder of a chief was eighteen
times eighteen oxen, for an elder, nine
times nine, and for an ordinary person
three times nine. Every member of the
body was rated at "a certain fixed amount.
payable in case of injury to the part.
Theft, when committed by stealth.
entailed upon the criminal the
payment of five fold the thing
stolen, but robbery with violence onlV
double; for it was held to be easier to
defend oneself from violence than from
crime committed by stealth or guile.
The strangest thing about the proceed
ings of the Alingrelian tribal assessors is
that the decision is never communicated
to either plaintiff or defendant. The