The Press., 1903-04-02
ODD THINGS IN SIAM
CURIOUS CUSTOMS AND CEREMONIES
THAT ARE STILL OBSERVED.

Cutting the TOpl<nOt of the Child
For His Spiritual Welfare - The
wedding and It's CelebratiOn-Cre-
NATION with Refreshments.
In Siam the cutting of the topknot is
SO important ceremony for the future
spiritual welfare of the child that it is
most scrupulously carried out, with all
the pomp and ceremony that the means
of the parents will allow. That the
poor people may not be deprived of the
benefit of the ceremony the government
provides all that is necessary for it at
one of the temples at Bangkok. The
center of the ceremony Is the cutting
off of the topknot, which is all the hair
children are permitted to wear up to
that time. But associated with it are a
number of publications and other reli.
gious forms which have to be scrupu-
lousy carried out. The topknot, which
is ordinarily adorned with chaplet of
flowers or beads, often held In place
with jeweled pin Of considerable val
ue, is now much more resplendently
adorned, while the child is further load
ed with the richest jewels the family
can provide. After the ceremony the
hair is allowed to grow all over the
head and is usually worn about an inch
long, standing up like a brush. The
child is now reckoned to have reached
mans estate, although, to their credit
be it said, the Siamese are in no hurry
to marry their children. In fact, undue
haste to make a match for a daughter
is apt to raise a question as to whether
things are so f1ourishing with the fam
lily as they might be.
When marriage is thought of, 1t is Of
ten the result of mutual affection and
takes the form of an elopement, with
subsequent forgiveness by the old folk.
The more formal way calls for lot of
negotiation and the payment to the
parents of ''ka nom," which is often,
however, returned to the daughter on
the birth of her first child. The monks,
who are the astrologers of the country
among other accomplishments, are
called upon to fix the lucky day, on the
arrival of which the bridegroom and
his friends go to the brides house, car
rying presents of cakes and betel. All
Siamese chew betel, and not to offer 1t
to a guest is a serious breach of hospi-
tally. The guilds when ready for chew
ing consist of leaves of the betel pep
per, chips of areca nut-there is no
such thing as betel nut that careless
travellers write about-a little slaked
lime and sometimes tobacco also. The
Siamese word for this mixture Is APP
propriately "muk." This will always
be in evidence at weddings, and the
preparation and presentation of the be-
tel tray tc the bridegroom constitute
one of the forms of acceptance by the
bride of his authority over her. Ike
monks will be already in attendance,
Toasted with the best that can be pro-
vided, and the ceremony of marriage is
performed by them with the sprinkling
of consecrated water over the couple.
But. the greatest ceremony of all
takes place after death. If the person
be of high rank, the body is placed in q
sitting posture in a large metal urn or
among the commoners in an ordinary
coffin. After being kept period that
lengthens with the exaltation of rank
a day is fixed for the cremation. All
the friends Of the family are invited,
and enormous sums are spent on enter
tanning them and providing free shows
for the general public. The guests will
enter the inclosure, while Chinese thea
tiers, Siamese mariOnettes and plays
will be provided for all who care to
witness them. On entering one would
be met by some member of the de-
ceased's family bearing a black bag,
into which all are invited in turn to dip
a hand. 1t is found to contain a num-
Der of tiny balls, each of which is hol-
low and contains a screw of paper. A
Siamese figure on it refers to similar
figure on some article In one of the
booths in the Enclosure, and the guests
are expected to present the number to
the attendants and receive as a present
whatever it represents.
There may be a dinner, but anyway
refreshments will be provided in album
dance. Just at sunset the pyre will be
lighted. A stick of scented wood or a
wreath of flowers made of the per-
fumed sandalwood, as well as a candle
Of unbleached wax, is handed to each
guest and lamps are lighted at the foot
Of the steps of the pyre. Just as with
us those at the graveside perform the
last Office for the dead in dropping a
little earth into the grave, SO in Siam
each one lights his candle at lamp
and places it under the urn or coffin, to-
gether with the scented stick or wreath.
Buddhist monks away in one of the
booths will be reciting sacred texts
meanwhile, but nothing in the way of
prayer, whether for the dead or the
living, enters into the ceremony.
Fireworks will be let of, including q
very mournful one known to the ma
tives as the roaring Of elephants" 1t
Is made by shaving a thick bamboo
very thin at one point and then making
a slit The inside is flied with compo-
sition and sealed, and this, when fired,
exerts great pressure on the slit, max
ing the edges vibrate continuously, so
producing series of loud groans of a
most doleful character. When the de-
ceased is of high rank, the king sends
an aid-de-camp with a lamp lighted
from one that is kept continually burn
ing in the royal temple and whose light
was originally obtained from a tree
fired by lightning. After the cremation