Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-11-14

THE MOTHER IN-LA W
HER STRANGE PosiTioNAMoNG MANY
OF THE WORLDS PEOPLES.
Races Where she II Neither Permit
ted to Speak to Nor Look Upon the
Husband Of Her Daughter-Theories
About This Queer Custom. ~
Among the Arawaks of South Ameri-
@ It is unlawful for young man to
see the face OF his mother-in-law. II
they live in the same house q partition
must be set up between them. Ifsthey
go in the same boat she has to step in
first, SO as to keep her back turned on
him. Rochefort says: "Among the Ca
ribs all the women talk with whom
they will, but the husband dare not
converse with his wife's relatives ex-
cept on extraordinary occasions"
In many parts Of Australia woman
will not look at her daughters husband
at all hazards. She hides whenever he
comes near her, going out of her way
to avoid him, and If it is impossible she
hides her face with her cloak. She
would not mention his name for any
thing in the world. The Kafir woman
hides behind bush and holds shield
to her face. She would far rather
speak to stranger than to her son-tn-
law.
Franklin, who gave much time to the
studies of the North American Indian,
assures us it is considered extremely
improper for a woman to speak to her
son-in-law, and when she has any i'm
portant communication to make it is
considered proper for her to turn her
back on him and speak by means Of a
third person. The same law holds good
among the Sioux and Dakotas, and If
violated the offender is punished by
having his garments torn from his
back and thrown away. With the Oma-
has neither the father nor mother has
anything to do with the son-in-law
nor he with them. They will not look
at one another or speak his name.
In his travels to Timbuctoo Caillies
narrates that from the moment of be-
trothal the lover is careful not to see
the father and mother Of the bride
They avoid each other all the time. He
says, II tried in vain to discover the
origin of the whimsical custom, but
the only answer I could obtain was, 1T
Is our way"
This custom extends beyond the re-
lations. If the lover is of different
camp he avoids all the inhabitants Of
the women's camp, except few init
mate friends whom he Is permitted to
visit. A little tent is generally set up
for the son-in-laW, and when he is
obliged to cross the camp he covers his
face. This custom exists among In
dian tribes and extends far beyond.
In the tribes of New South Wales the
young man, when counting a girl,
avoids her mother as much as he can
and grows more distant after he is
married. With some Victorian tribes
the estrangement is even greater-the
mother and aunt as well may not look
at the young man nor speak to him
from betrothal to death. When they
speak before each other they have to
use turn language. Under NO con-
dftion would the young man dare to
speak to his Wife's mother. =
Maclean, who studied this custom
among the Zulus of Africa, says a
daughter-in-law must cut herself of
from her husbands relatives. She is
not allowed even to pronounce their
names mentally. This statement shows
that in some countries the girl must
ignore her husbands relatives as much
as he does her mother, but this is less,
frequent. r.
In Asia among the Mongols and thu
Calmucks woman dare not speak Is
her father-in-law nor sit down In his
presence. Uallas in an interesting
work on the Ostiaks Of Siberia declares
that young married woman avoids
her father-in-law whenever she can,
especially during the early years Of her
married life. In the meanwhile the
husband is not expected to see any
thing of his mother-in-law. II he
meets ner by chance he hides.
In China, after the wedding day, a
man never sees the face Of his daugh-
ter-in-law. A similar custom exists in
Borneo and the Fiji islands.
Some people consider 1t absolutely
criminal for young man even to give
stray glance to his mother-in-law,
however good looking she is. They
say that they must not look on her
lest they go mad. It is the fashion
with some tribes in central Africa to
sit with bent knees in their presence
and not to put their feet out. A Kongo
proverb states: my mother-in-law is
angry with me, but what do care?
We do not eat from the same dish"
Some men will speak to their mothers
by marriage, but will not call them
BY name. This Is true Of the people
Of the Torres strait.
Many more instances might be men