The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-12-07
THE MOTHER-N-LAW
Her STRANGE POSITION AMONG MANY
OF THE WORLDS PEOPLES.

7ER > RANGE POSITION AMONG MANY
OF THE WORLDS PEOPLES.
Races Where She Is Neither Permit-
ted to Speak to Nor Look Upon the
Husband of Her Dnughter-TheOries
About This Queer Custom.
Among the Arawaks of South Ameri-
ca it is unlawful for young man to
see the face Of his mother-in-law. II
they live in the same house a partition
must be set up between them. If they
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 Kaffir woman
hides behind bush and holds shield
to her face. She would far rather
speak to stranger than to her son-in-
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
third person. The same law holds good
among the Sioux and Dakotas, and il
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, Il tried in vain to discover the
origin of the whimsical custom. but
the only answer could obtain was. 1t
Is our way"
This custom extends beyond the re-
lations. If the lover is of a different
camp he avoids all the inhabitants Of
the women's camp, except few inti-
mate friends whom he is permitted to
visit A little tent is generally set mp
for the son-in-law, and when he is
obliged to cross the camp he covers bis
face. This custom exists among In
dian tribes and extends far beyond.
In the tribes Of New South Wales the
young man, when courting 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
dition would the young man dare te
speak to his wifes mother.
Maclean, who studied this custom
among the Zulus Of Africa, says 6
| daughter law must cut herself of
| from her husbands relatives. She II
not allowed even to pronounce theil
names mentally. This statement shows
that in some countries the girl mus
| ignore her husbands relatives as mucf
| as he does her mother, but this is les.
| frequent.
In Asia among the Mongols and th'
| Calmucks woman dare not speak t.
her father-in-law nor sit down in hi
| presence. Uallas in an interesting
work on the Ostiaks Of Siberia declares
that a young married woman avoids
her father-in-law whenever she can
especially during the early years Of he
married life. In the meanwhile tn
husband is not expected to see any
thing Of his mother-in-law. II b.
meets ner by chance he hides.
In China, after the wedding day,
man never sees the face Of his daugh
ter-in-law. A similar custom exists II
Borneo and the Fiji islands.
Some people consider it absolutel!
criminal for young man even to Civ
stray glance to his mother-in-law
however good looking she is. The,
say that they must not look on he
lest they 60 mad. 1t is the fashiol
with some tribes in central Africa t
sit with bent knees in their presenc
and not to put their feet out. A Kong
proverb states: MY mother-in-law
angry with me, but what do | care
We do not eat from the same dish.
Some men will speak to their mother
by marriage, but will not call ther
by name. This is true Of the peopl
Of the Torres strait.
Many more instances might be mer
toned, but these. are enough to sho,
that the position of the mother-in-l la
among many peoples is strange. Th
cause for it is not positively KNOW
Sir John Lubbock feels that its origi
lies In capture where man reali
seized his wife. This aroused the II
dignation of the girls parents, who r
sented his doings by treating him wit
; great scorn. Gradually this captnl
} was only make believe, hut the mot
er-in-law still shows her disapprov'
by having nothing to do with ht
daughters husband. Professor z.
Taylor says it is an act OF cuttin
When a young man comes into far
lily lie is ignored; he is at least not Co
, sidered one of them. Both explain
, tions may be true in part. but they
not tell the whole story. 1t is mo
: likely that a feeling of rivalry al
+ jealousy is at the bottom of it all.
3 Chicago Tribune.