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AUGUST, 1925)
BOOK-NOTICES
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therewith; evon the songs sung to it and its games factures and make the money to purchase their are recorded. The naming custom by the week- wants "almost entirely by growing and curing tea day seem to be typically Far Eastern, it may be and by trading." In this they resemble an allied remarked in passing, and it is also pleasant to see people, the Nicobarese, who live on the coconut that "a little child has a happy life in the villages palm and its produce, which they sell. With this of the Palaung and Pale [a clan of the Palaungs]." proviso, Mrs. Mlilne explains the Palaung method
"Little children between the ages of four and of agriculture, such as it is. Under native, that nine or ten enjoy a good deal of freedom," and is Shan or Palaung ruie, disputes were settled, soon learn to make themselves useful. They "when there was a lack of evidence, by ordeal, certainly live in beautiful situations, are carefully in order that the assistance of Spirits might be taught the ways of life, sing many songs (recorded obtained." Trial by ordeal still takes place sub by Mrs. Milne), have counting-out games, indulge rosà under British rule. It is not easy to break in a secret language and unfortunately learn too down immemorial custom. Mrs. Milne, however, much about the Spirits. "The boys and girls has not much to say on this important subject, and all unmarried folk of a Palaung village are as she has never personally witnessed such a trial. looked after, as to their conduct, by certain elderly "Palaungs believe that nearly all the ills of life men and women," the Pakk'edang, who are wealthy are the work of evil spirits." In such circumstances and respectable, and appointed for the purpose to their beliefs in charms and omens are obviously teach them manners and to watch over propriety important, and Mrs. Milne goes into them at some of behaviour. There is a certain amountof initiation length. Speaking generally, their beliefs are to life by ordeal, all regulated. It will be seen that those of the secondary Far Eastern peoples. Every it is not a bad thing to be bom a Palaung child. Palaung woman desires children, though the customs When boys have been tattooed and girls have regarding child birth give her a bad time- very passed the ordeal of the pruh, they esase to be bad time. Child-birth, too, is an occasion when children and become young men and maidens, primitive superstitions are allowed to run and love-making begins. This is an elaborate riot more or less. The same may be said of death. affair, much regulated and controlled by custom, Mrs. Milne gives the death customs at large, and and magic is resorted to, to settle the right suitor some of them are of great interest. to marry as the courtship proceeds. This sometime. The modern Palaung is a professed Buddhist, ends in illegitimate children, generally, however but his Buddhism is only skin deep, as, according legitimised by subsequent marriage. But the to their own statement, it was introduced among Palaungs make good husbands and wives and them by the Burmese king Bodawpaya, who came are faithful to each other.
to the throne as late as 1781. Mrs. Milne explains As in Europe, so among the Palaungs, there are
that it is accordingly of the purer Southern typefavourite months for marriage, which takes place
the Hinayana, and she gives a brief account of it usually between 16 and 25 or more, as regards the
in some very interesting pages, as it affects the girls, the men being older. The marriage is gene
Palsungs. But the people are Animists at heart,
1.6., they are Spirit-worshippers, and in this they rally an elopement under very strict regulations by
Beem to differ among themselves greatly, but custom, there being a great deal of make-believe
obviously in this respect they are Far Eastern in about it. It ends with a formal recognition by
feeling. We have it all here, the wandering soul, the village elders and is really quite a proper
the metempsychosis, and the rest of it, and on such proceeding. -
points Mrs. Milne is most informing. Palaung When married, a man must have a house to live
cosmogony is indefinite, but the people "attach in, and as the building of a new house, just as in
great significance to dreams" and their interpreBurma generally, requires great care and prepara- tation. Mrs. Milne winds up her text with the tion, there is much resort to magio and "wise men" proverbe, riddles and folktales of this little known in all the proceedings from the choice of a site. folk. The Palaungs, however, show no great love for She has an Appendix showing differences in their houses, though they are very much attached custom, which is of exceeding value. For instance, to their villages, and Mrs. Milne has an interesting elopement' is not the form of marriage among little chapter on Home Life. She has much more all Palaung classos. With these remarks I part to say about the Village Life, the village being company with one of the best field books on ethnoalways in a picturesque situation" on the toplogy it has been my fortune to come across. of a hill, on a ridge connecting two hills, or on a
R. C. TEMPLE. spur of a hill." Mrs. Milne explains how the people live in it, their habits, manners and customs, their
THE FOLKLORE OF BOMBAY By R. E. ENTHOfestivities and their fears, and on the whole there! VEN, C.I.E. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1924. are worse places in the world than Palaung villages This well-arranged book, which is likely to comfor natives to live in. The people have no manu. mand much attention from writers on primitivo
