Identifier: cu31924023077252 (find matches)
Title: Shans at home
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Milne, Leslie, Mrs., 1860-1952 Cochrane, Wilbur Willis
Subjects: Shan (Asian people)
Publisher: London : J. Murray
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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s, but when Kachingirls are of marriageable age they leave their homesat night, with the consent of their parents, to sleepin a house set apart for the purpose ; there they meetthe bachelors of the village, thus choosing theirhusbands. This is considered by the parents to bethe correct and proper way in which girls shouldmake their choice. The wedding takes place whena girl is quite sure which man she wishes to marry.They say that their marriages turn out much morehappily than those of Shans, divorce being practicallyunknown among them. If a Kachin has property theyoungest son is the chief heir, there being doubt asto the fatherhood of the first-born. When a Kachingirl is married she has to walk to her new homebetween rows of pigs, which are slaughtered as shepasses, their blood wetting her feet. There are people of another race who come downfrom the hills in considerable numbers; they area very law-abiding race, known to the English asPalaungs. They descend to the plains, not only to
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UNMARRIED KACHIN WOMEN. P- 134) PALAUNGS I3S attend the markets, but also to pray in Shan monasteries.Their villages are halfway up the hills between theShans of the valleys and the Kachins of the hill-tops.Before the British occupation, when Shans and Kachinswere constantly fighting, the Palaungs lived in peacewith their fierce neighbours, paying tribute to them.The growing and drying of tea is their chief occupa-tion. All tea drunk by Shans and Burmans comesfrom their gardens. Palaung men wear jacket and trousers of similarcut to the dress of Shans and Kachins, but the costumeof their women is more like Kachin than Shan. Theywear a loose jacket, generally of home-woven stuff,dull in colour, but for festivals made of bright bluevelvet faced with scarlet. The skirt is short, and theclan to which they belong may be known by thewidth and colour of the stripes running horizontallyround the dress. Rich Palaung women wear loose belts—broad and plain—of solid silver, in addition to many

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