BURMA AND THE BURMESE 11
A 19th century description of Burma, Burmese culture and Burmese customs

BURMA AND THE BURMESE 11

divorce, he can easily attain it by becoming a phoongyee, as that at once dissolves the marriage. After a time he can return to the world and, should he wish to do so, marry somebody else. When a woman desires a divorce she goes to the chief men of the village, and states what her objection to her husband is. If they think it a. reasonable one they immediately grant her a divorce, and she is tree to marry again at once. From a wedding to a funeral may appear to be a very big jump, a rapid transition from gaiety to gloom, but it is not, for a Burmese funeral is a very jolly affair. The following is the order of procession of one which I saw a few months ago: Six men carrying long bamboos with white streamers attached. Four men made up to represent two elephants. Four phoongyees in their yellow robes. Four men dressed in green and gold. Four men carrying crimson umbrellas. Four men carrying golden umbrellas. Four men carrying mahogany-colored umbrellas. Twenty men carrying white umbrellas. Two men dressed up to represent a European married couple. Their antics amused the crowd immensely, and what appeared to be most appreciated was their walking arm-inarm. Four men with miniature pagodas on

their heads, and large fans in their hands. Two men beating drums which coolies carried slung on poles. A man with cymbals. The coffin a gorgeous, ark-shaped box carried on poles and surrounded by a number of gaily dressed men. A bullock-cart containing music and musicians. A man on foot playing a reed instrument. Seven bullockcarts with raised seats, on which were seated gaily attired and plentifully powdered and bejewelled damsels, smoking their cheroots and thoroughly enjoying themselves. A long line of ordinary bullock-carts brought the procession to an end. The funeral rites concluded, the party invariably return to the deceaseds house and make a night of it. Just recently the police made a raid on one of these parties, and arrested ten men in the act of gambling. The custom of the country was pleaded on behalf of the prisoners, who were all acquitted. These post-funeral festivities, which are sometimes continued for four or five days, are held for the purpose of preventing the relatives of the deceased from brooding over their loss. The Burmese are inveterate gamblers. Sometimes they indulge in a little sharp practice, as the following proves: There were two men at Tharrawaddy who possessed bullocks which had the reputation of < 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12 > Henry Charles Moore, "Burmese Traits" 1893