MARRIAGE BY ORDEAL

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1926, Page 1

MARRIAGE BY ORDEAL

POT SMASHED ON (MEL’S HEAD. 'BETROTHAL IF SHE ENDURES IT. (By K. A. Mitchell-Hedges, the explorer. who is now on a tour of the Central American Republics and is sending special despatches to the “Daily Mail.”) RETALI If LEU (Guatemala), duly 1 . Immediately after sending my lasi article to the “Daily .Mail,” Lady (Richmond) Brown and 1 determined to travel through Guatemala to the Pacific const. Wo' engaged a huge seven-scaler motor car in Gmteinain City with two men. In this ear we reached Antigua, ”8 miles distant. From Antigua we went through wild country to Zaragoza, the home of the bearded Indians, a strange and shy people, and from bore we reached Toepa m. The going had been awful from Antigua, hut. if was a. billiard table compared with what lay before use. From Teepnni wo began to climb tie mountains and every mile the sutfuce got worse until it semed impossible that we could proceed. MOTORING ON PRECIPICE.

We had climbed to a height of more than 11 .<>oo foot when tin? road developed into it track running along the almost, perpendicular side of the mountain. A precipice fell sheer for thousands of feet. At times the wheels of Hie, ear ireni bled on the brink, and on seveu.il occasions wo had to turn bonds where the angle was so acute that we had to reverse the car twice to creep round. The slightest misjudginent or the loss of nerve for a second and—pulp 0,000 feet* below. It was a terrible experience. For hours we crawled along like this. Slipping and bumping over rocks on a rend which hail ceased to exist, we reached Panajachek Next morning at sunrise we saw a wonderful view. Imagine a lake, o.lol) feet above sea-level. 17 miles long, without a ripple, green-blue in colour and completely surrounded by gigantic mountains. Rising sheer from the waters were the two volcanos Atitlar and San Pedro, towering 12,000 feet. “The Indian women here wear beautifully worked brilliant coloured costumes; the men have strangely woven coats, short pants, and skirts. There .arc masses of flowering plants, bushes and trees. The sky is azure blue, flecked with gold and rose-pink streamers. The whole scene, a miracle of beauty, changed continually as the sun rose higher until, finally, as it appeared above the heights, the lake turned to molten silver reflecting the volcanoes and mountains perfectly on its mirrored surface. - We crossed the lake lo the native village of Atitlan. the headquarters of lllie Zutuliilo Indians, which lies at the foot of the volcano Atitlan. TERROR. OF THE CAM FRA. It took us some time to become friendly with the Indians. Their terror of the camera wus pitiful. The village of Atitlan looks like a collection of gigantic beehives. The smooth thatched roofs rise to a point. ih<> lover pari of the building being built ol large black volcanic boulders which lie thick everywhere. It is the most picturesque place T have ever seen. Separate from every notice dwelling, by roughly Soft., is a curious oblong structure which looks like a vault with a hole which serves as an entrance, 3 to 4ft high. The sides arc built* of the same volcanic stones. All interstices are Idled in wilh mud. and (hq roof is closely woven thatch. This Is the Teniasosl (hot hath). At child-birth the Indian woman enters here: a lire is made within ol a certain wood which glows fiercely hut gives off no smoke. The heat inside becomes terrific. In this super-incu-bator she hears her child and immediately afterwards walks out* quite unconcerned, carrying the infant, in hoi arms, and continues her ordinary work. The Indians have a Chief and Council all'dressed in their native costumes. There are also the witches ol whom the Indians go in terror. '1 he lile of ti‘ tribe is ruled b.v fanatical superstition. Olio of tho most dreadful rites of these people, practised until recently, was to climb to the mouth of the crater and hurl their chilren into the molten depths below to appease the wrath of the goddess of the volcano. This has been outwardly stopped, hut I have a. suspicion that this horrible practice is still 'continued in secrecy by tho Indians. A SIMPLE AFFAIR. •The marriage ceremony of the Zutuhilo Indians is most remarkable and unlike any other I have* known among the many native tribes I have lived among and visited. During the day all tho women go down to the lake side to fetch writer, carrying on tlioil heads largo Two-handled oarthouii ill o pots. An Indian boy, having taken a limey to a certain girl, watches until she goes to the lake. Ho then hides himself among the stone boulders hv tho side of the path to uwnit* her return. The girl, having filled her earthenware pot*, places it upon her head and unsuspiciously commences the return journey. When she arrives opposite the spot- where the hoy is hidden he rushes out, seizes the pot, and dashes it in fragments over her head. H she remains standing, a public betrothal is considered to hive taken place. If she runs away, it signifies a. refusal. The marriage is very simple. I here is no feast. The girl simply goes elf with the youth. The smashing of an earthenware pot over a.girl's head appeared to mo to I>, a very violent and dangerous method o' exnrossing one’s love, and 1 was cur ions to know if tho girl was over stunned or her head cut open. But the skulls must lie abnormally thick, for T wasTissured that this never happened, and tlu> more fragments the earthenwan' pot was shattered into the greater the love of the youth was supposed to ho.