The children of Madagascar / by Herbert F. Standing.

  • Herbert Standing
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The children of Madagascar / by Herbert F. Standing. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    person who is going to act as barber (who, by-the-way, must be some one whose father and mother are still living) takes one of the pairs of scissors in his left hand, and with it first cuts off a little hair from the left side of the heads of the father and mother of the baby. Then a little is also cut from the left side of the baby's head, and a small strip is torn off from the left side of a banana leaf which has been provided for the purpose ; this having been twisted up into a spoon, is taken in the left hand and filled with honey, to which is added the hair just cut off. The scissors are then put on the top of the spoon, and the whole carried off to the doorway, and placed under- neath the threshold, the barber exclaiming, ' This removes all ill-luck and all that would cause illness to the child.' The ill-luck being thus disposed of, the same person then takes the other pair of scissors in his right hand, and again cuts off a little of the parents' hair, but this time from the right side of the head ; then taking the right side of the banana leaf he makes a spoon of it as before, which he again fills with honey and hair. This too he takes to the doorstep, now exclaiming, 'May good luck to the child come with this!' After this a man, whose father and mother are still living, takes a little honey m his mouth (to sweeten his words, I suppose), and invokes a blessing on the child nearly as follows:—' May this child, whose hair we are cutting not be foolish, not be obstinate and ill-tempered, not leave his father and mother, not forsake his relatives, but may he be blessed by God!' Then all present cry out, 'May God bless him, God the Creditor ^' After this, the hair on the top of the child's head is cut off and divided into fourteen portions, and these, with a little of the mother s hair are added to the heaps of rice before mentioned. Meanwhile all the -iris and young women present have arranged themselves on the floo? round the tray, and are looking on in eager expectancy. Then, after the child has been given a little food three times over, the tray is lifted up as a signal, and a regular scramble ensues, each of the fair young ladies sitting round trying to get as much as possible of the