Storia do Mogor 281.21
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 281.21
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281.21.1
In the month of August, 1701, the captain of the Pions (armed messengers) at Ariancoupan (Ariyanguppam) was married to the daughter of one Manuel, captain of the Pions at Pondicherry, both of them Christians and Malabaris [that is, ' natives of India ']. Here is how the thing was carried out.
281.21.2
Seven days before the marriage the first ceremony took place — one which is also performed by the Hindus in the same manner [64]. First of all a branch of an arack (pipal-tree) was planted in the middle of the courtyard where the wedding was to be celebrated. Before the branch was placed into the earth, the hole was filled with a gallon of cow's milk and a gallon of water. Having been planted, it was next smeared with sandal, red-lead, and saffron, and flowers were hung all round. This ridiculous ceremony is practised by the Hindus from veneration for this tree's connection with Vishnu, one of their false gods, and the goddess Savitri, his wife. For they hold that Vishnu dwells in this tree, and that his spouse, changing into wind, came to it as gently as possible in order not to be separated from her beloved. This detestable error plunges them into scandalous and abominable practices, as well as into gross and animal imaginations. For instance, they say that each leaf of that tree represents that portion of woman which modesty forbids us to mention. The red-lead put on it is in the minds of these idolaters something still more unpleasant. The saffron and flowers are offered in sacrifice to the tree so much venerated by them. They hold it a great honour for it to grow in the walls of their houses, and consider it a great crime to pluck it out.
281.21.3
After the completion of this first ceremony, they brought seven small pots full of earth, in which a few days before had been sown some rice and country peas, which have to be taken out on the marriage day. These pots were placed round the foot of the tree. At the same time a stone was placed in position, and on this a coco-nut is broken on the wedding-day, and the contents spilt. Seven days afterwards a sort of four-cornered tent was erected, called by these people ramade. This was placed so that the tree above mentioned should be kept in the middle. At the four corners mango branches were planted, and all round it leaves were bound on with thread; the meaning of this I will state hereafter. At the foot of the tree an altar was made without either cross or crucifix, its only ornament the image of the Virgin, which the Hindus count to be that of Bengavaty (Bhagavati), mother of their false god, Ram. The altar faced the east, another Hindu custom. Things being thus made ready, they went in the morning to the church, where the marriage ceremony was celebrated quietly. But in the evening a second ceremony took place in Hindu fashion. At that time the bridegroom left his house to the sound [65] of instruments, riding in a palanquin surrounded by dancers, all of whom are public women, and proceeded to the church door. He went in alone and said a short prayer, then rejoined his equipage, which waited outside.
281.21.4
Getting into his palanquin, and followed by his cortege, he went round the town and returned to the door of his house. Here he was met by three female relations, each carrying a bowl in her two hands. Two of these bowls were filled with saffron water and a small herb resembling couch-grass (chiendent), which they assert to be the hair of the idol Polur (Pillaiyar), who has the head of an elephant and a large belly. The third vessel was in the middle; it was full of rice of different colours, and held a ball of cooked rice steeped in butter made from cow's milk, and in this ball was inserted a burning wick fed by cow's butter [? ghi] instead of oil. It is true that the women relations, not expecting to be allowed to carry out the usual ceremony themselves, placed these bowls into the hands of three dancing-women, who waved them each three times round the bridegroom's head. The intention is to preserve him from evils into which he might otherwise fall, and to hinder the effects of any tricks that might be played off upon him. Then at the end of the third time they emptied the bowls at the bridegroom's feet. After that he entered the tent, where he circumambulated the altar and the things deposited on it.
281.21.5
Next he took his station with his face turned to the altar, and the catechist who acted as a sort of master of the ceremonies, or rather Brahman, took his post beside the altar towards the south, his face to the north, just as laid down in the ritual and usage of the Hindu idolaters. Our man thus posed, they brought to him a large banyan, or fig leaf, on which was spread uncooked rice, and they added two small yellow copper pots, called in the Indian tongue tambias (tambiya), or calsia (kalsa), each of them encircled several times with a thread. This last thing is never omitted by the Hindus from their sacrifices, of however insignificant a nature they may be. These tambiyas contained nothing beyond pure water, but on the edge of each they placed five mango leaves, and on these a coco-nut.
281.21.6
Two small stools were next brought and set down in front of our quasi-Brahman, alias catechist. On one was a bowl filled with uncooked rice of many colours; on the other a similar bowl holding the estuli, which is a necklace of gold beads. Next appeared incense and a censer, and they drew out the stone which, as I have told you, lay under the altar at the foot of the tree [66]. Having placed some incense in the censer, and sung the litanies of the Virgin, the catechist took the tambiya (copper-pot) on his right hand, washed the coco-nut on it with water, and, half breaking it on the stone, allowed the liquid to flow upon it and then separated the nut entirely into two pieces. Next the officiant rose, took the bowl containing the tali, and placing it (the tali) in the centre of the altar, he recited something in the Malabar language, and covered it with the bowl. He incensed the statue of the Virgin and the tali, and the latter he presented to the parents and the principal guests, who all touched it with the right hand. Last of all he carried it to the newly-married man, who, to an accompaniment of music, put it round his wife's neck.
281.21.7
The catechist returned then to the altar, drew from his waistbelt a vessel holding some cow-dung, which the Hindus call Tiranourou (tirunīru) — that is, 'holy ashes.' This had been blessed and sanctified by the reverend Jesuit fathers. Three times he scattered it on the heads of the newly-married couple, who all this time had remained seated. In this posture they placed their half-opened fists on their knees. Then the catechist ordered a fresh bowl of peas to be brought, took some up in both hands, and showered them three times over the two feet, the two fists, and the heads of the couple. The relations on both sides did the same. Some necklaces of flowers were now produced and placed on the necks of the two, changing them three times. The parents and the principal guests went through the same ceremonies. All this gone through, the catechist called for a third coconut and another bowl of peas; from the latter he took a small quantity in both hands, and placed both in the hands of the bride. She placed them in the same way in the bridegroom's hands, who returned them. In this fashion they gave and returned them as many as three times. Lastly, after the third time, the catechist poured some water into the hands of the bridegroom, over the rice and the coco-nut.
281.21.8
Next the bride and bridegroom rose from their seat, and a sort of procession round the altar began, in which one of the women relations took the lead with a lantern in her hand, and another followed with a water-vessel, sprinkling water little by little round the altar. A barber came next to show them the road, as is requisite in this ceremonial, then after him the newly-married couple, the bridegroom holding the bride's little finger in his closed hand. The line was closed by four or five of the relations [67]. In this order they passed round the altar three times, and the last time the newly-married couple made a profound obeisance with joined hands, having turned their backs to the altar and their faces towards the door. The catechist then took the water-vessel and poured the rest of its contents on them, and at the same time they ran to the door of the house and entered. After that one could not find out what went on inside.