Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s3.t2.5.1

c48.s3.t2.5.1

means so anomalous as regards sequence as it may appear at first sight. In India, as in other oriental countries, dancing and singing are professional accomplishments or ceremonial observances, and only among some of the wilder tribes is the dance a form of private recreation. In Brāhmanic circles there are recognised dances, generally of a religious significance, danced among women, and, also, a few highly heterodox tripudiations associated with the rites of some particular sect, and ignored by the rest of the community. There are, again, the sword-dances of the Khattak and other frontier tribes, and most of the more primitive forest communities have their reel or square-dance with its traditional figures handed down as a tribal possession. With these exceptions, the dance in India is a performance by trained professionals, of a character which may be called posture-singing, or illustrating by gestures the words sung by the performer. The subject of the ode, except amongst the Muslim, is usually connected with religion or mythology. In the Dravidian region the dancing takes place within or before the temple, in honour of the god, especially of S'iva in his many forms, and the performers are dedicated to him and form part of the establishment of the temple. The women have their off-time, of course, which is spent in the practice of the ancient mystery everywhere, now as of yore, associated with professional dancing.