The Golden Bough (Third Edition, Vol. 7 of 12) - Mirrors

240 The Golden Bough (Third Edition, Vol. 7 of 12)The Father andMother of the Riceamong the Szis ofBurma.[204]She must enter with her right foot first. She must be decentlyclad with her breasts covered. She must not chew betel, and shewould do well to rinse her mouth before repairing to the barn,just as she would do if she waited on a person of distinction oron a divinity. No sick or menstruous woman may enter the barn,and there must be no talking in it, just as there must be no talkingwhen shelled rice is being scooped up. When all the rice in thebarn has been used up, the two sheaves representing the husbandand wife remain in the empty building till they have graduallydisappeared or been devoured by mice. The pinch of hungersometimes drives individuals to eat up the rice of these twosheaves, but the wretches who do so are viewed with disgust bytheir fellows and branded as pigs and dogs. Nobody would eversell these holy sheaves with the rest of their profane brethren. 610The same notion of the propagation of the rice by a maleand female power finds expression amongst the Szis of UpperBurma. When the paddy, that is, the rice with the husks still onit, has been dried and piled in a heap for threshing, all the friendsof the household are invited to the threshing-floor, and food anddrink are brought out. The heap of paddy is divided and one halfspread out for threshing, while the other half is left piled up. Onthe pile food and spirits are set, and one of the elders, addressing“the father and mother of the paddy-plant,” prays for plenteousharvests in future, and begs that the seed may bear many fold.Then the whole party eat, drink, and make merry. This ceremonyat the threshing-floor is the only occasion when these peopleinvoke “the father and mother of the paddy.” 611610 J. C. van Eerde, “Gebruiken bij den rijstbouw en rijstoogst op Lombok,”Tijdschrift voor Indische Taal- Land- en Volkenkunde, xlv. (1902) pp. 563-573.611 (Sir) J. G. Scott and J. P. Hardiman, Gazetteer of Upper Burma and theShan States, Part i. vol. i. (Rangoon, 1900) p. 426.