File:Shans at home. With two chapters on Shan history and literature (1910) (14741271906).jpg

Identifier: shansathomewitht00miln (find matches)
Title: Shans at home. With two chapters on Shan history and literature
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Milne, Leslie, Mrs., 1860-1952 Cochrane, Wilbur Willis
Subjects: Shan (Asian people)
Publisher: London : John Murray
Contributing Library: University of British Columbia Library
Digitizing Sponsor: University of British Columbia Library

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the day-time, only at night. Shans do not sleep with their wives during thenights of the fast days of each month ; they carrytheir beds and mosquito curtains to the zayats ^ nearthe monastery. There they spend the night in readingaloud or listening while others read portions of theirholy books. The reading continues the whole night,and men read, and listen, and read again, or sleep, justas they feel inclined. During these nights of fastingwomen sometimes sleep in other zayats set apart forwomen, but more often they remain at home repeatingwhat they can remember of their scriptures whichthey have heard so often in their homes recited by themen and boys of the family. When the husband isabsent the wife must not lie on his side of the bed,use his pillow, or sit on his seat by the fire. During the cold months the fire, burning on its sand * Zayats are empty rest-houses. There are several in each village,expressly built for the use of pilgrims or travellers. No rent is askedfor their use,
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THE GARDEN 107 hearth in the living-room, is a great attraction. Besideit Shans receive their friends when the work of theday is done. Neighbours coming in are offered teawithout milk, sweetened with sugar or flavoured withsalt. No one knocks at the door; if it is closed,any stranger may push it open and walk in, but onlythe relatives may penetrate beyond the living-room.There is no light except from the fire, and as there isno chimney the smoke rises in a thin column to theroof, to be lost there in the darkness. No one wishesto read or work, so that a steady light would beunnecessary. The people sit or lie on mats on thefloor—they rarely sit cross-legged ; their usual positionmay be seen in the illustrations at pages 64 and 170.Chairs exist, rude imitations of European seats; theyare seldom used by Shans, and are kept more forornament than use. Each house is surrounded by agarden, except in the middle of the village, wherethere are shops. At a distance it is difficult to guessthe s

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