86 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



exeiise foi' safce-drinking, and, instead of bringing assistance to 

 the young people in their early struggles, rather tends to deplete 

 the none-too-plethoric purse ; for the beverage is provided by the 

 groom, whose resources will have been severely taxed when he 

 has furnished sake for the marriage-feast and the house-warm- 

 ing as well. At the latter feast a prayer is offered to the god- 

 dess of fire, by the village chief or one of the elders, invoking 

 her protection for the house and its inmates, and asking that 

 male children may be numerous and strong. This is called cli isei 

 nomi. 



Marriages are seldom contracted between residents of different 

 villages, and if the Ainu kept anything like a record of blood-re- 

 lationship, marriage between first cousins would probably be found 

 the rule rather than the exception. But that inhabitants of differ- 

 ent villages do intermarry is proved by the fact that they have 

 words in their language to indicate the fact. Thus, iriiuak means 

 blood-relations, those who are received into the family circle and 

 are close together (a village is virtually a large family), while 

 iritak means distant relations, those who are taken away. Again, 

 the names of those who go from their own village to wed with 

 those of a distant village are changed, but whether or not this is 

 done according to any rule is not quite clear ; certainly there is 

 nothing in the new name to indicate the birthplace of the person. 

 With increasing facilities for traveling and temptations to wan- 

 der in search of employment, these marriages out of the family 

 circle are becoming more frequent. 



Polygamy is permitted indefinitely, the number of wives being 

 determined by the wishes of the man himself and his ability to 

 secure a plurality — one can hardly say his ability to support 

 them, since the support of the man himself and of his family is 

 mainly provided by the women. 



Widows are isolated for a period of three years, during which 

 time each lives in her own little hut, supporting herself as best 

 she can by doing a little gardening and by catching a few fish at 

 night in a semi-surreptitious way. They must wear a distinctive 

 cap during this period, and are not allowed to participate in any 

 of the ceremonies of the village. At the expiration of the three 

 years they doff their caps, resume their places in society, and are 

 once more " eligible," and, if known to be good wives and mothers, 

 are sought after. Old women (widows) with grown-up children 

 are exempted from this enforced seclusion, and are supported by 

 their offspring. 



Adultery is strongly opposed by the Ainu, and is severely pun- 

 ished ; the guilty parties (unless they are young people who can 

 atone for their crime by marriage) being sometimes strung up by 

 the heels until nearly dead. "The other crimes, recognized by 



