CIRCASSIA. 



481 



Matrimo- 

 ny. 



Clrcistia. the Circassians freely converse with each other, * as, in- 

 """."'' deed, in more advanced life, the women of this country 

 are generally neither confined nor reserved. In every 

 thing, however, relative to marriage connections, the 

 most particular attention is paid to the rank of the par- 

 ties ; and unsuitable matches are guarded against, by 

 the infliction of the most rigid penalties. Farther, when 

 the son or daughter of a family enters into the state of 

 wedlock, they have no right to appear before their pa- 

 rents during the first year, or till the birth of a child. It 

 is not till the same period has elapsed that a daughter 

 obtains her full marriage portion ; but on this occasion, 

 a visit is paid to her by her father, who takes off the 

 cap she wore when a virgin, with his own hands covers 

 her with a veil, which from that time becomes her con- 

 stant head-dress, and, finally, discharges what had hither- 

 to remained unsettled of her dowry .f 



Between husbands and wives, particularly during the 

 earlier part of their marriage-connection, there is obser- 

 ved a system of affected politeness, equally remote from 

 reason and nature. An uncommon degree of reserve, 

 indeed, especially among persons in the higher classes, 

 seems all along to be maintained by the parties joined 

 together by so very intimate a bond of union. J The ori- 

 gin of the peculiar custom prevalent here, in this respect, 

 as well as of the principle of committing the education 

 of children to strangers instead of their own parents, can- 

 not apparently be traced to any distant nation. But if 

 they are supposed to have been, from an early period, 

 prevalent in Mount Caucasus, a reference to them may 

 be of use in accounting for the fabulous descriptions which 

 h^ve reached us of the Amazons and Gargarenses, na- 

 tions whose local position assigned by the ancient geo- 

 graphers seems to correspond with sufficient accuracy to 

 that of the countries now occupied by the Circassians. 



The language spoken by this people has been said to 

 be common to them with the other neighbouring Tartars. 

 In the different parts, however, of the great chain of 

 mountains which bears the appellation of Caucasus, there 

 is reason to believe that there is considerable variety of 

 language. Few of the present inhabitants of Kuban 

 Tartary can converse with any of the Circassian tribes. 

 Indeed Pallas thinks it probable, that the Circassian 

 bears no affinity to any other language; and that, accord- 

 ing to report, their princes and usdens speak a peculiar 

 dialect, which is kept secret from the common people, 

 and used chiefly in their predatory excursions. The la- 

 test accounts of that country state, that those of the inha- 

 bitants with whom there had been found any oppoitunity 

 of holding conversation, spoke in a dialect so harsh and 



guttural, as was by no means pleasing to the ear. The Circassia. 

 higher orders here are said to be not unacquainted with "~ ""Y""' 

 the Russian tongue. It appears, from a vocabulary 

 of the languages or dialects of the Caucasian nations, 

 published by Mr G. Ellis, that many of the words in 

 use in these parts are the same as tho^e of the uncivili- 

 zed inhabitants of America ; whence, it has been concei- 

 ved, an argument may be drawn in favour of the opinion 

 advanced by Hornius and others, that America was ori- 

 ginally peopled by colonies from Asia, particularly from 

 Scythia or Tartary. As there are no written characters 

 in use among this people, those who would write in their 

 language are obliged to employ for this purpose the 

 Arabian letters. 



The favourite musical instruments of the Circassians Music. 

 is the camil, a kind of flute, made commonly of silver or 

 some other metal. It is about two feet in length, having 

 only three finger holes towards the lower extremity of 

 the tube. The mode of blowing this instrument is re- 

 markable. A small stick is placed in the upper end of 

 the flute, which is open at either extremity, and, being 

 drawn out to the length of an inch, is pressed by the per- 

 former against the roof of his mouth. It is difficult to 

 conceive how tones may be produced in this manner, as 

 the performer's mouth is kept open the whole time, and 

 he accompanies the notes with his own voice. From the 

 violent straining of every muscle in the countenance, it 

 would appear that the playing on this instrument is a 

 work of great difficulty and labour. The sounds produ- 

 ced resemble those of the bagpipe. 



The dances of the Circassians do not resemble those of Dancing, 

 any other nation. Ten, fifteen, or twenty persons, all 

 standing in a line, and holding by each other's arms, be- 

 gin lolling from right to left. They lift their feet as 

 high as possible, to the measure of the tune ; and the 

 uniformity of their motions is interrupted only by sud- 

 den squeaks and exclamations. It should seem that the 

 situation of the performers in the middle of the row must 

 be extremely uneasy, yet even these, squeezed as they 

 are from one side to the other, testify their joy in the 

 same manner as the rest. After some time there is a 

 pause, when a single dancer, starting from the others, 

 prances about in the most ludicrous manner, but exhibit- 

 ing two steps which may be assimilated to the movements 

 of a dance as practised among the European nations. 

 The first consists in hopping on one foot, and touching 

 the ground with the heel and toe alternately of the other: 

 the second, in hopping on one foot, and thrusting the 

 other before it, so as to imitate the bounding of a stag. 



The religion of the Circassians is Paganism ; for 



doubt that, by his success in this attempt, he will ensure his own advancement to nobility. The point that is universally agreed upon, 

 is, that wherever and by whatever person the office is discharged, the child must at least be educated at a distance from his father. 



This is the case particularly at the little rejoicings which take place here at festivals. Before a ball, the men show their activi- 

 ty and address in a variety of military and other exercises ; and the most alert on these occasions, have the privilege of choosing the 

 most beautiful partner;. 



f It is customary in Circassia, that a bridegroom, previously to his entering into the married state, should make to the relations of 

 the bride a present of armour, chiefly of a coat of mail. This is considered as a sort of purchase-price given for the bride. 



* In point of fact, it may be truly said, that, in Circassia, a husband is of all the world the person whose intercourse, ever with hit 

 wn wife, is the most restrained and fettered, by a singular enough custom, to a dull and uninteresting formality. Indeed, if a hus- 

 band will permit a stranger to see his wife, it seems to be a fixed point, that he himself should not accompany him ; and so far i< 

 this article of good manners carried, that when any one comes to see the wile, the husband goes out of the house. In the manner 

 even of constructing the houses, it may be added, that there is a distinct adaptation of them to the same modes and habits of life ; they 

 ooniist of two huts, of which one is appropriated to the husband and to the reception of strangers, the other to the wife and family, 

 aod the court which separates these two parts of the dwelling is surrounded by a palisade. It is said, that this artificial manner ol 

 living, is not in Circassia productive of any licentiousness of manners. The Circassian women, on the contrary, with all their charms, 

 and in spite of .such temptations, as it were even sedulously thrown in their way, are yet noted for their chastity ; whether this estimable 

 part of their character is to be considered as the consequence of their natural disposition, of a regard to reputation, or of the wish t 

 make a generous return for the confidence reposed in them by their husbands. In other respects, the women of this country partici- 



5 in the general character of the nation. They take a pride in the courage of their husbands, and reproach them severely when 

 lliey have MiM^incd a defeat. Farther, it is they who polish and take care of the armour of the men. 



his Memoir of a Map of the t'mntria comprehended betxKn tU Olnck 6'c and the Caipian, 1788. 

 VOL. VI. PAHT II. 3 P 



