10 Social Customs of the Karens. [No. 1 



The Elder now changes his motion and fans up the child's arm ; 

 saying : 



" Fan on power, fan on influence : 



Fan on the paddy bin, fan on the paddy barn : 



Fan on followers, fan on dependants : 



Fan on good things, fan on appropriate things." 



He next takes a bit of thread that has been prepared for the pur- 

 pose, and tying it round the child's wrist, says : "I name thee A. B. ;" 

 using the name that the parents had previously determined upon. 



Sometimes a name is selected from among their ancestors, or other 

 relatives ; but in such cases they are always careful to select one whose 

 bearer was rich, or valiant, and prosperous ; ever avoiding the poor 

 and unfortunate, as they suppose the name influences the character of 

 the man. 



Often a name is selected indicative of the state of the parent's mind 

 at the time the child is born. A man rejoices at the birth of a son, 

 and he names it " Joy." A mother is suffering, and she calls her 

 daughter, " grief." Another has a son born when he is hoping for de- 

 liverance from Burmese oppression, and the advent of White Foreign- 

 ers, so he names him " Hope." 



Frequently a child is named from some circumstance connected with 

 its birth. One is called : " Father-retnrned," because the father re- 

 turned from a journey just as the child was born ; and another is nam- 

 ed " Harvest," because born at harvest time. For like reasons we 

 have, "New-house," " Sun-rise," " Evening," "Moon-rising," "Full- 

 moon," and "February." 



Sometimes the child is named from its appearance, and hence we 

 meet with the names " White," " Black," and " Yellow." " White" 

 is about as common a name in Karen, as Smith or Jones in English. 



The animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms all occasionally furnish 

 names. There are "Tiger," "Yellow-tiger," li Fierce-tiger," " G-aur," 

 and " Goat-antelope ; " " Hornbill," " Heron," " Prince-bird," and 

 " Mango-fish ; " " Eugenia," " Job's-tears," " Cotton," " Gold," " Sil- 

 ver," and " Tin ; " with many others of a like character. 



When the child grows up, and developes any particular trait of 

 character, the friends give it another name, with " father" or "mother" 

 attached to it. Thus, a boy is very quick to work, and he is named 



