62 



Notes on the Karens. [No. 11, new series^ 



does not obtain amongst the Karens. It is considered as discre- 

 ditable by them as it would be among the natives of India. 



The women as a body are chaste ; and connubial infidelity is 

 rare. Separation of man and wife, adultery, or a young girl going 

 astray, are regarded as great disgraces. 



The Karens do not believe in a supreme God, but recognise 

 the agency of two evil spirits — the one, the house " Nat," the 

 other the jungle " Nat;" all the evils and vexations of life are at- 

 tributed to the direct action of one or other of these spirits. It is 

 deemed necessary to propitiate them, which is done by offerings 

 of savoury food. 



These statements relative to the Karens not believing in a God, 

 and yet believing in a " Min Loung'' or Incarnation, may appear 

 at first sight contradictory. But it arises from that peculiar phase 

 of Buddhist Theology, in which no positive God exists, as we un- 

 derstand the term, but only a development of successive highly 

 gifted individuals who attain unto " Nirwana." It follows as a 

 matter of course that the Karen is deeply superstitious ; and in 

 reality this is the case, for he dreads magic and conjuring above 

 all other things. 



Another peculiarity exists amongst this people, and it would in- 

 deed be for the benefit of mankind if the principle were more ge- 

 nerally acted on by more civilised races. The son considers the 

 debts of his father as obligatory upon himself. If he is unable to 

 liquidate the debt, his children inherit the responsibility. Length 

 of time is no bar to a claim of this nature if satisfactorily estab- 

 lished. Regarded in a sanatory point of view their habits are 

 open to every objection. The localities for their villages are ge- 

 nerally badly chosen ; in their persons and about their dwellings 

 they are filthy to an extreme ; their food is frequently unwhole- 

 some and they have a strong predilection for ardent spirits. The 

 most ordinary medical treatment is unknown amongst them. If a 

 man be struck down by remittent fever or dysentery, an offering 

 is made to the " Nat" called " Nat-Sa ;" at which time all the 

 immediate relatives of the sick man and the patient himself must 

 partake of animal food. The result is not difficult to guess. The 

 rate of mortality is exceedingly high : over and over again has the' 



