Comments | little_details: south Asian cultural group identification

sleepfighter in little_details

south Asian cultural group identification

Aug 20, 2009 08:33

I'm trying to ID a Southeastern Asian culture group that I heard about once in conversation with someone, because I'd like to do more research on them for a possibly story idea ( Read more... )

asia (misc), ~religion & mythology (misc)

Comments 7

shoiryu August 20 2009, 19:13:21 UTC

You might have some luck here?

zinnea August 20 2009, 20:13:52 UTC

Try doing some research at Ethnic China.

frau_eva August 20 2009, 21:50:56 UTC

Wow, that sounds interesting. I have no idea, but if you find out, could you just reply and let me know? :D

sleepfighter August 21 2009, 03:25:22 UTC

See here.

curtana August 20 2009, 22:46:49 UTC

This sounds like it - the Newar, who live in Nepal. The description says:

"Normally Newar girls are married thrice in their lives. The first marriage is called “Ihi (Newari) or “Bel sanga bibaha” (Nepali). And then they are married to the Sun which is called “Bara Tayegu” (Newari) or “Gufa Rakhne” (Nepali). When they get into human conjugal relationship its actually their marriage. These marriage ceremonies are conducted both among Buddhist Newars and Hindu Newars. Before Newar girls reach their puberty they are married to the fruit of wood-apple tree called Bel. It is performed at the girl’s odd age like 5, 7, 9 before they starit menstruation. Ihi is a two-day ceremony commencing with purification rituals and ending with “Kanyadan” of the girl by her father meaning “giving away the virgin”. This Kanyadan ceremony performed in Non-Newar Hindu marriage. So Ihi could actually be taken as the first marriage of the Newar girls except for that they are married to an icon of Suvarna Kumar, the immortal God. Ihi is regarded a very ( ... )

sleepfighter August 21 2009, 03:24:23 UTC

Ooo, hey, that sounds like about the right alley to look at. Thanks for being generous with the use of your Google-fu.

emo_mz August 20 2009, 22:49:50 UTC

You might have some luck if you get in touch with an anthropology community? They're the people most likely to have some idea about where this marriage ritual comes from. I've not heard of it, but I'm only an undergraduate in anthropology.

The only practice I know of in that area is that some tribes marry one girl to several male siblings.

Of course, using the term marriage might also be confusing the issue as a ritual which occurs so early in a girl's life may well be considered to be a birth or coming of age ritual by the anthropologist who studied this tribe.

I hope that's of some help!