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Something Old and Something New: Illustrating Spousal Ceremonies in "Religious Ceremonies of the Known World" Main Menu Spousal Ceremonies: An Introduction More on "Religious Ceremonies of the Known World" The "Idolatrous Peoples" of America Middle Eastern and Asian Spousal Ceremonies Western Europe and Armenia: Europe I Anglicans and Ankara: Europe II

Panamanian Tree Cutting

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The bridesmaids begin sowing corn where the trees have been cut. Aine O'Connor
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1. Panamanian Tree Cutting
The "bridesmen" cut down trees where the home of the newly married couple will be. Aine O'Connor
Contents of this annotation:
1. Panamanian Tree Cutting
Translation: The relations and friends grubbing up the ground allotted to the new married couple. Aine O'Connor
Contents of this annotation:
1. Panamanian Tree Cutting
location of the marriage ceremony Aine O'Connor
Contents of this annotation:
1. Panamanian Tree Cutting

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Panamanian Marriage and Tree-Cutting Ceremonies Like the other “idolatrous” religions, Panamanians’ tolerance for polygamy scandalized Bernard, even as he wrote openly about their religion as a serious aspect of life. The idea that women, too, were allowed to take “deputies” (male concubines) seemed utterly shocking. However, on this and several other traditions Bernard included for the first time a disclaimer: “’Tis probable that if they really do so, ‘tis only among a small number of Indians, who are confined to the woods and mountains, for the Christians have abolished them in all other places.” It is an interesting aside—an invitation to skepticism, not just of Panamanian religious practices but Christian ones as well. Picart dedicates two engravings to the marriages of the Panamanians.

The Fathers of the Bride and Groom: Both fathers have an important role in the Panamanian marriage ceremony. First, the father of the groom makes a speech, “holding in his right hand a bow and arrow, with the point turned towards them.” Following the speech, he begins to dance, “making a thousand odd postures, which throw him into such a violent sweat, that he at length is obliged to give over through fatigue.” After all that, the father takes his son’s hand and offers it to the bride. While all of this was going on, the bride’s father, too, was on his knees, hand in hand with his daughter. Bernard writes, “he stands up and dances likewise in turn, and makes the same antic gestures before he kneels down.” This appears to be the major part of the ceremony; it ends soon thereafter.
The Gifts: Guests to the ceremony bring “axes, stone-knives, maize, eggs, fruits, fowls, hammocks, cotton, &tc,” pretty much anything a young couple would need. These gifts are pictured along the floor of the Panamanian dwelling in the first engraving. In return, the groom offers the guests a sip of Chicali, “the drink of these Americans.”
The Tree Cutting: Picart chooses to portray the traditional practice of tree-cutting in his second engraving on Panamanian marriage. Bernard writes, “the brideman and his attendants run to the fields, with their hatchets in hands, leaping and skipping, in order to cut down the trees which cover the spot of ground where the new-married couple are to lodge.” Thus, a new home is built both physically and through marriage. While the men cut down trees, the women sow corn.
Gallery of Engravings