File:The history of mankind (1896) (14763385812).jpg

Identifier: historyofmankind01ratz (find matches)
Title: The history of mankind
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Ratzel, Friedrich, 1844-1904 Butler, Arthur John, 1844-1910
Subjects: Ethnology Anthropology
Publisher: London, Macmillan and co., ltd. New York, The Macmillan co.
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library

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Karl von den Steinenhas pointed out. Asthe wild beast drags hisprey into the thicket, inorder to devour it un-disturbed, so some tribesthink it highly inde-corous to look at anyone eating; and thesame may have heldgood in regard to otherfunctions. Still this canonly have been sub-sidiary, and does notaccount for the originalconcealment. Finallywe must not overlookthe superstitious dreadof the possible effects of the evil eye, though here again this cannot be rightlyassigned as the root-idea of modesty. Curiously enough, in New Guinea nomore than in ancient Greece do the representations of ancestors, with their freeexhibition of what in the living is carefully concealed, seem to give any offence.But all these various causes tend to react upon and supplement each othermutually. Further, no relation can be traced between the amount of clothingworn and the degree of culture attained. The lady of Uganda or Unyorowho drapes herself with elaborate care in her robes of bark, stands in general
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Woman of the Azandeh, or Nyam-Nyams.Richard Buchta.) (From a photograph by CLOTHING AND ORNAMENT 95 no higher than the Nyam-Nyam negress, whose sole garment is a leaf. Nordo the former race, who treat it as a capital offence to strip in public, hold anyhigher position than the Duallas, who take off every rag for their work in thesea. Nor, lastly, do we find any marked national distinctions in these matters.All things considered, we may say that in mankind of to-day modesty is universal ■and where it seems to be lacking, this is due to some accidental or transitoryconditions. But this is not the only feeling whichthe simple man is endeavouring to satisfywhen he clothes his body. Next to it standsthe gratification of vanity. The formermotive, as a mere injunction of custom, isquickly done with ; the other is sought tobe attained at an)- cost. One may say with-out exaggeration that many races spend thegreater part of their thought and their labouron the adornment of their persons. Thes

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