The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1928, Page 43

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

43

When the King of Siam Goes
to the Royal Temple.

When a monarch of Europe goes to church or the
-ehief executive of one of our American republics,
it is usually a rather simple and ordinary affair,
without any attending pomp and circumstance. But
such is not the case when His Majesty Somietch
Phra Maha Vajiravudh Mon-
kut Klao, King of Siam, goes
to the royal temple to wor-
ship his idols. This ceremony
is attended by a pomp seen
only in the Orient.

The Siamese king’s atten-
‘dance at the royal temple
takes on much of the appear-
ance of a public official func-
tion. He worships in the
temple of the Emerald Bud-
-dha, at Wat Phra Keo, Bang-
kok, which is said to be the
most imposing of Siamese
temples and whose entrance
is guarded by two huge Yaks,
two huge giants of Siamese
mythology.

The costume which the
king wears when he goes to
his temple is made of cloth
of gold, and his head upon
such occasions is crowned
with the sacred pagoda hat,
‘which is said to be nine
stories high! From his palace
he is carried in a closed pa-
lanquin to his long boat,
moored at his private royal
-quay. Seated under his large
golden umbrella, he is rowed
-on the river to the Emerald
Temple. At the temple the chief priest, in a long
prayer, asks Buddha to shower blessings on the king
and sprinkles: holy perfume on him, while the at-
tending priests scatter lotus flowers about him.

The king of Siam is said to be one of the richest
of Eastern kings. He owns no less than twenty
palaces, a herd of sacred white elephants, and ten
million dollars’ worth of pearls and precious stones.
Among the luxuries he can afford is a barge manned
‘by 120 oarsmen and twenty-four golden umbrellas!
It is claimed that he has a fleet of no less than 2,000
royal barges. F. J. 1.

Polygamy Among the Ngoni.

One of the greatest social and moral evils among
the Ngoni tribe is polygamy. The evils are seen
among all classes, for, as the tribe existed by raid-
ing other tribes, all who could bear arms might
possess themselves of captive wives. Among the
upper classes the rich held the power to secure all

ina

Royal Buddhist Temple, Bangkok, Siam.

marriageable girls in the tribe by purchasing them
from the parents for so many catile.

The practise of paying with cattle was not in
all cases wholly bad, but the tendency was to out-
rage the higher motives and feelings, especially in
the women, who often were bargained for by their
parents long before they entered their teens.

The cattle paid to the father of the bride formed
a portion which she could claim and have as a pos-
session, in the event of her being driven away by
the cruelty of her husband, and in the absence of
a nobler sentiment it was in some degree a safe-