Those ‘inflammable’ hankies

Sri Lanka’s decision to ban schoolchildren’s handkerchiefs in Parliament House sets off a train of thought

March 12, 2017 02:25 am | Updated 02:25 am IST

Everybody knows what a handkerchief is. According to Wikipedia, a handkerchief, also called a hanky, or historically “handkercher”, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse and that is intended for purposes of personal hygiene such as wiping one’s hands or face or blowing one’s nose into. A handkerchief is also sometimes used as a purely decorative accessory in a jacket pocket; it is then called a pocket square.

There are many types of handkerchiefs: ladies’ handkerchiefs, men’s handkerchiefs, bridal handkerchiefs, linen handkerchiefs, Bobbin lace handkerchiefs, Irish handkerchiefs, mourning handkerchiefs, silk handkerchiefs, cotton handkerchiefs, and what not.

Handkerchiefs are so common that nobody took any notice of them until the Sri Lankan Parliament last month banned visiting schoolchildren from bringing handkerchiefs into the public gallery. Nobody knows whether an innocent child used his nose-blowing handkerchief to set the House ablaze, a bit like Guy Fawkes who tried to burn down the House of Westminster in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

According to media reports, a child who visited Parliament along with other schoolchildren inadvertently dropped his handkerchief on to a lamp. After some time the handkerchief had caused a minor fire, which was immediately doused. The authorities, rather than removing the lamp from its position or covering it with a wire mesh, slapped a ban on handkerchiefs. After the ban, a table kept outside the public gallery was covered with an assortment of handkerchiefs. The authorities allowed the children to recover their offending handkerchiefs only when they were leaving the public gallery.

Nobody knows whether tokens were issued for each handkerchief kept on the table. In the absence of such a system the children would have had a difficult time finding their handkerchiefs. While leaving the Public Gallery a child was commenting, “This is like King Kekille’s judgment!”

Some years ago while Baron Rothschild and a nobleman friend were taking a pleasure trip along the Rhine, a young lad on the boat noticed the end of a silk handkerchief sticking out of Rothschild’s pocket. With visions of the fabulous value of a Rothschild handkerchief he took the end of the handkerchief and gently tugged at it. At this point the nobleman turned to the Baron and whispered, “Baron, that boy beside you is taking your handkerchief.” “Let him alone,” said the Baron. “We all had to start small.”

In the new somewhat barbarian world we live today, some women pretend to be men and men behave like badly raised children. Elderly men can be seen in buses and trains plugging their ears with earphones listening to music. Even if a bomb goes off they will not hear it. When a pregnant woman gets into a crowded bus or train, those who are seated are either listening to music or sleeping. The good manners of offering your seat to an old or pregnant woman have disappeared.

Nowadays, even when a woman drops something accidentally on a road or on a bus, nobody volunteers to pick it up and give it to her. If a man picks up something and gives it to a woman, she will be grateful for his action. Instinctively she will sense the satisfaction of having a man’s protection in daily life. She will also feel more feminine than what she pretends to be. Some decades ago newspapers published a picture of Prince Frederik of Denmark picking up the handkerchief of his wife, Princess Mary. If a prince can do it, why can’t an ordinary man do such an act?

There are certain superstitions concerning handkerchiefs. One such is that if you give a handkerchief or a box of handkerchiefs to your lover, your romantic relationship will end in disaster. This is because handkerchiefs are used to wipe tears!

In the Victorian era women were not employed and they were treated as ladies. Women also paid attention to decorum. When a young woman wanted to draw the attention of a young man she would drop her handkerchief while walking past him. The young man would pick up the handkerchief and give it to her. It would be the beginning of a romantic affair. Today, will anyone pick up a handkerchief dropped by a young woman? Probably not. This is because today’s young women have more sophisticated means of attracting the attention of potential suitors.

Women carry a bag full of things such as tissues, but most men carry a single handkerchief. The advantage of a single handkerchief is that you do not have to look for a tissue every time you sneeze. Men, more than women, use the handkerchief to wipe off sweat and dirt. Unlike the tissues which have to be thrown away, handkerchiefs are reusable. They can be washed and ironed. In any case, handkerchiefs have to be washed daily.

Handkerchiefs need not be fanciful. You can use just a plain white handkerchief on any day. Some people, of course, have their initials embroidered on their handkerchiefs, adding a touch of class.

William Shakespeare in his play Othello used the handkerchief in a powerful way. The protagonist Othello gives a handkerchief to Desdemona as a gift. Meanwhile Iago asks his wife to steal it from Desdemona knowing well that Othello will be angry when he finds out that his wife no longer has it. Iago also knows that for Othello the handkerchief symbolises Desdemona’s fidelity. You should read Othello to find out what happened later.

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