Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 November 1894 — ODD WEDDINGS. [ARTICLE]

ODD WEDDINGS.

WHERE BRIDES ARE CAPTURED OR PURCHASED. Origin of the Wedding Feast-Dan-gerous Weapons Thrown at Bridat Couples'-Boxing the Bride’s Ears. The institution of marriage to-day j offers us illustrations of ceremonies | which seem a necessary part of the institution, and yet. if we were asked | for rationa explanations of them, we J should be at a loss to explain, were ! we not able to appeal to the evidence of history and call them survivals. How can we explain the wedding cake, the bridal tour, the storm of j rice and old shoes accompanying the j departure of the happy couple,- withj out an appeal to the customs of the past? writes J. William Black, Ph., D., in the Popular Science Monthly. The coyness of the maiden to-day is fully equalled by that of the savage ! maiden. It is 'customary with the ; latter to manifest opposition to entering the paths of matrimony, though that opposition in some cases is merely feigned. This probably originated—as most writers agree—among nations who were in the habit j of capturing their wives from hostile tribes, but it has lingered as a conventional observance in cases where the change of state is not distasteful. Marriage by capture is not uncommon, and prevails among some of the Hindu tribes, Circassians and the primitive races of Australia, New' Zealand and America; and survivals of this custom to-day would seem to indicate traces of this institution amongthe early Aryan and Semitic

races. The rape of the Sabines affords a good illustrati n of this ( ustom among the early Romans The primitive form of marriage by capture, however; gave way later to the ceremony by purchase, a price being paid by the groom to the parents of his bride, and the marriage contract being settled generally without the latter’s consent. In this second stage, where the bride was secured by a more peaceful method, the violence accompanying the former mode of secnring a wife still lingered in the form of a survival. In turn, the custom of purchasing a bride passed from the stage of reality to the ceremonial stage. Among the New Zealanders a bride is only secured after a prolonged struggle between the friends of the groom and the friends of the bride. Among certain tribes of India the groom is obliged to overcome a strong man who is appointed to defend the bride. A curious parallel to this is noted among the Eskimos. The youthful candidate to matrimony is only qualified to marry after he has succeeded in killing a polar bear without assistance. This is taken as an evidence of his ability to provide for the wants of the household. In Turkey a prominent part of the ceremony is the chasing of the bridegroom by the guests, who strike him and hurl their slippers at him. And what adds zest to the occasion is the fact that these onslaughts are usually led by the females who were disappointed at the loss of a former lover. An» Other survival of marriage by capture is discovered among the Ceylonese, where it is common at royal marriages for the King and Queen to throw perfumed balls and squirt scented w r ater at each other. As stated above, even in the latter stage of marriage by purchase, where j the marriage contract is settled on a ! friendly basis, the symbol of capture j is still maintained. For example, after the purchase price is agreed upon, the girl is given the privilege of running for her independence. This is knowm as “bride-racing,” and takes various forms. In one instance, the girl is mounted on a swift horse ; she is given a good start and then pursued by her lover, similarly' mounted. If he overtakes her she becomes his bride. If not, the marriage is declared off. As a rule, however, after a little exciting sport, the girl allows herself to be overtaken. Among other tribes we find the symbol of capture perpetuated in the footrace, or water chase in canoes; or the race may be run through a series of tents, as observed by Mr. Kennan in Siberia. In this case all sorts of obstructions are placed in the way of the groom by the friends of the bride, and if he be successful in running the gauntlet and jumping the improvised hurdles in time to catch the girl he becomes a Benedict. It is also a custom for the ‘ ‘fair one, ” if she be more fleet-footed than her lover, to wait kindly in the last tent until he joins her. Thus it is general among uncivilized peoples to accompany the wedding ceremony with violence of some sort. Kicking and screaming on the part of the bride are considered an evidence of modesty; and the stouter her resistance and the more violent her convulsions the greater is she appreciated ever after by her husband and her own friends. It is said even

to-day that the young girl hardest to woo is best appreciated by her lover. Marriage among the Greeks and Romans consisted of three acts: First, the quitting of the paternal hearth; t ,second, the conducting of the youn'g girl to the house of her husband, accompanied by relatives and friends and preceded by the nupital torch. Then the act of violence survives in the following, the third part of the ceremony; for at this point it was the duty of the groom to seize the bride and carry her into his house without allowing her feet to touch the sill. Around the (domestic hearth the husband and wife now gather, offer sacrifices, say prayers and eat of the sacred when ten cake. This last performance, which still survives in our wedding-cake of to-day, was of great importance, as it cemented and sanctified the union of the two, who were now associated together in the same domestic circle and in the same worship. The wedding feast is of ancient origin, and probably originated, as Westermarck points out, in the pur- ' chase stage,, where the feast was regarded as a part of the purchase price paid by'the groom; or, in cases where the expenses were met by the parents of the bride, as part compensation for the sum of money paid for the) bride. The custom of giving presents to the bride is also interesting in its origin. In all probability it also came from the purchase sum paid hy the

groom to the family of his bride, this purchase sum degenerating into a mere present, more or less arbitrary, which in some cases was returned to the bride. In Athens, during an early period, the dower was known, for the bride was frequently proI vlded with a marriage portion by her | father or guardian. This led to the j giving of presents by the bridegroom jto his wife. It was a common ob- | servance for gifts to be exchanged j between the bride and groom or their guardians, and numerous instances of this are recorded. It is a part of the ceremony in China and Japan; and Tacitus relates a similar custom among the Germans, Thus the custom of giving the bride a good start in life, with the aid of presents, is not new; while the bridal tour, and the practice of throwing rice and old shoes after the departing bride and groom are symbols of the violence that formerly accompanied the marriage ceremony. Even more dangerous weapons were used within recent times, for it is related to have been a custom among the Irish to cast darts at the bridal party. On one occasion, however, a certain Lord Hoath lost an eye by the foolish practice, and since that time it has become obsolete, less harmful weapons having been substituted. The “best man” of to-day was formerly the chief lieutenant of the groom in the act of capturing his bride. We find the wedding ring in use among the ancient Hindus. Among the Ceylonese the latter takes a curious form, for “the bride ties a thin cord of her own twisting round the bridegroom’s waist, ana they are then husband and wife.” This he wears through life as an emblem of the union. The ceremony would indicate that among these people the woman is “the boss.” This, however, is contrary to the usual custom which we find among many other tribes, for the boxing of the bride’s ears by her husband to indicate that he is master is an important part of some ceremonies, while it is said that in ancient Russia the father, taking a new whip, would strike liis daughter gently, and then band it over to the groom, indicating thereby that a change of master had 'taken place.