Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1909 — Elopement Sanctioned. [ARTICLE]

Elopement Sanctioned.

This is the way they marry in Busoga, on the right bank of the Nile, at Rlpan falls. Therman goes to some dance, generally given in honor of some departed Busogan, and. having danced and feasted with his charmer, the happy pair elope and go to the bridegroom’s home. This ends all ceremony, except that the brother of the bride visits them the next day and is received by the brother or some other relative of the bridegroom, who makes him a present of a cow or whatever else he can afford to give. This the girl’s brother keeps until be gets married and pays it over to the brother of some other girl. Men already married carry away another wife in the same way and with like etiquette and payment, and sometimes a married woman is carried off, but this breach of custom is generally condoned as H a mistake” and atoned for by the payment of a cow.