The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-12-27 00:00:00

MARRIAGES OF THE ARABS.

The marriage-ceremony in general is very simple. Negotia-
tions commence with the father of the maiden, who usually
consults the wishei of his daughter, and if her consent is gained
the match takes place. The marriage-day being appointed
perhaps five or six days after, the bridegroom comes with a lamb
in. his arms to-- the tent of his betrothed, and there cuts the
animal's throatbefore witnesses, and as soon as the blood falls
upon the ground the ceremony is regarded as completed. It is
accompanied with feaSting and singing; all the guests present
must eat bread and meat; for this is a circumstance absolutely
necessary on such occasions. The form of betrothing differs in
different tribes; sometimes the•fliend.of the lover, holding the
father by the hand, Merely sayi before witnesses, " You
declare that you give yo-ur daughter as Wife to ." • Among
4thasktesiottisatisstg-Sittai.thalather .of thelride gives to the suitor
a twig of a tree or shrub, or something green, whieli—hi:Stiiiks-
in his turban and wears for three days, to show that he has taken
a virgin in matrimony. The betrothed is seldom made acquaint-
ed with the change that is to take place in her condition. On
returning home in the evening with the cattle, she is met at a
short distance from the camp by her future spouse and a couple
of his young friends, who carry her by. force to her father's tent.
If she entertains any suspicion of their designs she defends.. her-
self with stones, and often inflicts wounds on the assailants
though she has no dislike to the lover; for the more she strug-
gles, bites, kicks, cries, and strikes, the more she is applauded
eter after by her own companions. Sometimes she escapes to
liae neighbouring mountains, and several days elapse before the
' hridegroom can find her;—her female friends, meantime, being
apprized of her; hiding-place, furnish her with provisions. When
brought to her father's tent she is placed in the womea's apart-
talent, where one of the young men immediately throws over
an abba in the name of her future husband; and this is
often the first time she learns who the person is to whom she is
betrothed. She is then dressed by her mother and female re-
lations in her wedding-suit, which is provided by the bride-
groom ; and being mounted on a camel ornamented with tassebt
and shreds of cloth, she is conducted, still screaming and strug.,
gling in the most unruly manner, three times round the tent,
while her companions utter loud exclamations. If the husband
belong to a distant camp the women accompany her ; and dur-
ing the precession decency obliges her to.cry 'and sob most hit-
- Ikrly. These lamentations and struggles continue after marriage ;
a sometimes she repeats her flight to the mountains, refusing
to return Until she is found out, or even is far advanced in
-pregnancy. Marriages are generally solemnized on the Friday
evenings, and the contracts are drawn up. by the. c's.di , -if the
bride be a widow or a divorced woman it Is attended with little
ceremony or rejoicing. This sort of connexion is alwayti reck-
oned ill-omened; no resistance is made,—no feast takes place,—
no guest will eat of the nuptial bread; for thirty days the hus-
band will not taste any provisions belonging to his wife, and
visitors when they come to drink coffee bring their own cups,
because to touch any vessel belonging to the newly-married
widow would be considered the sure road to perdition. Sheiks
and rich citizens display more splendour in their dresses ar.d
entertainments. The bride is decked out in the finest attire,
perfumed with essences, and every part of her bok painted
with figures of flowers, trees, houses, antelopes, and other ani-
mals. instead of receicing a marriage-portion, the husband
pays for his wife,—the sum varies according to rank and cifeum-
! stances. Among the Arabs of Sinai it is from five to ten dollars;
but sometimes thirty if the girl is handsome and well connected.
At Mecca the price paid for respectable maidans is from -40 to
300 dollars ca 15s. to £65 12s. 6:1.) ; and on the borders- of
Syria young men obtain their masters' daughters by serving a
number of years. Part of the money only is paid down, the
rest standing over as a kind of debt, or as a security in case bf
divorce. The price of a widow is never more than half, gene-
rally but a third, of what -is paid ,for a virgin.—Edinburgh Cabinet
Library, No. X Ir. His
Library, Arabia, Ancient and Modern,-
. frolveme