Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-01-11
Gnailg S1itainiau.
Shetland Marriages.

tho women, they follow quito different rulo. II
sometimes does happen that both tho man and
woman about to be married are of an age, but
this is seldom tho greater number of marriages
are between youths of nineteen and maidens OF
thirty-two. Whenever young man can net his
| part in tho manning OF boat, he has arrived at
the height Of his ambition and therefore thore is
no wonder at hIr marrying early: but why he
pitches ON an old maid. instead of young girl, is
not 10 easily. accounted for unless il be Tint
young men favo peculiar affection for old maids
as old men have peculiar affection for young
! girls. This system ol marriage holds good only
with those who never leave their native soil. lilo
who becomes sailor, cannot, generally, marry
young; bat he is always sure, before leaving
his home. to single out the object of his future af-
tections. In no country isa lover 50 faithful to
! his mistress NJ in Shetland.
never heard of u Shetland sailor who was
guilty uf breach of promise, although bo should
be absent for ten years. Not only docs he not
break his engagement, bnt he never fails to writo
to his belo,od in illusions Of the most endcar
iog nature, always beginning ending his opis-
tie with My Pet" My Jewel" "My Watch
or My Diamond" Years before the celebration
Of the marriage, the woman in by no means slack
in telling all her neighbors Of the particulars of
| tho engaceu cnt, and of the year, and of tho
month. and Of the day. and of the hour when it is
| to be celebrated Such I'M extraordinary lcenso
Of ante nuptinl tntte would ho hardly suitable for
countries where the bride sometimes misses tho
| bridegroom even ut the horns Of tho altar. The
women has another license which is moro pecu-
liar she Is allowed to have temporary lover du-
| ring the absence Of the true one. The license is
| given by the absent lover himself but tho
mcnt hc returns home. the temporary lover must
desist from making my more visits.
How far the temporary lover may carry on his
suit, could never accurately ascertain; but it IN
generally understood that they may ogle, joke.
| kiss ut the back of the dor, ind squeeze hands
| l,,,, nj, ,a all oil
license OF this Sort but must walk as circum-
specify as though he WIS married. Whether he
strictly adhcres to such IL coursJ of chasto beha-
vior cannot always he found out, but it is certain
that, If alive. he will return home and marry her
who is dear to him as life itself. Whom thu
marriage ceremony is performcd-not by priest
for there is not Roman Catholic in all Shetland
hu, by some Protestant clergyman of the Estab
llshed Church, or Of some dissenting dcnomnn-
ton, of which there alo many-thc marriage pnr-
ty. q mixed asecmbage of old and young, set Of
immediately on short tour. until it draws ncar
the dinnerhour This tour must be gone through
Us to form Il circle and must not, on any
count, be contrary To the course Of the sun, else
| the young couples fortunes from that day take n
backward course.
| As s,on as they return home, they sit down to
dinner. where the tables sure to be groaning
! updor loads OF bcei, mutton fowl, fish, and burst
| ing. Bursting is used ut every meal in Shetland;
it is male from blnck oats, made blacker by burn
| ing in a pot over the fro. while undergoing tho
process of drying. 1t is then ground by hand
MILL when it might be sold for enuii, if people had
senses hut sight. Lastly, it is baked into round
lalls of different sizes, whc! very little fiat
tcncd, but not 81 much 50 that they can be com
| pared to the Scotch bannock. These bnrstings
arc generally baked with sn"t, and thus they
! prise the greater part OF Shetland bread. The
| dinner being over. md having washed well
their tfroa's with wllsky-tor they are exceed
ngy fond of drink of any sort--they commence
the dance. In this art they are wonderful prof
clients, for they can dance hours without inter
mission. a Of men occupies side Of the
house from end to end. md u row ot women
stands opposite The hIlcr strikes up some
,anting and ri"lous tune; tho dancers Lcgin--thcy
skir, they fisk they ding, they leap with the
utmost agility, assuming every position and nj
titudc.
: me lean f,rward and ARE intent in examining
the skipping AMI lrisking Of their eet; lean
lark kwnri. .Hnd h,v" tier eyes fixed On the ceiling
of the house !uy half AN hour. One man il lean.
in, sideway, and with sdelong glance is gracious
" admirng the iri,kiug Of ouu o lis fee; every
one. in short, has peculiar and original
darce of his own In these different and pcculinr
Pastures they continue. without rcrlins. for half
hour, humping and pcin,;-ut it, till perspira
ton streams t. the ground, and mist ascends in
clouds, or. as Burns We ud have said "tll ilka
tov swat and leek it," During the half hour
trying his utmost in cutting us mary strange en-
rers IA possible, and ever and anon they all roar
cat: "Go,l luck to the lad !" and Coed luck to
,hcc lass !" The lad and the lass who have such
n shower If good lucks' hailed upon them Of
course the bride and bridegroom. All tho Shet-
LADDERS address each other without distinction in
the Quaker style, by ihous and thccs. and by eve
ry other familiarity used by TINT innocent body vf
people.
There il other circumstance about the dance
that strikes a stranger very much. All the dane
ers have shoes made of hide with the hairy side
out and thus some have black feet, some white
feet some red feet. and some specklc1 feet These
shoes they call rieians. Whenever they intend to
reel. one Of them takos tho lead aud the rest fol-
low: or perhaps the fiddler gives ntimaton that it
is time for them to do oby maknga discordant
and hideous sound on the bass string Of his fiddle
They do not reel for half IN hour, but run twice
thrice round the house and then set to the dance
again with redouLled fury. Burns must have seen
something similar to the Shetland mode of dane
ing before he described his dance Of the witches.
l never fully. understood or saw the force of that
until / witnessed Shetland weddings.
1t is no uncommon thing for neishbors, who have
not been invited to the marriage 10 dress in dis
guise, and participate in the festivities Of the even
ing. The usual way they disguise themselves is
by rolling the body up in straw rope, nnd blackcn
ing the face. These maskers have usually all the
privileges Of hidden guests. and are treated with
great civility. ~ the end of every dance sv ry
man must kiss his female partner Sometiu OF the
men dance by themselves, the women cannot
hold opt to such long and furious exercise and,
when they finish their dance. they do not kiss, but
they ling each other to such degree as to create
disgust in those who have been unaccustomed to
such habit
When they are oyerpowered with feasting and
mirth all Of them sleep the floor, without any
distinction or regularity. like many pigs. hun
died together in the utmost confusiJp. They rise