Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-07-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
liza Gypsy Divorce.

~ "iitei oh .ic HaDits Vi tuc SypSleS
gives the following account of the ceremo-
nies of divorce. He says:
Divorce is common. 1t is performed over
the body of horse, which is sacrificed for
the occasion. The ceremony must take
place, if possible, "when the sun is at its
height" All the parties concerned in it
! carry long slaves in their hands A horse
without blenish is led FORTH and a member
of the company is chosen by lot to act as
priest on the occasion. He walks round the
animal several times, repeating the names of
| all the persons in whose possession it has
been, and extolling its rare qualities. 1t is
then let loose, and several gypsies set off in
pursuit of it. If it is wild and intractable,
leaps bitches, kicks and will not allow itself
to be easily caught, the guilt of the woman
is looked upon as enormous but if it is
tame and docile, her crimes are thought to
be less hcinous, and the death of the horse
is sufficient to wash them away
But sometimes both woman and horse
used to be sacrificed together
The individuals who catch the horse bring
it before the priest They repeat to him ali
the faults and tricks it has committed, lay-
ing the whole of the crime of which the wo-
man is supposed to have been guilty to its
| charge, and upbraiding and scoding the
dumb creature, in an angry manner, for its
conduct. They bring, as it were, an accu-
sation against it, and plead for its condemna-
tion. When this part of the trial is finished,
the priest takes a large knife and thrusts it
into the heart of the horse, and its blood is
| allowed to flow upon the ground till life is
extinct. The dead animal is now stretched
out upon the ground The husband now
takes his stand on one side of it and the
wife on the other, and, holding each other
by the hand, repeat certain appropriate ser-
tences in the gypsy language. They then
quit hold of each other, and walk three
times around the body of the horse, con-
trariwise, passing and crossing each other at
certain points as they proceed in opposite
directions. At certain parts of the animal
the corners of the horse, was the gypsy's
| expression), such as the hind and four feet.
the shoulders and launches, the head and
tall, the parties halt and face each other,
| and again repeat sentences in their own
speech at each time they halt. The two
! last stops they make in their circuit round
the sacrifice are at the head and tail. At
| the head, they again face each other and
speak and lastly, at the tail, they again con-
front each other, utter some more gypsy ex-
pressions, shake hands, and finally part, the
one going north, the other south, never
| again to be united in this life. Immediately
after the separation takes place the woman
| receives token, which is made of cast iron,
about an inch and half square, with a
mark upon it resembling the Roman
! character I. After the marriage has been
| dissolved, and the woman dismissed from the
sacrifice, the heart of the horse is then taken
out and roasted with fire, then sprinkled
! with vinegar or brandy, and eaten by the
husband and friends then present; the
female not being allowed to join in this part
OF the ceremony. The body of the horse,
skin and everything about it, except the
heart, is buried on the spot and years after
the ceremony has taken place the husband
and his friends visit the grave of the animal,
to sec whether it has been disturbed. AT
these visits they walk round about the
grave, with much grief and mourning.
The usband may take another wife when
ever he pleases, but the female Is never per-
| mitted to marry again. The token, or rath-
! er bill of divorce which she receives, must
never be from about her person. Ii she
loses it, or attempts to pass herself of as
| woman never before married, she becomes
liable to the punishment of death. In the
event of her breaking this law, council of
| the chiefs is held upon her conduct, and her
fate is decided by majority of the men,
bers, and, if she is To suffer death, her sem
tenee must be confirmed by the king or
principal leader. The oulprit is then tied to
stake with an iron chain, and then cud-
geled to ,deaih. The executioneIs do not
eytinguish life at one beating, but leave the
unhappy woman for q little while and re-
turn to her, and at last complete their work
by dispatching her on the spot.
| ~