Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-06-09
Marriage Ceremonies.

riage and the marriage ceremony:
The ancient Scythians, being war.
like people, would not marry a maiden
who had not killed an enemy. Among
the HISTORIANS, on the wedding night
the bridegroom gave the brile kick,
and commanded her to pull off his shoes
ms token of her submission to him. In
Chaldea, on the wedding day, the priest
came Into the bridcgroom's house and
lighted fire, which was thought ought
never to be put out until the hour Of the
death Of one of the pair If, during the
life of either husband or wife tho fire
went out, it was considered q sign that
marriage between them was dead also.
Among the ancient Assyrians, all the
manageable young ladies were assem-
bled in one place. and the public crier
put them up to sell one after another.
The Babylonians, also, had kind of
market of their daughters at certain
times every year.
Assembled in public place where
they were exposed to general view, they
were disposed of to the best bidders.
In modern Egypt woman can never
be seen by her future husband until af-
ter she has been married. Negotiations,
however, are usually conducted bv pro.
fessiona women, who see the offered
bride and report TO the masculine can.
didate. A similar custom prevails in
West Barbary, where the bridegroom
does not see his bride until he is intro
duce6 to her in the bridal chamber, but
woman on his behalf watches her in
her bath and reports rs to her charms
and defects.
In the Moluca Islands, the same Gus
tom prevails. Among the Medcs a man,
was not considered entitled to full de
gree of respect unless he had seven
wives, nor a woman unless she had five
husbands. SO says Strabo.
The nobility might have as many
wives as they pleased, bu, all over seven
could he parted with at discretion.
A Persian's mode of making love was
to burn himself in some visible part, 10
order to prove his falthfulness to his mis-
tress, who if she accepted him. gave a
siIken scarf to bind up his wounds.
An odd marriage ceremony among
the Persians was for the parties to meet
at moonlight on bed, in the presence Of
! two Sponsors, who held rice in their
hand. The sponsor for the man, touch
ing the woman's forehead, asked her if
size would have the map, aud the spon
sor for the woman performed the same
ceremony to the man.
The hands Of the parties were then
! Joined and rice scattered over them
Among the Vzerees, in Persia, when q
woman is smitten with man, she sends
the drummer of the camp to fasten n
handkerchief to bis cap, with Fin she
has used to bind up her hair.
This is done by stratagen in public.
and the victim is obliged to accept the
woman, provided he can pay her price to
| her father.
Among the Circassians. the bride WAS
conducted to the groom's house attended
by relatives and by musicians. On en-
tering the house the bride kicked over a
pitcher of wine that was placed in the
middle of the apartment, and scattered
the paste in the vessel of the bread
dough, at his side against the walls. At
marriage in Benares, in the East In.
dies, the man and woman 60 into a
stream Of water together, the priest be-
ing present. The official performs the
ceremony by pouring water on COW,
and ty ing the couple together by their
clothes. They then walk around the
cow, and few other fotms complete the
union.
When a tribe in Neilgherry it was
| the custom for the MAIDS aud bachelors,
who wished to get married, 10 erect a
hut inside an enclosed space of ground,
with thick fence around it so that the
women within the enclosure, and the
men without could not see each other.-
the females then went into the hut, and
the males thrust long sticks through the
| fence. simultaneously the former came
out of the house, and each one caught
hold of stick, the owner of which be-
came her husband.
AT Ambonia, in the last century, the
marriage ceremony consisted principally
in throwing backward and forward an
egg into the sleeves Of the bride and
bridegroom's outer garments. In seven
days after the wedding, the couple wero
obliged to sit together, looking solemnly
upon tho ground.
CoULDN'T STAND THAT.--The Poles
arc said TO be very proud of their horses,
and delight to have people speak favora-
bly, of their teams while nothing will
give them offense so quickly as to inform
them that their horses are .'plugs." The
other day two Poles met, and after some
conversation, dispute arose between
them. One being disposed to fight,
tried hard to incense the other by abus-
ing him. Said he:
You bees Won Cd d-n it liar"
well da: ish all right
"Your wife ish Won low mean wo-
man."
"Vell dat makes no bishness NIT
you."
Your vamilee bees all puppies an
by id it, you bees de old dog"
Well dat ish shust so good"
Your team bees der worst old plugs
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