The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-06-02
MARRIAGES CEREMONIES.

we giean from w Gods ''W edding Day
in all Ages few of the more remark
able customs connected with marriage
and the marriage ceremony:
The ancient Scythians, being a warlike
people, would not ma ry maiden who
had not killed an enemy
Among the HISTORIANS, on the wedding
night the bride groom gave the bride "a
kick, and commanded her to pull off his
shoes as token Of her submission to him.
In Chaidea, on the wedding day, the
priest came into the bridegroom's house
and lighted fire, which he thought ought
never to be put out until the hour of The
death of one of the pair. If, during the
life of either the husband or wife, the fire
went out, It was considered a SIGN that
marriage between them was dead also
Among the ancient Assyrians, all the
marriageable young ladies were assembled
IN one place, and the public crier put ;hem
up to sell one after another.
The Babylonians, also, had kind of
a market for their daughters at certain
times every year. Assembled in public
places, where they were exposed 10 general
''N"D nv WIZ uloPOSSu VI " tue DGSl
bidders.
In modern Egypt, a woman can never
be seen by her husband until after she has
been married.
Negotiations are usually conducted by
professional women, who see the off red
bride and report 10 tie masculine candi~
date. A similar custom prevails in West
Barbary, where the bridegroom does not
see his bride until he is introduced to her
in the bridal chamber, but woman, ON
his behalf, watches her in her bath and
reports as to her charms and defects
In the Mulluca Islands the same Gus
tom prevails.
Among the Medes, a man was not en-
titled to full degree 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, but all over seven could
be parted with at discretion
a Persian's mode of making love, was
to burn himself in some visible part, in
order TO prove his iaithfulness to his mis-
tress, who, if she accepts him, gives a
silkeD 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 tw o
sponsors, who bad rice in their hands -
The sponsor for the man, touching the
woman's forehead, asked her if we sho1II
have the man, and The sponsor 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 Fezerees, In Persia, when a
woman is smitten with a man, she sends
the drummer Of the camp TO fasten hand
kerchief 10 his cap, with a pin she has
used to bind up her hair.
This Is done by strategem in public,
and the victim is Obliged to accept the
woman provided he can pay her price to
her father.
Among the Carcassians, the bride was
conducted to the groom's house attended
by relatives and by musicians. On enter
ing the house the bride kicked over a
pitcher of wine that was placed in the
middle of the apartment, and scattered
the paste il vessel of bread dough, at
its side, against the walls.
At marriage in Benares, in the East
Indies, the man and woman go into
stream Of water together, priest being
present The official performs the cere-
mony by pouring water on COW, and
tying the couple together by their clothes.
Then walk around the COW and few
other forms complete the union.
With a tribe in Neilgherry it was the
custom for the maids and bachelors who
wished to get married, TO erect a hut in
side an enclosed space of ground, with a
thick space around, so that the women
within the enclosure and the men with
out could not see each other. The females
then went into the hut, and the males
thrust sticks through the fence Simul
tame ously the former came out of the house
and each one caught hold of stick, the
owner of which became her husband.
At Ambonia, in the last century, the
marriage ceremony consisted principally
in throwing backward and forward an egg
into the wide sleeves Of the bride and bride
groom's outer garments. In seven days
after the wedding the couple were obliged
to sit together, looking solemnly upon The
ground.