Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-02-16
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, Curious Marriage RAG Customs. :

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% Curious Marriage customs.
Sincetime immemorial, the customs
antecedent to and attendant upon mar
riage have been widely different, in
different lands and among different
people, and ayeexdted universal i'm
tefest. Not always the sacred and holy
thing it is regarded now,I by all the
right-minded and upright, marriage
hes been; inallages always an important
and significant consummation, and as
snt has been generally observed with
.signifiDant ceremonials. A volume re-
GENTLY published, entitled "The We'd
ding Day in all Ages and Countries, tells
Of these ceremohials, and we cOllate
ifkomrit some of the most uncommon
Aiaw of solon, at an early day in
Greece, qdired that the newly welded
pair, onfirst entering the bridal cham
Der, should eat a ounce together ITO
Indicate that their mutual relationship
should be sweet and agreeable. II. the
indication was always a true one, and
had any lasting after Influence, would
lit not be wise to revive this ancient
1aw?- .isi-e = sisN tis..tI .ss.s
In Chaldea, on the wedding day, the
priest entered the bridegroom's house
and kindled a fire, which it was thought
ought Inever toFbe put ont until the
de11h II one Of the pair. IT, during
the hfe of both, the fire did die out; it
was deemed a sign that their marriage
'WgsI@nulledo CHence, ASA wrifers said
in 1851, the expression-"Provoke me
not too much lest throw water on the
fire."
In Assyria, all manageable young
girls were assembled in public place,
and,the crier gut them up at auctien.-
The. sum received for those who were
handsome, and therefore sold well, be-
came the wedding portion of those who
were lacking in good looks; and as
money, then, as now, had an attraction
even In Z amatrimo mohial way, ali young
women found husbands. This custom
was doubtless an effectual guard against
the prevalence of old maids.
In modern Egypt, woman can new
er,be seen by her future husband until
after the marriage, being always closely
veiled. On the day before the wedding,
she goes in state to bath, walking under
acanopypfdk eartied bysfour men,
Following the bath, the BRIDE, bride
groom and their friends had supper;
after whicha quantity of henua paste
is spread onsthe brides hands, and the
guests make her contributions by stick
ing coins ponA the paste When her
hands61e covered, the money is scrap
ed off On the day Of the wedding, the
bride goes in procession to the bride
groom's house; and at night, when the
bridegroom returns from prayers at the
mosque, he is first introduced to and
left alone with the bride. Then, hav-
ing paid for the privilege by giving her
money, he first lifts the veil from her
face.si'7 siiss1is s1s ''aR '.H 1'''- sTa
A Circassian bride was conducted to
the bridegroom's house by her rela-
tives, messengers being sent on before
to announce her coming. These mess
engers were presented with food and
wine, which they poured round the
house as an offering for the aboNt-to-be-
welded couple's prosperity, The bridal
party was shown into an apartment, on
arrival, in the middle of which We're a
pftcbef0 wine and acvessel of bread
dough- As soon as she entered This
room,the bride Kicked over the wine,
andscattenad the PASTE abButSwi her
hands, FAe~ marriage Ceremony was
then performed in a private room, with
a priest, who sewed the garments of
the two together, crowned them both
WithfpWerseeh changing gthecrewnssey-
sefaf tiihes, afid,, after presenting wine
and bread to each, cut the thread by
which their garments were united, and
the ceremony was at an end.
A Hindu marriage is attended with
many ceremonies, which arernot espe-
NcialIy Interesting, in the main. Chief
among these are the tying together OF
the ha1dS0f the bride and bridegroom
with sacred grass; the taking of seven
sstqs by the rbride1a particular text
being epeated for each; and the tying
into knotofthe skirts of the mantleS OF
the pair. The seven steps are the es-
sentialy feature; and when these are
taken, the marriage is indissoluable,
though there are wearisome details
which come after.xA--
1t was customary ,inT Russia, at one
time, for brides to present their lords
with whip, upon heirswedding day,
in token Of submission. Among the
Yalmucks, marriage is performed on
horseback. The girl is first put upon a
horse, when she ride off at full speed,
her lover pursuing. If he overtakes
her, the marriage ensues; and she re-
turns to his tent. If she dislikes him,
she is pretty sure to distance him in the
race, riding as if for life. Is ~ :'.ls,l
Vaughan, writing in 1908, said, s'The
ancient Frenchmen had a ceremonie,
that when they would marie, the
bridegrome should pare his nayles and
send them unto his new wife; which
done, they lived together afterwards as
man and wife"
There have been some singular statu-
ary provisions in regard to marriage.
An Act of the Scottish Assembly in
1000 was to the effect that men ~
should not marry under the age OF
fourteen years, or women (?) under the
age of twelve years. Marriages have
been recorded in Scotland, since, how
ever, where the parties aged respective
lyonly eleven and thirteen years. An
old Welsh law provided for wifely dis
cipline, on the part of the husband, by