The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-05-30

A C0urland PeasantWeddinq.

A Courland Peasant. W Wedding.
Courland is inhabited. by a mixed peo-
pile: the nobility and middle class are
almost wholly German, while the peasants
are for the most part Lettonians, or, per-
haps more properly, Courlanders. This
race belongs to the Lithuanian family,
whose branches are found in East Prussia,
North Poland, and West Russia; they all
have language peculiar to themselves,
as we'll as common origin. And, in
many things, the customs also of these
peasants are very different from those Of
their German neighbors: Indeed, in those
districts inhabited exclusively by them
selves, they still live quite as their fathers
did generations ago; which, in many par
ticulars, to us seems strange enough. For
example, according to'our notions of pro.
priety, marriage proposals. may be made
by men only; the Lithuanians think dif.
ferently. Among them the girls, as we'll
as the young men, select their partners
for life, and it is not looked upon as at all
improper or indelicate for the girl to
propose. Nor is she in any degree dis
graced or made subject of ridicule if she
is so unfortunate as to be rejected among
the many from whom she can choose
She readily finds another, provided
always that her pretensions are supported
by something of this worlds goods, but
here little suf11ces. The ownership of a
COW, in most cases, is sufficient.
Preliminaries being settled between a
couple who are disposed to make the
matrimonial venture together, the cere-
monial begins. The bridegroom chooses
two so-called "good-men" and one Of the
other sex, with whom he approaches the
residence of his lady-love, who, when she
sees him coming, hastens to run away
and hide. Meantime the lover waits at
the gate, while his escort enters the house,
where they are received most cordially,
and shown into the best room. There
their spokesman makes formal speech,
in which he says that on the way they
saw beautiful bird sometimes hand
some fox, which, however, they suddenly
lost sight Of; and as they have looked
everywhere else for it in vain, they are
convinced it must have concealed itself
in this house. The parents and relations
of the girl protest that they have seen
nothing of the kind, and that their neigh
bors must be in error. The neighbors,
however, are not to be convinced, and
justify their persistency by stating that
they have seen the animals tracks
on the premises. The parents are
greatly surprised, and no longer
hesitate to allow an immediate and
thorough search to be made. And now
the chase begins. The girl will appear
very bashful and coy; she runs from room
to room, her pursuers close after her. FL
nally she is driven into the most remote
corner, when she surrenders, but not
wholly. The woman who is one of the
pursuing trio now puts silk kerchief
around her neck, which she spitefully
tears off and throws as far away from her
as possible. Again it is put around her
neck and again she tears it off; but the
third time she allows it to remain, thereby
intimating that she finally yields to her
suitor's oft-repeated opportunities.
Now she is led to the room where the
parents wait, and where now the lover
makes his appearance. Here the couple
exchange breezea, that is, silver or tin
buckles, which serve to hold a cloak or
shawl together, and the bridegroom re.
ceives from his lady.love either a pair OF
stockings or mittens, of her own knitting,
of course.
They are now husband and wife. As
for the church ceremony, that sometimes
does not take place till months after.
ward.
The weddings are usually in the
autumn, because the peasants are then,
after the harvest, best off, and because
their cattle are the fattest. The day he
fore the wedding ceremony the relations
of the bridegroom meet at his house, and,
after having fortified themselves with
"drinks all round," they mount their
horses and ride to the house of the bride.
Here they find a numerous company as.
sembled, and now, until late in the night,
they feast, dance and make merry. Early
the following morning they all start for
the church, which not unfrequently is
several miles away. The procession is
led by so-called disehsas soetldeSs, i. e., a
chiefleader. He is followed by the mar.
shals, each with white kerchief tied
over his shoulder like a sash. Behind
the marshals come the guests on horse
back or in wagons, we'll provided with
pistols or loud cracking whips, in order
that they may make themselves heard.
They finally arrive at the church, when,
after the sermon is over, the ceremony
takes place. Here, as in all countries and
at all times, on like occasions, all eyes
are on the bride. who, among the be.
decked, is most bedecked. On her head
she wears crownlike structure of tinse]
and her face is thickly powdered with
rye-hour, through which, however, the
sun-browned skin can be plainly seen.
AS soon as the ceremony is over, the
bridegroom seizes his bride firmly by the
hand, as though he were fearful some one
might rob him Of her, and leads her out
Of the church. The procession now starts
back in the order it came to the house o.
the bride, where the wedding feast is cele
brated.
While at the table all try to rob thu
bride of her wreath, and, If the attemp
prove successful, it is hung on a nail
which, for this purpose, has been driver
into the wall behind her seat. A deal O.
cunning and cleverness is displayed il
this endeavor, and the repeated failures
make good sport for the guests and viii
round after round of applause for th'
wary bride. After time the marshals
who have 1ot been at the table, enter thu
| room carrying in each hand three or fou1
| lighted candles and sing stanZa the Bur
den Of which is: "We come to yol
politely and modestly, modestly and po
tfit5ly we hope you'll receive us. To al
we wish we'll, to no one i'll; long life ant
good health to the bride and bridegroom
Heis0! Vioar' At the last words eacl
one takes his bridesmaid and waltzes will
her around the room, still holding in hi
hand tie burning candles, one o
which he throws aside at the end Of th'
dance. After the young couple have beel
complimented in this manner, the sen{
and dance are repeated in honor Of tn
guests, one after the other, according Il