Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-23

friend to allow him a stolen glance. The
bride-to-be may previously have rOmpeu
with her intended for years but she would
run screaming away II be were now 10
appear before her. In some parts OF tne
country the superstition is fiie that any
woman leaving her fathers house De-
tween betrothal and marriage viii be BILL
ten by a snake. AS the wedding DAY
draws near, the girl IS washed, an event
so rare as to call for special note, In pond
where a certain saints day is celebrated
! for being the epoch OF the sole annual al
/ luton of most of the inhabitants, and
| duSS. or bower Il green branches, over a
/ frame Of stakes is erected. In THIS
/ great feast Is gwen on the day before the
marriage. All the hungry ldiers round
| about strive Oy hook or crook TO get in,
and, squatting down on the ground, they
! gorge themselves with the quiveriDg raw
meat OF the COW that has just been Killed
ana with other Abyssinian de'icacies.
| The distinguished guests bless the bride,
putting their hands upon her head and
getting them well creased for their pains.
Meanwhile a similar feast is given In the
grOOm's abode, ana next morning he
starts out with his friends, and from six
! 10 twelve 1rkeeS, or br.desmen Tney rig
themselves up IN ali the pluIaag they can
possibly borrow, aad, on approaching The
urde's house, ire on their guns and nave
a sort Of sham fight win "A view, perhaps,
! 10 aliav the 0roOm's nervousness. w men
the happy man has taken the seat OF honor
/ In the bridal bower his bride is brought
IN, wrapped up In cloth almost Ike
mummy, and placed upon stool. Then
! the groom is asked whether he wishes 10
marrv the woman before him; they crook
their fingers together under the cioh,
or, perhaps, kiss one another, AMI
after any priest or elder present has
given some sage advice, the marriage
-ettlement of what each is TO bring is
finally entered upon the last, bit not the
least important, part OF the ceremony
such are the civil marriages, lightly
entered Into and as llghly broken.
On the shortest notice and for the slight
est cause a couple Will separate, the
propsrty being usually divided, the man
taking the boys, the woman the girls.
Church marriages are more rare and
are regarded as indissoluble; once hus-
band and wife have partaken OF the Holy
sacrament together, they are united until
death.
Women often call each other such
names as 'my heart" my mirror" my
enchantment." and men address women
as ''sott lips" pretty friend,' "man-
slayer" There seems to be great de-
sire TO conceal the real names, and this
is due tn "A singular superstition.
The AbyssiniHns believe, as did the an
cient Jews, that the devil often takes pos
session 0findiViduals. CuriOusly enough,
blacksmiths are regarded WITH peculiar
awe; hey are supposed on occasions to
change themselves into hyenas; more
over, as a sort Of devil they enter into any
huran being whose true name they can
discover and play all manner Of antics
hence 1t is very desirable to remain anon
ym0us. The devil possessing a person
is usually called BOttId. and he does such
ar extensive business that many people
have found IL worth while TO claim the
power Of exercising him. These eXorcists
are public nuisance. One of them steals
into a group and pronOunces the mystic
word BOHdd, when all are glad enough 10
give something in order TO escape the
accusation OF being possessed. II gifts
are not forthcoming, the exorcist has the
right TO make every one smell a cOnc0c- |
tiOn OF foul herbs and bones, and he who
tinches is accused. Generally women are
the ones 10 be cursed with the B0udd, and
any traveller in AbyssInia will have
some such story as the following to re-
late:
One Of his female seryRuts-never does
man make a journey in the country
without little host of them-complains
o' faiutness and soon after sunset she
lapses into INCONSISTENCIES. The natives
declare she is possessed, and 10y the weird
light Of tlickering facets their dusly til-
ures may be seen crOuching around her
rigid body. The traveller holds liquid am
monia under her nose without effect;
nothing short OF Yiyisection seems likely
10 move her, and, as the case is beyond
him, he gives it up To the amateur OF pro-
tessional eXOrcist, who soon appears. The
woman laughs or raves as soon as the ex-
OrcisJ comes near her; she bite sand kicks
and initiates the unearthly noise made by
the hyenR. Half dozen men mud il hard
work to hold her, but, after binding her
with leather thongs, they carry her TO a
grassy spot. and the cOujurer begins OPP
erations. He lays an amulet on the pa
TENTS heaving bosom, makes her smell Of
some vile compound, and the moment her
madness is somewhat abated be begins a
dialogue with the BOUdG, who answers in
the wOman's voice. The devil Is invited
70 come out in the name OF all the saints,
but threat to treat him with some red.
not Goals is usually more potent, and at
ter he has promised to obey he seeks 10
delay his exit by asking for something to
eat. Filth and dirt are mixed and hidden
under bush, when the woman crawls TO
the sickening repast and gulps it down
with ayidity. Then she raises n stone
that would tax the strength Of three men,
whirls it round her head aud falls sense
less to the ground. When she RECEIVERS
she knows nothing Of what has taken
place. Though this possession Of the
BoudG is probably often only felgned,
there have been cases which have puz-
zed the most intelligent of observers. 10
has been thought to resemble hysteria or
epilepsy, but, whatever it may be, 1t is
well adapted TO investing Abyssnian
women with additional interest, to giving
man one more motive for that iucessant
study of wOman's complex nature, every
where necessary and desirable.
ABOUT THE VANDERBlLTS.