Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-24
ANCIENT BRIDAL CUSTOMS.
The bride and larO0m Were Married
While Sitting I'm the Nupsial Bed.

while sisting I'm the NuPsial Bed.
From the Brooklyn Eagle
have just finished reading an article on sBridal
Customs' In ancient times, published ten years
ago, which tells me that in the early days Of Eng
land the price Of manageable daughter, agreed
upon at betrothal was called "foster lean" Even
In That primeval time temtatton sometimes proved
TOO strong for an impecunious or unprinctpalled
father, and instances occurred where an unscru-
pulous parent took advantage OF the profit to be
derived from the charms OF handsome daughter,
and contracted her to several suitors, with one
only OF whom it was possible to keep faith.
In feudal days the dependents of rich man all
gave money to the bride, and fashion required
rom the neighbors In good circumstances 'pre-
sents OF hard money" Poor acquaintances gave
Among common people 'sbride ale" was frequent
" gwen by friends OF the family-which was moth
ing more than public entertainment OF games
bride. -'' '" - o'''-'- -'' ''1'
Engagements were often consummated by the
sSo 91 ver 0en In Two a tbs
broken pieces. which were supposed to be endow-
ed with mystic virtues; Safeguards against death
and to charm evn spirits. often q hole was drill
90 ID broken piece OF money and attached to the
neck It was allowed to hang near the and
The gift Of ring has been considered from time
immemorial as the most important in the consum-
device which has quite fallen into disuse WAS the
g1mmal ring, which was French invention, and
was composed Of two circlets united. OF these the
Rage ceremony they Were Joined and placed9pon
the fourth finger Of the BRIDES left hand, forming
Fashion nf has, from time to time, changed the
material used In wedding rings from silver to iron,
steel, copper, brass, leather and even sedge A
away match, and on a similar emergency a brass
curtain ring has been used. Some twenty years
ago an engagement was made on board
man fmproVised a. very neat ring Of 0r rope
yarn. This was twisted in the neatest and mos
artistic manner, and the bride wore it for long
time. When 1t began to wear out its exact cOun-
terpart was made In gold. In feudal times rings
Of rush were often used. When few rings are worn
the the and marriage rings are generally
count marriage rings became very plain.
An idea Of peculiar intercourse between the
EgsptisS sources 80 A very eminent physician Of
the sixteenth century published . work entitled
''Secret Miracles OF Nature" and then said he
which connected the two. He said: "Women
in fainting fits were restored by pinching the
point Of the ring finger and rubbing its gold crclet
sanron to the artery in the finger and resumed its
action" He also states that the ring finger was
80 constituted that no venom could enter It with
as to warn the poisoned person OF his danger ere
it was too late to use an antidOte.
W. dkSO T6dQ UuaG III OlQcu tlIucS tuc uldTIldk0
ceremony took place on the church porch, and
that the concluding and unimportant rites only
were celebrated at the altar. the reason as
likely to be made public, that all who
passed could witness it. In none of the writings
on the subject can I discover that the bridal
dress was In cOlOrs white being favored from
time immemonal., There have always been excep-
tionA but they are only temporary. The brides
ant os Tng ts the aoa s
brooch on Fir brest and garlande on her hede
tokenet6e ceannesse in hir and chastitye that she
0weth to have; the garlande betOkeneth the glad
nesse and the dignitye Of the sacrament OF wed
lok."
In England roses and spr1gs of myrtle or rose
mary were employed in the garland, sometimes
they were fitted on circlet OF metal; sometimes
recent date and come from the east, where they
are considered emblems "of q prosperous
and fruitful marriage "a RAG Much b,
VEIL 1t is supposed by some to be from the veil
used by the early Christians in religious ceeemon
ing tresses. On the occasion of the marriage OF
Elizabeth Stuart with the Palattne it was thought
she did not require veil, as She had such beauti
full hair, which was left flowing and studded here
and there with pearls and diamonds.
Long after the Reformation Sunday continued to
be the chosen day for brfdals. We find constant
illusions to this throughout ShakeSpeare'S works.
'1'm to be married on Sunday" was very popular
ballad, and in the flaming of the Shrew" is
found:
We will have rings and things and fine ar Y;
And kiss me Kate we will be married r O. Sunday
were many. She chose the favOrs and "undressed"
evil befe1 the bride who kept any pins, and the
bridesmaid who retained one pin would not be
fury ago, the bed-chamber was considered the
proper place for reception, and here ladies OF
nobility and distinction did not hesitate to receive
friends Of both sexes. The bride and groom
clothed in rich dressing gowns, were led In the
first by her bridesmaids the latter by his groOms-
men, and sat up in bed while the priest in sacer-
dOtal robes and attended by acOlyteS stood by the
foot Of the bed prepared to bless the pOsset "a cup
filled with richly spiced and sWeetened drink) and
bless the couch. The benediction given, before
the newly married couple tasted OF the drink
which had been prepared especially for them, the
ceremony OF "thrOwing the stocking" was gone
through with. "For this purpose the best man
nuptial bed with their backs toward the middle of
the couch, and the two chief bridesmaids
In like manner sat down on the brides
side OF the bed. Each grOOmsman held one
OF the grOom'S stockings, and each bridesmaid one
of the brides. Then at given signal the first
groomsman flung the stocking that he held back
ward over his order to hit possible the
crown Of the brides head; the first bridesmaid
next flung the stocking, which she held over her
shoulder at the groom's head, and the same pro-
ceeding was repeated by the remaining grooms-
man and bridesmaid. II a hit were made it was
an omen that the one who threw would soon
marry, while the failures provoked great laughter
on the part or the company assembled to witness
the performance.
Charles 1 greatly vexed his courtiers as he
closed the door OF the state bedroom On the Occa-
sion OF his marriage; but this had no effect upon
the custom, as 1t was continued long time after
Charles II himself drew the curtains around the
Pea aas ooM had been and
rage with the Prince OF Orange; yet these cir
cumstances were not omitted until the reign OF
sion OF his marriage with Queen Charlotte.