The Arizona sentinel., 1888-02-04
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.
Strange Nuptial Ceremonies in
 Various Lands.
How Some Brides Are Captured-COurt- ship of the Kalmucks- Facilities for Marriage Greatest in the
 United States.

Some interesting survivals are to H,e found of what is considered the most ancient of all marriage ceremo- nies that of securing a wife by capt ure.
 The Kalmuck young man, for in- stance. has not only to pay a good round sum to the relatives of the dam sel he fancies, but he must prove his right to her in q test of the skill of both on horseback. The two are mounted for what we would call handicap race. the girl getting time allowance. She rides off at full speed. The lover follows. Should he Over- take her then she is his flor better or worse;" but should he fail he must go away feeling a disappointed and re- jected man.
 The course of true love. however, prevails even among the Kalmucks. and if the girl have a partiality for her pursuer she takes care not to get beyond his reach. It is stated at the same time that unless she does fancy the man who is after her she will not allow herself to be overtaken.
 The primitive custom of capture in marriage is clearly typifed in such ceremony. It asserts itself also in the fact that even after the bride is seized she is not permitted to leave until after sham resistance by her own people. In the same way. among the Kirghese nomads the capture of the bride remains to this day necessary ending to a successful courtship. The consequence is that the suitor, en-en- tering the camp of the damsel whose hand he seeks, comes attended by a body guard of companions prepared to help him in his mission. When he gets to the task papa stage he is politely told to catch the young lady if he can. It turns out that she has been spirited away by her friends. When her hiding-place is discovered, it is found jealously guarded by all the young men of the settlement; and as they are determined to prevent her capture there is no alternative but a contest between the parties to show which is the stronger Should victory rest with the defenders, they carry back the girl in triumph to her fa- ther's tent, and the suitor can not now claim her until he has handed over gifts and payments to the young men who have so far so successfully stood in his way.
 The same custom of marriage by capture was known in Scandinavih In an old church in GOthland, in Swe- den, a pile of lances is preserved. Each of the lances is fitted to hold a torch, and it is said the weapons were used at one time to give light and protection to marriage parties on the way to church, the ceremony taking place at night as precaution against the bride being taken away by some Lochinvar who claimed be ter right to her than the duly recognized suitor
 A recent writer, describing mar riage in Khurdistan, says he saw g young man carrying off his bride, surrounded by a body guard of some twenty or thirty men. These men were supposed to be protecting tht happy couple from a party of young women, who hurled pieces of eartf and bamboos at the procession, ant made show of rescuing the bride. A soon. however, as the bridegroom reached his own village with hi charge the assailants ran home screaming and laughing. Among ourselves the term "best m9n',', is:saiC to be survival of the time when tn bridegroom had to get strong handi to aid him in securing the object O his affections. There is probably alst a survival of the assaults that wer, then made on marriage paries in th, showers of rice and old slippers bc sseowed so freely on the newIy welded.
 Marriage by purchase, which is an other very old custom, prevails amongs many modern peoples. The Babyloni ans and Assyrians reduced it to sys tenn. At certain times every year tn murageable women were brougA 2 into the market place, and eventual put up at auction. The good-looilin br, ught high price. The plain featured, although they may have be- sworth their weight in gold, found fe