The Grenada gazette., 1888-04-28
MARRIAGE IN BuRMAH.
It IL Entirely . Civil Rite snd tho Cers.
iuOny Is Very Rrief

| mony Is Very Brief
! A Burman is, in the great majority
Of cases, the nus band of one wife, al.
though polygany is not prohi bited BY
their ancient laws. They make good
husbands and in return the wife is.
AS rule, good. tempered and hard
working Unfaithfulness is not known
among the simple people. Marriage
Is entirely civil rite, and the cere
monies attending it are extremely
brief The happy man. after a court
ship of few months at most presents
his intended wife's father with sum
of money previously agreed upon, or
the honorarium may consist of cattle.
| ponies or merchandise When he
bridal dav arrives til, EXPECT
ant bridegroom. carefully DIR ,,sed
in his best garments, is
shut up in the house the
welded pair purpose residing ie. all
doors and windows being closed. Che
bride, dressed in new silkan attire, is
mounted upon an elephant hired fol
the occasion, the animal having gaudy
housings OF cotton or silk of brigh,
colors. The lady wears the various
ornaments considered appropriate.
purchased with the money given by
the bridegroom, or an eq uvalent to the
value Of other gifts not money. None
are so poor as TO DE entirely without
trinkets of gold or silver for this
auspcious occasion. All her relatives
and those Of the bridegroom. with
their intimate friends. in holiday
dress, accompanying her, mounted on
ponies or on foot The girls mother
rides with her. There are no brides
maids, no groomsmen. The BRIDE
however, does not need them so much
as the lonely e1pectant shut up in his
house; he has no one 10 help him to
pass the weary hours of waiting.
Wedding breakfas 8 with the inevit-
able dreary speeches, arc dispensed
with. There is nothing TO mar the
extreme simplicity of the proceeding.
When the bridal procession arrives at
the house of the bridegroom, the love-
ly bride, who is profusely powdered In
lieu Of a vail-and the stuff is plaster.
ed on so thickly it etfcctualy serves
TO hide her blushe is lifted off the
elephant by her father or nearest male
relative. The elephant kneels for the
purpose, and, indeed, seems quite to
comprehend what is taking place The
girl is then led to the door, which has
been lef. on the latch, and told to
enter, the mother giving her a few
parting benedctions. When the door
is again shut the party make cir
cult around the house to see that all
openings are promptly fastened
They then depart in high good humor.
joking and laughing, and the happy
pair are left TO themselves, These
marriages generally take place early
in the afternoon, and the house wher.
the newly-wedded pair are shut upis
MOT to be opened until the following
morning These are all the cere.
monies attendant upon ordinary mar.
riages, those of rich people are accom-.
panied by greater pomp and display.
The simple proceedings described
constitute q legal marriage, no writ
ing nor certificate being required. In
the southerv portion Of B1rmah. and
where the foreigner has been longer
known, these marriages are more
easily dissolved than in the interior of
the country. Iii the latter the fact If
the husband quitting the country for
foreign paris" constitutes a divorce
tpsJ tact0 and he wife is permitted
to marry again if she can, The rca.
son for this is that by their ancient
laws, no women were allowed tn leave
Burmah, and it was considered that
the abandoned wife ought to have
a chance Of happiness. or otherwise
with another mate. In those parts Of
the country where the old laws are
not so strictly adhered 10, when hus-
band and wife wish TO dissolve
partnership from incompatibilitv
of temrer etc. each one takes