Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-01-26
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.
Grange Nuptial Ceremonies in
Various Lands.
How Some Brides Are Captured-COurt-
shi., of the kalmucks-FacIlitics
for Marriage Greatest in the
United States.

Some interesting survivals are to
be found of what is considered the
most ancient of all marriage ceremo-
nics-that of securing wife by capt
ure.
The Kalmuck young man, for in
stance. has not only to pay good
round sum to the relatives of tho dam
sci 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 a
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 for better OF
worse;" but should he fail he must 60
away feeling a disappointed and re-
iected man.
The course of true love. however,
prevails even among the Kalmucks.
and if the girl have Partially for
her pursuer she takes care not to get
beyond his reach. Il is stated at the
same time that unless she does fancy
the man who is after her she will not
allow herself TO be overtakcn.
The primitive custom of capture in
marriage is clearly typiiied in such a
ceremony. II 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 10 this day necessary
ending to successful courtship. The
consequence is that the sutton. on en-
tering the camp of tho damsel whose
hand he seeks. comes attended by a
body guard of companions repaired
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. 1t turns out that she has
been spirited away by her friends
When her hiding-place is discovered.
it is found jealousy guarded by all
the young mon of tho 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 fla
theirs 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 Scandinavia
In an old church in Cortland. in Swe-
den. q pile of lanccs is preserved.
Each of the lances is fitted 10 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
Lochinva: who claimed better right
to her than the duly recognized
suitor.
A recent writer. describing a mar
riage in khurdistan. says he saw a
young man carrying off his bride.
surrounded by a body guard of some
twenty or thirty men. These men
were supposed to be protecting the
happy couple from party of young
women, who hurled pieces of earth
and bamboos at the procession. and
made show of rcscuing the bride. As
soon. however. as the bridegroom
reached his own village with his
charge the assailants ran home
screaming and laughing. Among
ourselves the term best man" is said
to be survival of the time when the
bridegroom had to get strong hands
TO aid him in securing the object OF
his affections. There is probably also
a survival of the assaults that were
then made on marriage parties in the
showers of rice and old slippers be.
slowed so freely on the newly
welded.
Marriage by purchase. which is an
other very old Gus; ON, prevails amongst
many modern peoples. The Babyloni-
nus and Assyrians reduced it to svs-
tenn. At certain times every year the
marriageable women were brou CHIT
into the market place. and eventually
put up at auction. The good looking
brought a high price. The plain
featured, although they may have been
worth their weight in gold. found fe W
bidders. The ill-favored, on the other
hand, were given away with bowers
made up from the money paid over for
their handsomer sisters
Many African tribes follow ont the
pr;-. iplc of this ancient practice; and
that it is not wholly obsolete in Europe
was shown recently in travellers ac-
count of curious marriage custom
among the Roumanians in the West