Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-11-16
SYMBOLISM OF RINGS.
The Modern Wedding Ring and It's Ancient
History and Significance.
''And as this round
Is nnwhera found

I History and Significance.
| "And as this round
! Is nowhere found
| To flaw, or else to sever,
So let our love
| AS endless prove,
! And pure as gold forever"
/ The poet Herrick, when he wrote the
above lines had no consideration for the
jewellers of his day. The wedding ring
of the nineteenth century, or at least
the latter portion of the nineteenth
century, is Of more ornate character,
both in style and cost, than the ring
Herrick sang of. According to
prominent Chicago jeweler both the
betrothal and the wedding ring of the
day is u criterion, not of the amount of
affection both were designed to typify,
but rather represent the financial
standing of the male fiance. The num-
ber and value of the diamonds is now
the gauge, not the plain circlet band Of
virgin gold that the boys of old at the
bid of the minister with trembling
fingers and crimson-hued face managed
to encircle, after several fruitless eff
forts, the finger of her who, as rule,
was vastly studier in nerve than he.
This ring lore is curious historical
research, and as the embryo lover
should be posted the Jour7aai here gives
some of the lore on the mystic symbol
ism of rings.
In former times it was esteemed
highly improper for single persons to
wear rings, unless they were judges,
doctors elected to deliberative assem-
bly,. For all but the big wigs named,
such an ornament was considered as
prima facie evidence of vanity, lasciv-
iousness and pride, and was looked up
on as great piece of presumption on
the part of the wearer. The rule was
finally relaxed sufficiently to allow
aflianced people to wear the decoration.
but this was simply an innovation to
illustrate the sacredness in which the
marriage ceremony was held.
Tradition has it that the first of these
magic circles was invented by Prone
theus and forged by Tubal Cain. BY
the way, that same old blacksmith, Tu-
bal Cain, must have been, in modern
parlance. a dandy. He kept banging
away at his anvil with great big ham,
mer. According to the same sort of
tradition the hammer must have
weighed about several tons, and when
he got tired of forging plowshares from
swords and swords from plowshares he
rested himself by filling Prometheus'
order and around the horn Of his big
anvil turned the first wedding ring.
The Arabians have legend that King
Solomon possessed a magic ring that
on II time he Inadvertently dropped in
to the sea, whereupon, with the loss of
his ring, his wisdom took flight and
Solomon went and got himself married
to several hundred wives.
The ''iimmal ring" was originally q
love token merely. Poet Herlick writes
of it:
Tho sendest to me a true loving-knot, but
Returned ring of jmmals to imply
Thy love had but one knot, mine triple tye,"
One of these primeval rings, sup
Virgin Queen" was recently found in
Surrey, England. 1t Is now in the
British Museum.
Charles Lamb one night at supper
party noticed the oddity of handsome
widow, sitting near him. wearing a gold
circlet on her thumb. She pencilcd on
her menu:
For pleasures past and joys to come
wear this ring upon my thumb,'
Under this the suffering poet re-
sponded:
You've another thumb my lads dear,
And another lover sitting near
Who'd give his chance of the world to come
To place ring on that other thumb"
The young folks may be assured that
the ring is now the proper thing. They
come trihe high, but you will sooner
or later find that you must invest,
young man. Better do it before ring
trust is formed. - Chicago Journat.