Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-05-29
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.
Strange Nuptial emonies In
Various Lands.
Row q IN" Bid :. Are Captured-Court-
ship Of tho ~. mucks Facilities
for NJ ,rria rs Greatest In the
United States.

Some interesting survivals arc to
be found of what l., considered the
most ancient of all marriage ccremo-
nics-. hat Of securing wife by capt
ur".
The X ,lmnck young man, for in
stance. has not only to pay a good
round sum to the relatives of the dam
sci he fancies. but he must prove his
ii sht 10 her in II test of the skill of
10th on horseback. The two are
mounted for whit 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 .for better or
worsc;" but should he fail he must 60
away feeling a disappointed and re-
jccled man.
The course of true love. however,
preva Il even among the Knlmucks
and if tho girl have partially for
her pursucr she takes care no to get
beyond his .ach. 1t is stated at the
same time that unless she does fancy
the ma who is after her she will not
allow b 'rsef to be overtaken.
The prinilive custom of capture in
marriage is clearly typiiied in such
ceremony II asserts itself also in the
fact that even after the bride is seiz, d
she is not permitted TO leave until
after a sham resistance by her own
REQ l.. Il The same way. among the
X rglesc nomads the capture of the
bride remains to this day a necessary
ending to successful courtship. The
consequent ice is that the suitor, on en-
tering the camp of the damsel whose
hand he seeks. comes attended by a
b dy guard of companions prepared
to help him in his mission. When he
gets to the task rapa'' stage he is
politely told to catch the young lady
if he can. 1t turns out that she has
been spirit away by her friends
Whe, her hiding place is discovered,
it is found ] 'alou,ly guarded by all
the Young men of the settlement; and
as they are determined to prevent her
capiure there is no alternative but
cont, st be wccn the parties to show
which is the stronger. Should victory
res, with the defenders. they carry
back the girl in triumph to her IA
theirs tent. and tie sutton can not
now claim h"r until he has handed
over elf 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
l, an old church in Go,hland, in Swe-
den, a pile of lances is preserved.
Each of the lances is fitle TO hold
torch, and it is said the weapons were
used at one time to give light and
protec ion to marriage parties on the
way to church. the ceremony taking
place at II ght as rrecautloh agalhs
the by,,e being taken away by some
Lchi,,vur who claimed be ter RICH
to her than the duly recognized
suio
A recent writer. describing a mar
.'oyr in Khurdistan, says he saw
e:ung man carrying off his bride
a--ound Il by body guard OF som
twenty CT thirty men. These me
were supposed to be protecting IN
happy couple from party OF youn
wo., en-, who hur,el pieces OF cart
and bamboos ut the procession, an
made show of rcscuing the brl.le. A
soon. however. as the bridegroom
reached his own village with n
charge the ASSISTANTS ran nom
screaming and laughing. Anon
lrselvcs the term best man Is sal
to be survival of the time when I'll
bridegroom had to get strong han'
to aid him in securing the object
his aft c,ions. 1hrre is probably all
survival of the assaults that we
then made on marriage par les IN u
showers of rice aud old slippers b
stowel so freely on the ne"
gedded.
Marriage by purchase. which Is a
other very oil Gus ON. prevails among
many modern peoples. The Babylon
ans and Ass ,rians reduced 1t to sy
TEN. AT Ger. ain times every year I
marriageable women were prou :
inY the market place, and eventual
put up at auction. The good-iooki
br u hit high price The pia
featured, although they may have De
worth their weight in gold. found Il
bidders. The ill-favored. on the OIL
baud, were given away with dow
made up from the money paid over
their handsomcr sisters
Many African tribes follow out
rr.nci, /, of this ancient practicei a
that it Is not wholly obsolete IN Euro
was shown recently in traveller
cou t of curious marriage cust
among the Roumanians in the W.
erlv Carepalhians The statement
made that every year. at the 1eas'
the Apostles Potter and Paul. mar
Is held on the crest OF the CANA II
i've thousand to six thousand feet ao
the level Of he sea. and here the n
riageable girls assemble. with u