Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-06-25
A BEDOUIN WEDDING.
AN ACCOUNT OF A MARRIAGE AMONG
A WANDERING PEOPLE.


How the Bedouins Celebrate an Engage
ment-How the Bride Was Dressed.
Welded without Having Seen Her Fu-
ture Lord-A Simple Feast.
A Bedouin wedding, which l lately
had the occasion to witness, took place
in Ranleh, seaside resort near Alexan-
dria, where many houses have Bedouin
ghafr, who pitches his tent near his
masters house, and lives there with his
family and cattle, if he has any.
The bridegroom was the son of a
friends ghafr. Previous to the engage
ment the father had obtained three days
leave on the plea of his going down TO
Alexandria for the choice of daugh-
ter-in-law. On the evening of the third
day several shots fred successively an
nounced to the native Bedouins the gha-
frs return and the happy result of his
mission. The wedding was fixed for that
day week.
Groups of Bedouins hastened to an
swer to the invitation, and after some
talking and shouting the men soon
formed ring and began clapping hands,
the body keeping time to the movements
of the hands by going upward and down
ward. Now and then one of the fellows
walled forth Bedouin song, while the
others chorused. The women sat chat
ting before the tent and occasionally
filed the air with the shrill sound of the
ziraleet No refreshment was offered,
and their sole eclairage was the moon,
whose silvery light gave weird aspect
to the whole scene. After an hours
amusement the guests retired.
The next evening the firing brought
forth all the company of the preceding
night. This time the great attraction
was two dancing women, very pictur-
esquely dressed, and their faces covered
with soft black muslin. They entered
the ring formed by the men, each of
them holding long staff-an adjunct
to the various movements of their figures.
They went round and round, shaking
their hips and leaning at different in
tervals on their stats, while the clapping
of hands redoubled in whichever part
of the ring the women approached.
observed young enthusiast take
a handful of sand from where one of the
women had trodden and kiss it re-
peatedly. noticed that the bridegroom
was absent, and, asking for the cause.
was informed that he was too bashful
to appear. Two hours later the company
dispersed to begin afresh at intervals
during the short engagement.
THE WEDDING.
At last the eventful morning dawned.
A new tent had been pitched for the
young couple, while in that of the old
ones several cauldrons full of rice and
water were boiling. When the rice was
done some oil was poured over it, and
then very large wooden bowls were
brought forward to receive the contents
of the cauldrons. This formed the whole
menu of the wedding breakfast, and was
attended to by the bridegroom's mother.
aided by some other matrons. The
ghafir and the young people had gone to
fetch the bride They had taken with
them one of the ghafr's camels, which
they had gaily decorated with red and
blue cloth, and erected canopy on its
back to receive the bride
A large procession was formed, headed
by horsemen and other Bedouins armed
with guns, which they fired frequently
The bride. completely hidden from sight
by the curtains of the canopy, and fol-
lowed by the women, brought up the
rear. They went all over Ramleh, stop
ping before every friends tent to dance,
fire and sing. At about o'clock in the
afternoon the merry party arrived at the
bridegroom's place. The latter had re-
manned at home.
The father, who was holding the cam
els bride, handed it over to his wife,
who led the animal seven times around
the bridal tent, each time accompanied
by shots, which are the chief feature in a
a Bedouin wedding Finally the camel
stopped before the entrance of the tent,
and the bride was carried in by her
mother-in-law.
THE BRIDE.
was curious to see her face, and, as i
was asked to go in, l gladly accepted.
The tent had two compartments and was
quite devoid of furniture, except some
rugs and straw mattings, on one of which
the bride sat surrounded by other women.
She was girl of fourteen, with regular
features. beautiful black eyes and tatooed
china most prevalent fashion among
Bedouin women She wore long, dark
red silk chemise, caught up at the waist
with deepsash. On her head she wore
a dark blue veil, tied with red silk
handkerchief, beneath which very fine
plaits of jet black hair came down in
two bandeaux over her temples. After
exchanging a few complimentary words
with her, withdrew, glad to escape the
sitting atmosphere of the tent.
A sheik had been called to perform
the marriage contract, which took place
between the parents of both parties.
The new couple were not present at the
ceremony. The ghafir handed over to
his sons father-in-law ESQ on condition
that if later on the young wife should
ask to be divorced, the money was to
come back to its first owner; and if, on
the contrary, the husband claimed
separation, the sum would remain with
his fatber-in-law.
During that time the guests had sat
over their frugal meal, of which they
partook in groups of four or five persons
around each wooden bowl Their fingers
spared them the use of forks and spoons
While they were still occupied with
their repast the bridegroom stole to the
nuptial tent, where he saw his wife for
the first time. Half an hour afterward
the noisy party broke up and quiet
reigned London Queen.
An Interesting Opinion.
A lady-we shall not tell her name