The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-10
THE CUSTOM OF
BRIDE-CAPTURE.
Marriage by Capture Is a Very Old and
Widely Spread Custom.
1t Is One That Prevails Among the Hindoos,
the Kalmueks, the Ciroassians and the
Primitive Races of Australia.

The late abduction of an English girl by
Kurds and the unexpected and somewhat
comical denOuement of the exciting story
are proof that love not only laughs at lock-
Smiths but eOntemptuOusly ignores racial
antipathies and religious prejudices
Marriage by capture is very old and
very widely spread custom. 1t prevails
among the HindOos, the Kalmucks and Cir
cassians and the primitive races OF Austria
liza. New Zealand and America, but instead
Of abduction being considered an outrage by
these half-civiliZed peoples it is looked upon
as a preliminary marriage rite, and as
general rule the coy damsel is by no means
averse to the mild violence.
Abduction became so common in England
in the reigns OF the Tudor princes that a
statute was passed on the subject, and this
was followed by an act of Elizabeth, which
took away the benefit Of clergy from the
offender and it was not till 80 late as the
reign of George " that the crime ceased to
be a capital otfense and punishable with
death.
Formerly to constitute the offense there
must have been, first, fOrcibe taking and
then an actual marriage or deflement and
if a woman was taken fore y in one county
and married in another, the offense, not be-
III Ntilp ltlru III tAluCis was nOt liOlClbDAC
in either county
In 1904 two brothers were acquitted on a
charge Of abducting a Mrs Lee, whom they
had forcibly taken away in a chaiSe from
London to Oxford, where one of them co NJ
pleted the uttense.
In the last century instances Of abduction.
in which the prospective bride was, how
ever, in almost every case a conserving
party, are very numerous. and their story
has helped 10 spice The pages of romance and
awake the Tyre of the poet.
Sir Waiter Scott, in his introduction to
Rob Il ~" stated that abduction was quite
common in the Highlands about a century
ago, and uarrateS an occurrence which hap
pened al that period, when some Of the Me
GregOr clan carried off female FROM her
home under very violent circumstances.
The poets addendum to his narrative is
very instructive Having very strongly
censured the otfense, he was, he says. re-
mOnstrated with by lady friend of his for
so doing, she naiyely informing him that
'her mother had never seen her father ull
the bridal day. when he carried her of with
ten head Of black cattle-heT tOcher." The
Cauny Scot, with
CHARACTERISTIC FOEETHOUGHT,
Did not forget the tocher-in his eyes, per-
haps, not the least Of the lady's charms.
The beauty Of women has always been
great motive power for good or evil. The
rape Of the Sablnes was attended with most
beneficial effects, for when that nation and
the Romans were about engaging in war be-
cause of the rapine, the women allied to
both people interDOSed with those most DO
tent weapons-tears and eutreates-and not
only stayed the slaughter which wonld have
enSued, but cemented a lasting peace be-
tween the two nations.
The eopement of Helen from her husband
was the cause OF the prolonged Trojan war,
but We are almost inclined to cOndone her
faith!eSsness, because it inspired Homer's
great epic.
Abduction was by no means uncommon
in the early ages. The daughter of the
King of Argus was abducted by a Pheni-
clan; the Greeks carried off Europa from
Tyre and Medea from Colchis.
Next to the abduction Of the fair Helen,
perhaps, the most remarkable in its politi-
cal consequences was the King OF Leinster's
taking away the wife OF npghb0ring petty
sovereign, O'ROurke OF Brelfni.
The King of COnnaught avenged the in
suit and drove from the throne his brother
Of Leinster, who appealed to Henry III Of
England for aid to recover his lost SOW
ereignty. The Norman conquest Of Ireland
followed, with long centuries OF war and
devastation.
Not more than ninety years ago there ex-
listed IN the South Of Ireland abduction
clubs, whose members were bound by oath
to assist In carrying off such women having
money as were fixed upon, the members
drawing lots TO determine to whom the
woman abducted should fall.
Any sort Of dare devil recklessness ap-
peals to the Imagination of the peasantry,
and when such recklessness Is united with
the violation of the law, never very popular
IN Ireland. the principals in these Irish alb
duction raids never failed TO secure public
sympathy and private asylum
An ESquimauX youth is qualified To marry
when he has succeeded in killing polar
bear unaided. for the courageous feat proves
him capable of providing for the wants of
family. He starts forth at night to secure a
wife. which he does by Selling the first girl
he can surprise unaWares. she naturally
screams and draws the whole village popu-
lation about her, who, by raining sealSkin
scourges on his shoulders, aid the maiden in
oscar ing. BE pursues, running the gauntlet
Of kick and buffet, until he again catches
his lady love; and should she once more
escape and be retaken third time by the
amorous pursuer, the maiden accepts her
fate and becomes the young mans wife.
THE ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN
Adopts a brutal fOrcble mode Of wooing.
When he wants a wife he looks about for a
likely helpmate and finding one to his Xix
ing, knocks her down with his club, and
carries her home.
In Singapore the bridegroom must secure
his bride in race, and this custom Of bride
chasing Is quite common throughout South
ern and Eastern Asia. In Singapore cir
cular course is marked out, half Of which is
tTayerSed Ivy the maiden-incumberei only
with a waistband-eTe the word is given for
the wOuld-be p0sseSsOr to 90 in pursuit. in
the hope of Overtaking her before she has
thrice comprised the circle; that achieved
she has no choice but 10 take the victor for
her lord.
The water chase in canoes, another mar
riage ceremonial of Singapore is very SINH
lar to the foot-race, and both are usually
OF short duration, for the fair quarry is only
too willing to be caught
The late Colonel Burnaby tells us that
when Turcomau belle is to be settled in
life the whole tribe turns ont, and the young
lady, being allowed the choice of horses.
gallOpS away from her suitors. She avoids
those she dislikes, and seeks TO throw her
self in the way Of the object Of her affec-
tons.
The moment she is caught she becomes
the wife of her captor, who, dispensing
with further ceremony, takes her to his tent
The bride race is also an established Gus
tom among the kalmucks, and the girls are
such excellent horsewOmen that we are
told, IL would be impossible to catch one
against her will.
The Kurds. among whom Miss Greenfield
has cast her lot, have a very curious and
somewhat dangerous marriage custom,
which one would think would be more
hOnOred in the breach than in the obsery-
ance. The husband, surrounded by body
guard or twenty or thirty young men,
carries hts wife home on his back in a
scarlet cloth, and is desperately assaulted
the whole way by number of girls.
Sticks and stones are hurled at the bride
groom, who, in the coming home with his
bride, can hardly be considered very
happy man, for the irate AmaZons often in
f1ict on him marks which he carries to the
grave. 1t may be that among the lady pur-
suers are some of the bridegroom's former
flames" who turn the mock attack into
downright earnest to avenge sighted love.
A farce similar to this was customary in
Ireland some couple of hundred years ago,
and the modern throwing of the slipper"
for good luck is nothing more than sur
viyal OF some of the very old, very widely
diffused and very foolish marriage customs.
London Standard.