Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-12-03
BERBER MARRIAGE MARKETS,
The Brides Are Painted Surprisingly and
Laden With Borrowed Finery.

|
Among tho Kabyle clans in northern
Africa women are looked upon as chat
| tells to DO sold like other possessions, and
they are accordingly disposed of to the
person who makes the highest offer to
the father or other male guardian. Many
of tho Berber tribes Of Marocco, Algiers
and Tunis hold yearly marriage mar
kets, to which all the young marriagea-
BILE girls and widows from the neigh
boring villages are brought The mar
kets are attended not only by young men
and old on the outlook for wife, but
also by curious crowd anxious to see
what lots are for sale and what prices
they fetch. The girls, when on view,
are allowed to have a voice in the Sc
lection of their husbands and may de-
cline any proposal.
They arc arranged in rows right
across tho market place.; decked in the
most telling Berber costumes; painted,
powdered and patched in the highest
style of Kabyle art; loaded down with
rings and bangles, brooches, chains and
coins enough to stock jewelers. shop.
The jewels arc rarely tho girls proper
ty, but arc borrowed for the occasion
from friends and neighbors, as every
village takes pride in it's girls and
wishes them to sell we'll. The young
women are all seated on small squares
of carpet spread upon tho ground. Each
has an elderly woman beside her, and
in front she has, as if for sale, a small
roll of stuff woven by her own hands
The faces of the girls are uncovered,
for Berber women do not wear the face
concealing haik of the Arabs, but it is
impossible to tell whether they are pref
ty or not, for their faces and foreheads
are SO painted and even tattooed that the
natural features cannot be made out.
Here is q description Of q girl of IS:
Yellow bars are painted across her face,
and q patch of gold foil is stuck on her
right cheek. Her forehead is tattooed
with blue circle, and her lips and
gums are we'll reddcned. Her hair is ar
ranged i'll narrow plaits, from the end
of each Of which dangle ribbon and a
coin. She wears a long slceved red silk
garment, falling from her shoulders
half way down her legs and red silk
scarf worn like plaid across the left
shoulder, Whcro it is fastened by jew
eled gold brooch. The legs from the
knee down are bare, but the feet are in
closed in little yellow slippers, with
gold embroidered edges and jeweled
tops, while round the ankles is a double
row of bangles, with bells attached. On
her head is q Phrygian cap, with a
thick corded silk border and fringed
ends, to which tiny coins are fixed,
hanging over tho forehead down to tho
IN If
are attached two larger rings six inches
in diameter, from which dangle little
bells. A heavy necklace is round her
neck, and below that massive chain,
with a central brooch. Round each arm
winds broad band of gold and below
it seven bangles, to which bells are
fastened.
Another girl may have her whole face
painted yellow, with little stars and
suns and moons in silver foil pasted all
over it. Another has blue circles tat
tooed all over her cheeks. The widows
wear q white cloth fastened to the top of
the head and secured by brooch at the
waist.
The man who wishes to purchase
steps up to the woman of his choice and
asks the price of the woven stuff before
her. If he pleases her, she names very
low figure. Then loud, shrill and pro-
longed ''Yu-yu-yu-u-u" uttered by the
old woman at her side announces that
a bargain has been made, and the crowd
shouts its approval If she does not care
for the man, she names an absurdly
high price. Then he walks off to inspect
the next lot.
The girls are perfectly self possessed.
The young men are a good deal moro
nervous and look as sheepish as a Eu- |
ropean might in their place. They are |
dressed in their best, in long, red bur
nous, with high straw hats surmounted |
by cabbage shaped plumes. One will |
spend an hour and sometimes two or
three walking about the girl he wants
before he dares to ask the price of the
woven roll. The girls watch the men
out of tho corners of their eyes, appar-
emily unconcerned, chatting and laugh
ing at them. When the sutton presents
himself, they eye him boldly from head
to foot as they would horse, and if he
suits he gets q prompt answer. Some
times the old woman will encourage
Dashful youth with wink or a nod.
The old men set to work in business
ike manner and walk down the line,
making their proposal to one after an
other till they find some one who will
accept their offer. New York Sun.
Both Were Wooden.
A.