The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-05-08
MARRIAGE MARKETS.
A Queer Institution Of the Berbe1
Tribes of Morocco.
Basars Where the Feminine Merchant
Sells Herself with the Purchase of
Masculine Customer Who Ii
to Her Liking.

Among the Kabyle clans in northern
Africa women are looked upon as chat
tells to be 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 the Berber tribes of Morocco
Algiers and Tunis hold yearly marriage
markets, to which all the young mar
riageable girls and widows from the
neighboring villages are brought. The
markets are attended not only by young
men and old on the lookout for a wife,
but also by curious crowd anxious tc
see what lots are for sale and what
prices they fetch. The girls when on
view are allowed to have voice in the
selection of their husbands, and may
decline any proposal.
They are arranged in rows right
across the 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 a jewelers. shop.
The jewels are rarely the girls property
but are borrowed for the occasion from
friends and neighbors, as every village
takes pride in its girls and wishes them
to serve well. The young women are
all seated on small squares of carpet
spread upon the ground. Each has an
elderly woman beside her, and in front
she has, as if for sale, small roll of
et,,A 1>xv THo
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
pretty or not, for their faces and fore
heads are SO painted and even tattoced
that the natural features cannot be
made out.
Here is description of girl of six
teen: Yellow bars are painted across
her face and a 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 Redeemed. Her
hair is arranged in narrow plaits, from
the end of each of which dangle rib
bon and coin. She wears a long
sleeved. red silk garment, falling from
her shoulders halfway down her legs,
and red silk scarf, worn like plaid
across the left shoulder, where it is
fastened by jeweled gold brooch.
The legs from the knees down are bare,
but the feet are inclosed in little yell
low slippers, with gold-embroidered
edges and jeweled tops, while round
the ankles is double row of bangles
with bells attached. On her head is a
Phrygian cap with thick corded silk
border and fringed ends, to which tiny
coins are fixed, hanging over the fore
head down to the eyebrows. To pair
of small earrings are attached two
larger rings, six inches in diameter,
from which dangle little bells. A heavy
NECKLACE is round her neck and below
that a massive chain with central
brooch. Round each arm winds broad
band of gold, and below it seven ban
giles, to which bells are fastened. An
other girl may have her whole face
painted yellow, with little stars and
suns and moons in silverfoil pasted
over it. Another has blue circles tat
tooed all over her cheeks. The widows
wear a 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 q very low figure, then loud.
shrill and prolonged 'Yu-yu-yu-u-u
uttered by the old woman at her side
announces that bargain has been
made and the crowd shouts its approx
al. 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 good deal more
nervous, and look as sheepish as Eu-
ropean might in their place. They are
dressed in their best, in long red
burnous, with high straw hats sur
mounted 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 the corners OF
their eyes, apparently unconcerned,
chatting and laughing at them. When
the suitor presents himself they eye
him boldly from head to foot as they
would a horse, and if he suits he gets a
prompt answer. Sometimes the old
woman will encourage bashful youth
with a wink or nod. The old men
set to work in a business-like manner
and walk down the line making their
proposal to one after another until
they find some one who will accept
their offer.