The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-08-12
WEDDING IN THE LIBANUs.
Curious Ceremonies Observed bv
Bedouin Arabs,

VI y CuI III ceremonies observed
oy Bedouin Arabs wandering through
the stately Libanus range were Wit.
messed on one occasion by a, Jesui
missionary, who happened to be at :
place called Accoura, near which. il
recess of the mountain were en-.
camped the eighteen black goathail
tents peculiar to these nomads. The
abundant pasturage to be had for theil
HOOKS, as well as a chance to pilfel
the rlpenlng crops, had attracted these
Bedouins to this part of the Lfbanus
but at the same fine thev did moi
resemble the other savage looking and
ragged bands that also street. alone
the countryside. 1t appears. says Faith
er Angeh, that his acquaintance were
branch of very distinguished desert
Tribe who had come for the sake of the
fresh mountain air, as well as for the
reasons already mentioned, and they
selected their encampment sufficiently
near the, Christians to secure their safe
W ana yet not too far from the plain,
so as to be able to make a sudden
hitting in case of an alarm.
Profiting by the lovely days of a Syr-
ian spring, they proceeded to celebrate
the wedding of their Sheikh's daugh-
yer, tall and beautiful Bedouin girl.
VINO at the early age of three years
mad been able to mount her fathers
morse and to learn the use of arms.
Her bridegroom was chief of another
tr1be-nea Damascus, who, having seen
her one day, fell so much in love as
10 think for moment of kidnapping
hef. However, the young girls hand
was not difficult to obtain, since her
Iather who alone could dispose of her
III marriage as he chose, had the great
est desire of an alliance with the suit
or'S particular tribe. According he was
soon invited to solemnize his marriage.
| by which all past differences between
the two tribes would be buried in
oblivion.
The young man brought fine presents
from Damascus for his bride, such as
quantity of rings, two sets of bangles
| IN glass, copper and silver, a slashed
Arab dress, pair of beautiful red
boots adorned with splendid iron spur,
fand a pretty Persian carpet for her
dromedary. He was received in the
.Shelkh's tent to the sound of flies and
hurrahs, and during his supper a Kur-
dish dance was executed, the dancers
moving feet and hands in time, and
answering in song the improvised
rhymes of poet who, standing in the
midst of their circle, praised in glow
ing terms the chivalrous qualities of
the bridegroom, and the exquisite
beauty of the eyes. hair, teeth and arms
of the Bedouin bride Hearing cries
OF appreciation issuing from the wo-
men s tent. the poet exerted himself
sun more to string all the most poetic
and f1attering Arab expressions he
could remember.
AS soon as supper was over the
women sat in a circle smoking round
the tent, while the brides father re-
iated all the wonderful exploits of his
ancestors, which lost nothing in the
telling, though he would politely inter
rupt them with the expression of good
wishes for the prosperity of the young
couple. The rest of the night was spent
by the women in cooking the nuptiaI
banquet, and in dressing up the bride
All preparations being finished every
one left the tenst at sunrise. The bride
wore a sort of woollen cap covered
with silver piastres all pierced and
threaded on strings, five of which were
In front and five at the back of the
head. These last, being longer. fell
over the shoulders, and We're fastened
together on the chest. This head dress
is known as the "smade," and is only
valuable according to the number of
coins used in its decoration. 1t is heavy
and ugly, but 1t is the brides dowry,
and she sleeps in it. so that nothing
may be stolen off it by light and rapa-
clous fingers of friends or foes On
her breast the bride wears the amulets
of blue grass and wolf bones against
the Influence of the evil eye, much
dreaded by the easterns. Her brown
dress bordered with lace came down to
her knees so that everyone could ad-
mire the beautiful red boots presented
by the young chief, in which she strut
ted along in a dignified manner, rather
eomical to behold. And, really moth
ing could be more primitive than these
boots, which were just like tubes or
pipes made of red leather, and termi-
mating at the stoes in a peak on which
was set a rosettei or tuff, besides the
spur shaped like horseshoe with three
points resembling rough nails
Thus dressed UP and supported by
her female relations, surrounded by the
girls of her tribe and followed by Gu
rious women who praised her beauty
and wished her joy, the bride advanced
to the state camel prepared for the
nuptial ride. 1t was the best and fin
est and tallests of all those belonging
to the tribe, and it had been well fed
that day with peas and beans, and 1t
did not even grumble when it was we'll
washed and sprinkled with some per-
fume. A handsome, much fTinged Per-
sian carpet covered it completely, and
the death of youthful brother, slaug
tered during the night for the wedding
feast. The bride was lifted upon the
animal and her companions arranged
the draperies. She was not adorned
with the tattoo in fashion among the
common Bedouin women, but on her
lips and chin were inscribed blue char
acters, and her eyes were surrounded
by black line, after the custom of
young girls at1Damascus. Two hand
some tribesmeh in full dress made the
camel rise and stood beside it with
unsheathed seimitars as a guard OF
The procession then formed, the
women singing in a band before the
camel, them paid a similar visit to each
where he, stood at the opening, with
his attendants. to. the sound of tam
bourines and finger cracking, COM
menced dances and fantasies; the
bride, seated on her camel, then paid
a similar visit to each of the other
tents. Towards the evening the great
banquet took place in the Sheikh's
tent. On a mountain.o of rice deposited
in an immense copper dish were two
roast legs Of camel, and the distin-
guished company, seated cross legged
on the mats, turned up their shirt
sleeves which were knotted behind,
and with natures forks and spoons
each man gathered up a handful of
rice, making a hole in it to receive the
'tlabane, or curdled milk, placed
therein by a servant. In an instant
IL l. - ~.lN