The sun., 1905-12-24
WOMAN AND WEDDING DAY,
Folklore of Brides and bridesmaids in
Europe.
From the London Daily Mail.


writes Thistelton Dyer in Folklore Of
Women, "a bride on her return home
from church is often at once robbed of all
the pins about her dress by her single
friends around her, from the belief that
whoever possesses one Of them will be
married in the course of a year.
Similarly, the Germans have a custom
OF throwing a brides shoe among the guests
at a wedding, the person who succeeds in
getting 1t being considered to have every
prospect of speedy marriage, and among
the many other customs associated with
the brides shoe may be mentioned the
German practice for the mother of the
bride to strew salt and dill in her shoes
prior to her going to the church. repeating
at the same time this charm:
Dill cease not from viii.
Salt relax not.
1T is also customary for both bride and
bridegroom to strew dill and salt in their
shoes as a charm against every kind of
malignant influence.
"In the northern counties a bride is ex-
pressy warned, be sure when you go to
get married that you don't go in at one
door and out at another, or you will be
always unlucky.'
AN instance Of similar piece Of folk
lore Is recorded by the late Cuthbert Bede
in Notes and Queries as having occurred
at Wedding that took place in a Worcester
shire village in October, 1871
He thus writes: The bride and bride
groom at the conclusion Of the ceremony
left the church by the chancel door instead
Of following the usual custom OF walking
down the church and through the nave
door. One Of the oldest inhabitants, In
mentioning this to me, said that it betokened
bad luck, and that she had never known
a like instance but once in her life, when
the married couple went out Of the church
by the ohancel door, and the bride was a
widow before the twelve months were out.
There is, too, widespread notion that
when the bride retires her bridesmaids
should lay her stockings across the bed,
as this act is supposed to guarantee her
says Thistelton Dyer
Turning to the bridesmaids, it appears
that as far back as the days Of the Anglo
Saxon they attended the bride at the we'd
ding ceremony, although in later times
they seem to have escorted the bridegroom
his friends waiting on the bride. As re-
Gently, for instance, as the last century
this was the popular mode of procedure,
an illustration Of which is given in the
Golfers Wedding:
Two lusty lads, we'll dressed and strong
Slept out to lead the bride along;
And two young maids Of equal size,
AS soon the bridegroom's hands surprise.
sInstead OF being so many graceful
ornaments at the marriage ceremony as
nowadays, the bridesmaids in days Of old
had various duties assigned to them
one OF their principal tasks having been
to dress the bride, when any omission
in her toilet was laid to their charge. 1t
was the first bridesmaids duty, too, to see
that each of the bridesmaids was not only
provided with sprig of rosemary or
floral posy, but had symbolcal chaplet
in her hand.
"A survival OF this practice may still
be seen In Germany, where it is customary
for the bridesmaids to carry the myrtle
wreath-which they have subscribed to-
gether to purchase on the nuptial eve-to
the house of the bride and to remove it
from her head at the close Of the wedding
day. After, this has been done the bride
having been put into her hand, she tries
to place IL on the head Of one of her brides
maids as they dance round her, for, in
accordance with an old belief, whoever she
crowns Is sure to be married within year
from that date.
Again much importance was formerly
attached to the colors which the bride
wore on her wedding day. In an old
book entitled The Fifteen Comforts Of
Marriage a bride and her bridesmaids
are represented conversing together re-
specting the colors to be used for the decora-
ton Of the bridal dress. 1t was finally
rejected, to mingle a gold tissue with
grass green, this combination being. con-
sidered symboical Of youth and jollity.
4In Scotland the bridesmaid is popu-
larly known as the best maid and in
past years one Of her principal duties was
to carry the brides presents on the we'd
ding day to her future home. The first
article generally taken into the house was
vessel of salt, a portion of which was
sprinkled over the floor as protection
against the malignant influence Of the
evil eye And Mr. w. Gregor. describ-
ing an old Scotch wedding, tells US the
bridesmaids position was not unattended
with certain risks.
After the church had been opened
the beadle or bellman was in attendance
TO lead the bridegroom to the bridal steel
that is, the pew that was set apart for
the use Of those who were to be married.