Year: 1869

A IL WI


On one occasion we were fortunate
enough to witness an old fashioned
wedding or bryllup; the word signi-
ties the race for the bride, and alludes
to the custom of marriage by capture,
which has been shown to have pre-
vailed in ancient times among all the
savage nations of the world. We
thought that we could trace the infIu-
ence of the tradition in the wedding
which we attended, where the shouts
and excited rushings, with the firings
of guns and pistols, raised all the din
and confusion of a real battle for the
bride. The brides father sat outside
the house among the elders of the
village with a silver spigOt in his hand.
Ale was served from n barrel at his
side into a peg-tankard, inscribed in
the Harianger dialect; and the bride
herself, smiling through her tears,
handed the stronger drinks in finely
embossed cups to all who wished to
drink "Skaal" and long life to her
At last the time came for the service
in a church across the water. The
bridegroom no longer dangled his
bonnet, but helped to push off the
boats the flags waved, the bride was
embraced, and amid parting salute
from all our artillery at once, the we'd
ding cortege departed. We had been
permitted in the morning, while the
brides hair was being plated in thick
coils of shape fit to receive her crown
to inspect her ornaments, which had
been heirlOOms in her family for sever
al generations. The most valuable, of
course, was the crown, silver gilt, and
adorned with the garnets, which was
of q more massive pattern than those
we had seen in the Bergen shops 1t
differed from them, moreover, in be-
ing hung with gilt pendants, beads,
and tufts of eOlOred wood. A fine
breastplate, filligreed brooches, and a
silver marriage belt, completed the
list of her prieipal adOrnments- The
following description OF the belt of a
rich lady in Iceland applies exactly
to that of the Hardanger bride: 1.-The
petticOat is fastened by means Of a
girdle nearly five feet in length, COM
posed of a number of oblOng pieces of
silver about an inch and a half long
and one inch wide, sewed with their
eXtremities close together upon piece
of green velvet, so that it forms a
number of joints, and is easily bent
round the body and fastened with a
buckle; one end Is suffered TO hang
down in front of the apron and near
Iy reaches the bottom of it. All the
Joints are gilt and beautifully Orna-
mented with open work and raised
knobs of silver.D After the wedding,
a feast commenced which lasted for
nearly three DAYS, as far as we could
Judge by the succession of jaded reve-
lers who returned in scattered boat
loads from the brides new home
across the water. The king of the
feast was her father, who bOasted al
terward of the strength of mind and
body which had enabled him, like
Socrates, to drink down all the boon
companions, and to return uneOn-
duered by the flow of Port Og Punch
Og Araendevin. A few nights after
ward we Joined revel Ofa more plea
sing kind, the lads and lasses OF the
village having been invited to dance
in the kitchen of the chief farm house.
a fiddler and wooden blackjack Of
beer completed the simple prepara-
tons of the host, and the company
were soon merrily engaged in their
favOrite Sultan Polka, and the Jenny
Lind, which here they call the Ham
burg dance. We were much amused
at the strangeness of the Hailing
dance, which was performed with
success by the most agile of the vii
Iage lads. lie marched round the
floor with a solemn face to a soft fran
tic tune, casting his eyes now and
then upon large nail which had been
driven into the centerof the low wood
en- roof. Then, at the right note, as
ne passed beneath the nail, he turned
a sudden sOmersault, and struck 1t
with his elouted beot, which brought
down great applause at each success
full repetition of the feat.