WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER I31 



CHOICE OF MATE, MARRIAGE CEREMONIAL 



With some variations, the traditional proper procedure in the choice 

 of the first wife and the accepted marriage ceremonial were as follows : 

 ( I ) One or more interviews were held between the father of the man 

 and the father of the woman, or between a representative of the father 

 of one of them and the father of the other. Sometimes the father 

 talked to his son regarding the woman whom he wished him to marry ; 

 just as often he did not do so. Sometimes the mother of the woman 

 was present at the interviews between the men ; more often her hus- 

 band conferred with her and then held the interviews. This was true 

 regarding the mother of the man, also. In instances, too, the parents 

 conferred with a daughter to learn her wishes regarding the man ; 

 more often she was not consulted. (2) An agreement was reached 

 between the two fathers regarding the number and kinds of animals 

 to be paid as bride price. The bride price was eventually paid by the 

 man and his father to the woman's father. Articles of clothing and 

 silver ornaments were usually given as gifts but were generally stipu- 

 lated in the bride price also. (3) The date for the marriage was set. 

 (4) The marriage ceremonial was carried out in the ruka of the 

 woman's parents, usually consisting of three parts: the bride price 

 was delivered to the woman's father by the man and his father in the 

 presence of the man's mother and other relatives, and gifts were ex- 

 changed ; second, the giving of good advice to the man and the woman ; 

 and third, the partaking of food by all. In some instances the last 

 two were omitted. (5) The man took the woman to the ruka of his 

 parents where they were to live for some time. (6) The woman's 

 personal belongings and her animals were transferred to her new 

 home. "The thing that told people that these two were married was 

 the fact that the man had paid the price — maybe a horse, an ox, and 

 several cattle — for the woman. There was no wedding ring, or any- 

 thing like it. The woman merely went to live in the ruka of the man's 

 parents — that is, in a part of it — where she cooked and kept house for 

 the man." Second and subsequent wives merely moved into their 

 assigned ruka when the man got the consent of the woman's parents. 



An Alepue man in his late forties told of his marriage: "When I 

 went for my wife, there were seven persons with me : my father, my 

 brother, my mother, my eldest sister, and three men relatives. We 

 left home the day before, spent the night in the hills, and arrived at 

 the girl's home just at sunrise — one should arrive while the girl's 

 family is still sleeping. As soon as we arrived there, we paid the bride 

 price and gave gifts that we had brought." The informant did not 



