104 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 



123 



Go-betweens Making an Engagement 



Go-betweens Come to Ma\e an Engagement '' 

 (34) 



The middlemen say, "We have no reason 

 for coming except that the grandmother was 

 sleeping by the head of the bed and slept until 

 midnight when she thought, 'My son has not 

 yet made a home.' The father was sleeping 

 in the middle of the bed and after sleeping 

 also thought, 'My son has not yet formed a 

 family.' The mother could not sleep, and 

 before the cock crowed in the morning she 

 arose. The father could not sleep, and he 

 also could hardly wait until morning. 



"The mother arose and called two middle- 

 men. The father arose and caught a large 

 rooster and killed it. The mother arose to 

 prepare breakfast. The fadier, when he had 

 killed the rooster, looked at its tongue. The 

 mother cleaned the rice to cook. The father 

 then came and cut up the chicken and the 

 pork. They called us two go-betweens to 

 them. The mother then arranged the break- 

 fast for us to eat. She gave us bitter bamboo 

 to eat.^ The father poured out a cup of wine 

 for us to drink, then brought the roll of bed- 

 ding for us to carry on our backs. The bed- 

 ding roll was bound with cords that crossed in 

 squares and diagonals like pepper. The bitter 

 bamboo symbolizes everlasting youth.^ The 

 mother gave us an ornamented silver hoe to 

 carry. The father gave us an ornamented 

 satin umbrella to use. The ornamented silver 

 hoe is to use in opening the road to mar- 

 riage. The ornamented satin umbrella is to 

 welcome the bride. We two go-betweens on 

 the way here have gone to nine places and 

 there are nine roads to those nine places. This 

 road has led to your home. 



"When we found the road leading here, 

 we traversed it. We carried the ceremonial 

 objects in our arms. When we reached the 

 back of your house, we entered your parlor 

 and saw that your silvery door was also good, 

 and we with our bare feet stepped into the 

 silver and golden doors of your home and 

 used your gold-ornamented umbrella and 

 your bedtick, and crossed your threshold, and 

 we saw your large ricefield where some big 

 palm trees are planted, and a large banyon 

 tree so that we can come and enjoy the shade. 

 We saw a golden flower (plant) of which we 



^ This is sung by the middlemen when open- 

 ing the subject of an engagement. 



^ Bitter bamboo is considered very good to eat. 



^ Because it is always green. It implies the 

 wish that the new family will always remain 

 young and enjoy long life. 



wish to pick one flower. We have come for 

 nothing else than to pick a flower for our 

 master. If we can take it away, we will not 

 plant it on a rock, but certainly will plant it 

 in the center of a field. We will not plant it 

 on our knees, but on the tops of our heads. 

 It must be planted on our heads before it can 

 be like a flower. It must be planted in the 

 middle of the field if it is to bear fruit. It is 

 to be planted in the field if it is to live. It 

 must grow on the ground if it is to put 

 forth buds. When it has put forth buds and 

 developed leaves and borne fruit, then it is 

 new. Afterward it will bear twin sons and 

 those two become a pair. Our master has 

 asked us to come and make an iron bridge, 

 and afterward the sons and daughters of your 

 two families can traverse this road forever, 

 and you two families will have a road to go 

 over. If you speak a word the wife of your 

 relative (by marriage) will come, and there 

 vv'ill be wine to drink; and if you call rela- 

 tives once, there will be meat to eat, and it 

 will cause us go-betweens to be as happy and 

 joyful as heaven and earth as we visit with 

 you." 



A Song about Sending the Middlemen (286) 



The sky is clear. Bo Na caught a yellow 

 hen and killed it. She cooked breakfast for 

 her two go-betweens to eat. The two go- 

 betweens ate the chicken and looked at its 

 tongue (to divine as to lucky or unlucky). 

 They ate the chicken's feet and examined the 

 marrow in it (to divine). When they had \ 

 eaten breakfast they started away. They went 

 down to the level spot on the flat below. 

 When they reached the flat where the rice 

 plants were being planted, they came to the 

 door of the girl's home and entered. When 

 they had passed through the outside door, 

 they went into the parlor. 



They waited until daylight the next day. 

 Then the two go-betweens stood at the side 

 door of the girl's family. They exhorted the 

 parents to give the daughter in marriage to 

 the prospective groom. They went to the 

 stove and urged the family to give in mar- 

 riage their oldest daughter. The go-betweens 

 talked. They spoke and were opposed by the 

 girls family in turn. The girl's relatives sat 

 on bamboo chairs. When they talked they 

 trembled. Then the girl's parents called the 

 girl's brother to talk also. He came and 

 spoke three sentences (in favor of the en- 

 gagement). The younger brother on the 



