392 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



band and wife now gather, offer sacrifices, say prayers, and eat of 

 the sacred wheaten cake. This last performance, which still sur- 

 vives in our wedding-cake of to-day, was of great importance, as 

 it cemented and sanctified the union of the two, who were now 

 associated together in the same domestic circle and the same 

 worship. 



The wedding feast is of ancient origin, and probably origi- 

 nated, as Westermarck points out, in the purchase stage, where 

 the feast was regarded as a part of the purchase price paid by 

 the groom ; or, in cases where the expenses were met by the par- 

 ents of the bride, as part compensation for the sum of money 

 paid for the bride. The custom of giving presents to the bride is 

 also interesting in its origin. In all probability it also came 

 from the purchase sum paid by the groom to the family of his 

 bride, this purchase sum degenerating into a mere present, more 

 or less arbitrary, which in some cases was returned to the giver ; 

 in others, given to the bride. In Athens, during an early period, 

 the dower was known, for the bride was frequently provided 

 with a marriage portion by her father or guardian. This led to 

 the giving of presents by the bridegroom to his wife. It was a 

 common observance for gifts to be exchanged between the bride 

 and groom or their guardians, and numerous instances of this are 

 recorded. It is a part of the ceremony in China and Japan ; and 

 Tacitus relates a similar custom among the Germans. Thus the 

 custom of giving the bride a good start in life with the aid of 

 presents is not new ; while the bridal tour, and the practice of 

 throwing rice and old shoes after the departing bride and groom, 

 are symbols of the violence that formerly accompanied the mar- 

 riage ceremony. Even more dangerous weapons were used 

 within recent times, for it is related to have been a custom among 

 the Irish to cast darts at the bridal party. On one occasion, how- 

 ever, a certain Lord Hoath lost an eye by the foolish practice, and 

 since that time it has become obsolete, less harmful weapons 

 having been substituted. The "best man" of to-day was for- 

 merly the chief lieutenant of the groom in the act of capturing 

 his bride, while we find the wedding ring in use among the an- 

 cient Hindus. Among the Ceylonese the latter takes a curious 

 form, for " the bride ties a thin cord of her own twisting round 

 the bridegroom's waist, and they are then husband and wife." : 

 This he wears through life as an emblem of the union. The cere- 

 mony would indicate that among these people the woman is " the 

 boss." This, however, is contrary to the usual custom which we 

 find among many other tribes, for the boxing of the bride's ears 

 by her husband to indicate that he is master is an important part 



* Westermarck's The History of Human Marriage, p. 420. 



