138 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. ann. 37 



ever, it appears that women were married to these same lovers after 

 the former left the menstrual lodge, so that the presence of men in 

 these lodges may be taken either as a part of the wooing or as one of 

 the methods of marriage. Some theorists may be inclined to look 

 on this featm-e of the practices connected with the menstrual lodge 

 as a survival of a "women's house." To those the fact may be 

 emphasized that it is only a few times in the life of a woman that 

 such a feature exists, because she is married shortly after leaving 

 the lodge. ° 



Marriage 



Girls were usually married as soon as they reached marriageable 

 age, and the same was probably true of men. In most cases marriage 

 was arranged by the parents of the young people, and it rarely 

 happened that the latter refused to abide by the decision — a fact 

 that seems to have been due not so much to implicit obedience as 

 to the wise precautions taken by the parents in mating their children. 

 If, however, the young people absolutely refused to abide by their 

 parents' choice, the latter always yielded. In former times children 

 were betrothed to each other at an early age. At the betrothal 

 presents were exchanged between the parents of the prospective 

 bride and groom. The girl was said to be doTiore'nA. 



Generally a man took but one wife, although he was permitted to 

 marry more than one if he wished. In polygamous marriages the 

 second wife was usually a niece or a sister of the first wife. Accord- 

 ing to a very reliable informant it was the wife herself who often 

 induced her husband to marry her own niece. This she did if she 

 noticed that he was getting tired of her or losing his interest in her.' 



There was no ceremony connected with marriage. As soon as the 

 customary presents were exchanged, the man came to the woman's 

 lodge and the marriage was consummated. 



A man generally lived with his parents-in-law during the first two 

 years after his marriage. During these two years he was practically 

 the servant of his father-in-law, hunting, fishing, and performing 

 minor services for him. Many Winnebago interpreted these en- 

 forced services of a son-in-law as part of his marriage obligations 

 toward his father-in-law. After the first two years he returned to 



o Were it not for the fact that his informant in this case was exceedingly reliable the writer would be 

 inclined to regard with suspicion the statement as to the use of the menstrual lodge as a rendezvous for 

 lovers. It seems, however, that the very fact that the informant shows so great abhorrence of the menses 

 would have prevented him from attributing to men intimacy with women at this time had there teen any 

 doubt in his mind on the subject. N'everlheless hisstatement on the point under discussion seems peculiar 

 and the author would not be surprised i t he had exaggerated greatly the number of men willing to brave the 

 bad lucli and weakness incident on contact with women during the menstrual period. 



' As one of my informants said, "A man can marry a woman and her niece. If the man is not steady 

 and goes around with other women, it is customary for the wife to call her niece, and she would marry 

 her aunt's husband. This is done to steady the man. In this way one or the other will always be 

 with him. The same is true of sisters." 



