﻿305 ON THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 



thy eye-lashes, and in the spots [on thy body]." 

 2. " 1 obviate by this full oblation all the ill marks 

 in thy hair ; and whatever is sinful in thy looking, 

 or in thy crying." 5. " I obviate by this full ob- 

 lation all that may be sinful in thy temper, in thy 

 speaking, and in thy laughing." 4. " I obviate 

 by this full oblation all the ill marks in thy teeth, 

 and in the dark intervals between them ; in thy 

 hands, and in thy feet." 5. " 1 obviate by this 

 full oblation all the ill marks on thy thighs, on thy 

 privy part, on thy haunches, and on the lineaments 

 of thy figure." 6. " Whatever natural or acciden- 

 tal evil marks were on all thy limbs, I have obviated 

 all such marks by these full oblations of clarified 

 butter. May this oblation be efficacious." 



The bride and bridegroom rise up ; and he shews 

 her the polar star, reciting the following text : 

 •'Heaven is stable; the earth is stable; this uni- 

 verse is stable; these mountains are stable; may 

 this woman be stable in her husband's family*. 

 The bride salutes the bridegroom, naming herself 

 and family, and adding a respectful interjection. 

 The bridegroom replies, "be long lived and happy." 

 IMatrons then pour water, mixed with leaves, upon 

 the bride and bridegroom, out of jars, which had 

 been previously placed on an altar piepared for the 

 purpose ; and the bridegroom again makes oblations 

 with the names of the worlds, by way of closing 

 this part of the ceremony. 



The bridegroom afterwards eats food prepared 

 without factitious salt. During this meal he recites 

 the following prayers : " I bind with the fetters of 

 food thy heart and mind to the gem [of my soulj ; 

 I bind them with nourishment, which is th.e thread 

 of life; I bind tliem with the knot of truth." 2. 

 " May that heart which is yours, become my heart; 



and 



* Dbru"ja, the pole, also signifies stable, fixed, stearly, fir.r. 



