FAMILY AND SOCIAL LIFE AMONG THE KIRGHIZ. 503' 



snarling mouth, and the much-tried youth reaches the yurt without- 

 further hindrances. Two women keep the door shut, but do not. 

 refuse to open it when a gift is offered; within, two others hold 

 the curtain fast; on the bride's couch lies her younger sister; but 

 he succeeds in getting rid of' them all; the yurt is almost empty;, 

 the old woman lays the bridegroom's hands in those of the bride and 

 leaves them. At last they are alone together. 



Under the supervision of the old woman, who is called 

 "dyenke", the bridegroom visits the bride many times, without, 

 however, presenting himself before her parents until what re- 

 mains of the kallim is paid. Then he sends a messenger to- 

 the bride's father to ask if he may take his bride to his own yurt. 

 Permission is given, and the bridegroom sets out for the aul, once 

 more with a large following and many gifts, pitches his tent at 

 a suitable distance, receives visits from the women as before, spends 

 the night alone in the tent, and, next morning, sends from it to the 

 aul all the necessary woodwork for the erection of a yurt, which he 

 has to provide. Thereupon the women assemble and hastily finish 

 the sewing together of the felt covering supplied by the bride, if it 

 is not already done, and then they set to work to erect the new 

 yurt. The favourite woman of the aul has the honour of lifting the 

 roof -ring, and holding it in position until the spars are fitted into 

 it; the others share the rest of the work of setting up and covering 

 it. While this is going on the bridegroom makes his appearance; 

 the bride, too, is brought upon the scene, and both are told to walk 

 from their places to the yurt to decide the great question as to who 

 shall be supreme within it. The mastery will fall to the lot of the 

 one who reaches it first. 



A sheep brought by the bridegroom has been slaughtered, and 

 a meal prepared to be eaten within the new yurt. During the 

 course of the meal, the young master wraps up a bone in a piece of 

 white cloth, and throws it, without looking upwards, through the 

 hole at the top of the yurt into the open air. If he succeeds in 

 doing so, it is a sign that the smoke from this yurt will always 

 rise straight to heaven, which betokens happiness and prosperity 

 for the inhabitants. 



