APPENDIX TO the CHAPITRE II
N°1. - marital Agreements.
In the rich class, the father of the bride made all the expenses of the ceremony, the bottom drawer and the marital presents; sometimes, the spendings ( expenses ? ) are shared between both families. Manou forbids to all honorable people, even to Soudras, to accept nothing for themselves, of the one who marries.
They cannot receive that presents for their daughter.
In the little fortunate class, the relatives ( parents ? ) of the bridegroom have to make all the spendings ( expenses ? ) of the marriage and the bottom drawer, and, furthermore, they have to pay, as price of the girl, to her relatives ( parents ? ), a sum of money determined by the manners of the caste; because, in the ideas of the common people, to take a woman in marriage or to buy her, it's all one.
We know that it's the same at the Arabs of Algeria.
People who have absolutely nothing, put back ( hand ? ) their daughter, unconditional, to the relatives ( parents ? ) of the boy who settle ( adjust ? ) any things as they hear ( understand ? ) him ( it ? ) by giving only what they want as price of the girl.
N 2. - Holidays ( Name-days ? ) of the marriage at the Hindus.
The ceremonies of the marriage differ little for three Aryan castes: brahmanes, noble persons and vaïssias.
We meet under a pandal or a temporary room, formed by a light skeleton decorated with draperies. The first three days are dedicated to preparatory acts; the next five days in the celebration of marriage. The first day of the celebration is the mahourta, or in the daytime of the assembled municipality, which we are going to describe.
At first, we evoke and we call to the marriage the main gods and the manes; we offer a sacrifice to the god Pouléar (god of the home ( foyer ? ) domesticates), and the married women adorn splendidly both fiancés. These having taken place on a stage, we gather ( reunite ? ) one to another, by a double thread, two fragments of saffron on which we asked all the gods to come to settle. The husband fixes one of the fragments of saffron to the left ( awkward ? ) wrist of the wife, and this one attaches him ( her ? ) the other piece to the right ( straight ? ) wrist.
The gift ( donation ? ) of the virgin by her father comes then; he puts the hand of his daughter in that of her husband, pays ( pours ? ) above a little water and presents to him ( her ? ) of the bétel in security of donation.
We unwind in front of the couple a silk detail ( room ? ) which is supported by twelve brahmanes which ( who ? ) steal her ( it ? ) from the sight. Brahmanes calls successively upon the couples of the big gods: Brahma and Sarasvati, Vischnou and Lakshmi, Civa and Oumar, to attract ( entice ? ) their favour to the newly-weds. Then, we proceed to the ceremony of Tahly or cordon ended by a golden jewel that the married women carry ( wear ? ) in the neck, as sign that they are in husband's power. We place Tahly on a coke which rests ( bases ? ) on two handles of rice, placed in a vase of metal; we offer him ( her ? ) a sacrifice of flavors, we make him ( it ? ), to all the guests, men and women touch, who give him ( her ? ) blessings. We light ( switch on ? ) four big lamps in four locks, and the other lamps made with the rice, and four women hold them raised ( brought up ? ); at the same time, we light ( switch on ? ) it the others in big number, quite all around. Then the husband, reciting a mantra, a tie, by tying up him ( it ? ) of three knots, Tahly in the neck of his ( her ? ) young partner who has the face turned to the East.
It is the solemn moment and we make it most possible noise with the music and the song of the women. We bring of the fire in a stove, Pourohita (brahmane presiding ( officiating ? )), makes Homan or sacrifice for the fire. Then the husband, holding his wife by the hand, and followed by all the procession of the guests gathered ( reunited ? ) by couples and splendidly adorned, the women covered with jewels, makes three times the tour of the stove, by taking the fire to witness of his oaths. Then we bring in the middle of the pandal two moved closer bamboo; at feet of each of them we put a basket of bamboo in which one of the couple is held placed up; we bring two other baskets full of rice and the guests come processionnellement to pay ( pour ? ) them some rice on the head as to wish them the abundance of the temporal possessions.
These ceremonies where represent only products of the earth ( ground ? ), the flowers, fruits, grains ( beads ? ), butter, milk, honey, are very graceful in their set ( group ? ); they are raised ( found ? ) by the brightness of the Indian fineries which, in the high castes, are very remarkable at the woman's and the children, by the songs and the music, the dances and the pantomimes of bayadères, and by the suit scarlet of Pourohitas, which is very picturesque.
In the ceremony which I attended, there was two Pourohitas who used ( employed ? ) all the interludes of their functions ( offices ? ) to quarrel the biggest part of the donations in kind which they receive for their office.
We make for the poor men of wide distributions of rice.
Then we asseoit in a big feast which the couple does not attend. It is only when it is ended that the couple takes together a meal which is served to them on sheets ( leaves ? ) of banana tree. It is the only time when the Indian husband made to his wife the honor to eat with her.
The last four days take place in ceremonies and similar festivities. The holiday ends by a procession in torches in streets. The couple splendidly ready sits opposite one of the other one, in a palanquin magnificent; sometimes they are concerned an elephant.
When families are very rich, nothing equals the magnificence of the procession; the procession is magic and costs up to 30,000 francs and more. Elephants, bayadères, riders, musicians, richly decorated tanks, pyramids and fires bends advancing ( moving ? ) on wagons, streets dressed and sprinkled with greenery, triumphal arches, details ( rooms ? ) of subtleties, etc., in brief, all which makes the brightness of the oriental holidays ( name-days ? ) is gathered ( reunited ? ) with a perfect taste there.
The marriages of Soudras (4th caste, non-Aryan) celebrate with fewer ceremonies, but however with all the pump which they can spread ( display ? ).
The spendings ( expenses ? ) which the custom ( usage ? ) makes compulsory for the marriages are the cause of the ruin of most of the Indians.
After these holidays ( name-days ? ), the bride stays at her relative's ( parent's ? ) until she becomes pubère. This moment is the occasion of new similar holidays ( name-days ? ). Soudras also makes holidays ( name-days ? ) for the puberty of their daughters, even though they are not married. It is, in that case, a sort of call ( appeal ? ) to the suitors.
N 3. - The marital unions at Romans.
We could resort to the scholars for the ceremonies of the marriage at the Greeks and Romans, we shall restrict to give an outline by quoting the épithalame of Manlius and Julie by Catulle:
Collis ô Heliconis loves Cultor, Uranioe genus, Who rapis teneram ad virum Virginem, ô hymeneæ, marriage, Marriage, ô hymeneæ.
Ad dominum dominam voca Conjugis cupidam novi Mentem amore revinciens C timax hoedera, boos and boos Arborem implicat errans.
« Divine living of the Hélicon, the son ( sons;thread ? ) of Uranie, who put the soft virgin in the arms of the husband, the marriage, the god of hymenée!
« Call up to a new house of which will be the mistress ( teacher ? ) the girl who wishes a husband. That the love binds ( connects ? ) them both, as the shy ivy interwines ( embraces ? ) the tree whimsically.
« Your simul integræ virgines item, Virgines quibus advenit By dies, shakes in modum, Dicite: ô hymeneæ marriage Marriage ô hymeneae.
« The Nile potest sine you Venus Fama quod bona comprobet Commodi capere; at potest You volente. Quis huic deo Comparare ausit?
« Claudia pandite januæ, Virgo adest. Video C faces Splendidas quatiunt comas Sed moraris, abiit dies Prodeas, nova nupta.
« Flere desine. No tibi Aurunculcia periculum is, Not qua fæmina pulchrior Clarum ab Oceano diem Viderit venientem.
« Tollite, ô pueri, faces. Flammæum video venire Ite, concinite ia modum Io marriage, hymeneæ lo, Io marriage hymeneæ.
« Sordebant tibi villuli, hodie atque heri Common law wife; Nunc tuum cinerarius Toudet bone to bet, ah to bet Common law wife nuces da.
« Diceris male has tuis Unguentate glabris marite Abstinere. Sed abstine Io marriage.
« Scimus hæc tibi quæ licent Sola cognita, sed marito Ista not eadem licent. Io marriage. »
« And you, pure virgins for whom waits the same happiness, sing in step: « ô marriage, god of marriage! God of marriage, marriage!
« The pleasures which Venus gives without you soil the good fame; with you, they are justifiable. Which god we could equal to you.
« That doors open. Here is the virgin. Torches shake them brilliant hair. But she ( it ? ) delays and the day avoids ( runs away;flees ? ). Come, new wife!
« Dry your tears; be afraid of nothing, because never a bigger beauty saw the sun getting up on the Ocean.
« Children, raise torches. I perceive the flammeum (red veil ( sail ? ) which the wife carried ( wore ? ) for the ceremony) who advances ( moves ? ). Go, sing heart-shaped: « Io marriage, god of marriage, Io marriage. »
« And you, whose cheeks yesterday and today still shaded of a light sleeping bag, good-looking henceforth useless, the barber are going to shave your chin. Throw ( cast ? ) nuts to the children.
« And you, fragrant husband, you regret, as it is said, your good-looking. It is necessary to say to them goodbye for ever. O marriage, god of marriage!
« What was allowed you before the marriage is not it any more today. O marriage, god of marriage! »
« Nupta, kept silent quoque quæ tuus small Vir, cellar no neges; not petitum aliundè is; Io marriage!
« Aspice intus C accubans Vir luus Tyrio in toro Totus immineat tibi. Io marriage!
« Mitte bracchiolum teres Prætexlate, puellulie; Jam cubile adest viri Io marriage!
« Your bonae, senibus viris Cognitae bene feminæ Collocate puellulam. O marriage!
« Jam licet venias, marite, Uxor in thalamo is tibi Ore florido nitens; Alba Parthenia velut Luteum ve papaver.
« Laudite C lubet and brevi Liberos dates. No decet Tam vetus sine liberis Nomen hook: sed indidem Semper ingenerari.
« Claudile ostia, virgines; Lusimus satis. At bonus Conjuges, bene vivete and Munere assiduo valentem Exercete juventam. »
« And you, young wife, refuses nothing to the desires of your husband, being afraid that he ( it ? ) that he ( it ? ) looks for somewhere else. Io marriage!
« See your impatient husband to leave the bed of purple of the feast, the whole in the wait ( expectation ? ) and in the desire. Io marriage!
« Guide of the virgin, the teenager which ( who ? ) still carry ( wear ? ) pleads her ( it ? ), leave the round arm, because here is the wedding-bed. Io marriage!
« And you, stout women respected by all, place the young wife there. Io marriage!
« You can come now, ô husband ( couple ? ), she ( it ? ) belongs to you; it is in the bed, brilliant of youth, the colours of the pourpré poppy and the pariétaire white are divided the chaste face.
« Be everything in the fertile love: give fast shoots to an antique race of which the name does not have to die.
« Girls, close the bridal room and you, charming couple, live happy; that your brave youth never made armistice to the lovers cavort. »
This épithalame is completed by a choir of young people and girls whose stanza we shall give only (see for the Latin, Catulle, LXII, the whole song):
« The solitary born vineyard in a bare field does not rise and does not carry ( wear ? ) of sweet grapes; she ( it ? ) falls again of her ( its ? ) weight and confuses ( merges ? ) her ( its ? ) twigs with her ( its ? ) roots. Never the wine grower stops ( arrests ? ) near her. But if she ( it ? ) couples in the guardian elm, it becomes immediately the object of obliging care. So, the girl who vît without husband ( couple ? ) ages abandoned. That on the contrary who ( which ? ) contracts a convenient union, obtains at the same moment the love of a husband and a more lively disorder ( affection ? ) of his ( her ? ) satisfied relatives ( parents ? ). »
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