THE MARRIAGE RITE.

Traces of exogamy may be suspected in the bridegroom’s driving off with his bride, but no such custom, of course, is recognized in the law.  On the contrary, the groom is supposed to belong to the same village, and special rites are enjoined ’if he be from another village.’  But again, in the early rule there is no trace of that taint of family which the totem-scholars of to-day cite so loosely from Hindu law.  The girl is not precluded because she belongs to the same family within certain degrees.  The only restriction in the House-rituals is that she shall have had “on the mother’s and father’s side” wise, pious, and honorable ancestors for ten generations ([=A]cvl.  I. 5).  Then comes the legal restriction, which some scholars call ‘primitive,’ that the wife must not be too nearly related.  The girl has her own ordeal (not generally mentioned among ordeals!):  The wooer that thus selects his bride (this he does if one has not been found already either by his parents or by his own inclination) makes eight balls of earth and calls on the girl to choose one (’may she get that to which she is born’).  If she select a ball made from the earth of a field that bears two crops, she (or her child) will be rich in grain; if from the cow-stall, rich in cattle; if from the place of sacrifice, godly; if from a pool that does not dry, gifted; if from the gambler’s court, devoted to gambling; if from cross-roads, unfaithful; if from a barren field, poor in grain; if from the burying-ground, destructful of her husband.  There are several forms of making a choice, but we confine ourselves to the marriage.[32] In village-life the bridegroom is escorted to the girl’s house by young women who tease him.  The bridegroom presents presents to the bride, and receives a cow.  The bridegroom takes the bride’s hand, saying ’I take thy hand for weal’ (Rig Veda, X. 85. 36), and leads her to a certain stone, on which she steps first with the right foot (toe).  Then three times they circumambulate the fire, keeping it to the right, an old Aryan custom for many rites, as in the deisel of the Kelts; the bride herself offering grain in the fire, and the groom repeating more Vedic verses.  They then take together the seven solemn steps (with verses),[33] and so they are married.  The groom, if of another village, now drives away with the bride, and has ready Vedic verses for every stage of the journey.  After sun-down the groom points out the north star, and admonishes the bride to be no less constant and faithful.  Three or twelve days they remain chaste, some say one night; others say, only if he be from another village.  The new husband must now see to the house-fire, which he keeps ever burning, the sign of his being a householder.

THE FUNERAL CEREMONY.