QUEER MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1638, 3 January 1913, Page 2

QUEER MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.

Many ore tho interesting customs that characterise tho Bororo Indians, says a writer in the July "Wide World Magazine." ■ Therb is the marriage oereinony; for instance. It is really tho mother, of tho girl, who selects her daughter's future husband, and, when eho has chosen him, sho invites him to her hut, to partake of a highly-peppered dish specially cooked for', the occasion. The eligiblo'youth; is accompanied by his'mother/ or, failing her, by tho oldest woman or her family. It" he feels inclined, to marry the girl presented to ],im ho partakes of the foodj and then passes it on to his mother. Should she be likewise inclined, 6he tastes it, and tho inarriago is then as good as un fait accompli. Should she ;T,o opposed- to the", proposition, however, she returns the food to the girl's mother, and the match ds olf, even should the young man feel inclined to'tie the knot. ■

On the other kind, if the youth Is not favourably impressed by tho daughter of the hut, he passes tho dish on to'hismothor without tasting it, saying i "Mother, give this food to hor from whom it came." . . I The mother can do as sho likes, Sho can touch tho food and then tho sou must marry the girl in cpito of his'owrij feelings. But if sho is not keen on tho' marriage sho pushes tho food across to her hostess, and, accompanied by her son, leaves tho hut. It will thus be seen that neither the youth nor tho maiden has much to say as regards their own' future. After tho engagement, tho fiancee's mother has to maintain the bridegroom's mothor for four days. During this timo th& youth sleeps in tho hut of his future bride, but without being soon by her. Ho enters Jato at night and leaves before dawn, and tho object of his presence is to protect the girl of his (or liis mother's!) choice, from the machinations of tho Evil Eye. On' the fifth morning both bride'and bridegroom get up at tho same time and, approaching the fire, sit down together, turning their backs on tho other members of the family. Henceforward they aro man and wife.