A Norwegian Wedding.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5079, 25 April 1885, Page 1

A Norwegian Wedding.

"ft" • Wo had the good luck to witness a very interesting ceremony—namely a village wedding, when about fifty persons, assembled, all in holiday c.stume—the * women in bright coloured petticoats and - bodices with beautifully white chemisettes. They were a verj pleasant-looking group —the men strong, welUknit fellows', but all alike fair skinned, with flaxen hair and kind blue eyes. The bride-was a demure young woman, somewhat overweighted with necklaces and bracelets (which, we understood to be heirlooms), but more especially by, an immense .gilfc crown . running up in tall points to a height of about eight inches, and studded with many cohmred crystals. It ia a most gorgeous head-dress, and belongs to the village. Every village is supposed to have one, which is hired for the occasion by the parents of the bride. But like the plain, ribbon or snood of (he Scottish Highland maid, no Norwegian bride is entitled to wear this crown of 'honour, unless her character is above suspicion; aad this, unhappily, is so very exceptional, that the hiring of the crown is now considered almost invidious on the part of the few who may certainly claim it; so the custom is dyiDg out, and we esteemed ourselves fortunate in having witnessed a nuptial ceremony in which this^picturesquo bridal decoration was worn. There was no architectural beauty in the very plain,' i barn like church, which had no pretence !at .decoration. Tlw Lulherau service, ■ which, of course, was conducted ia Nor* I weginn, seemed to us like that of the , Scotch Presbyterian Church. All the men sat 6a one side and the women on the other, according to the usual custom. The parson (whose garb is a black gown, with a very large white fluted collar, eucircling his throat like a Queen Elizabeth ' ruff) performed the simple service, in which a wedding ring shaped like a double heart did inof our

plain circlet. Hd ascended the pulpit and delivered a very long exhortation, whith, being beyond our comprehension,-was to us only suggestive ofLongfoilow's charming lines:— " Long was the good man's sermon, Yet it seemed not long to mo, Tor he epaka of Kuth the beautiful, And still I thought of tbee." There wtfs one feature in tho ceremony , which we noted with -especial interest, therein recognising v lingering trace of pre-Christian days. Tho pulpit stands in the centre of a large chancel, and, at a pause in the service, all the wedding parly walked solemnly thrice round in, in sidewise procession—a pretty survival of old Norse paganism.—C. F. Gordon-Cum-min?.