Wedding Rings, Wedding Dresses and Garters -- Marriage Tradtions

THE BEST MAN Bride abduction was a frequent method of marriage during the pre-Medieval and early Medieval periods, ecspecially among the Gaul and German races where women were often scarce. Bride abduction also occurred with the consent of the bride when a marriage was prohibited by her family. Usually the groom would compensate the family or provide a dowry to the bride after the marriage in order to fend off a blood fued. Still, sometimes the groom would employ a trusted friend to stand armed at his right side during a marriage ceremony to fight off any potential family members who may attempt to recapture the bride.

THE HONEYMOON The term honeymoon originated with the Teutonic people. Their marriage ceremonies were always held under the full moon. The bridal couple would then drink honey wine for a full moon cycle of 30 days.

SHOES TIED TO THE BACK OF A CAR Shoes, slippers and sandals were a symbol of transferring ownership of a woman from her father to her new husband. Egyptian fathers gave a pair of sandals to the groom. In other cultures the father would tap the back of his daughter's shoes to show that he relinquished the responsibily for his daughter to the groom. Shoes also played a part in the early Germanic ceremony where the groom presented a ring, a kiss and a pair of slippers to the bride. Obviously, the shoes are no longer a symbol of transferrence of women as property. Just a small token of our past.

This article was meant to be a fun little jaunt into the past. Next month we'll delve into something a little more meaty.

Sources: Gies and Gies, Frances and Joseph. "Marriage and Family in the Middle Ages." Harper and Row, New York. 1987

http://www.dfwx.com/medieval.html

http://wildernessweddings.com

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