Page:Dawson - Australian aborigines (1900).djvu/48

 The bridegroom is conducted by his bridemen to a new wuurn, erected for him by his friends; and his wife is taken to it by her bridemaids. For several days afterwards hunting, feasting, and amusements, with dancing and pantomine at night, are kept up till all friends depart for their homes with the usual 'wo, wo'—'good-bye, good-bye.'

The newly-married pair are well fed and attended to by their relatives. The bridemaid, who must be the nearest adult unmarried relative of the bridegroom, is obliged to sleep with the bride on one side of the fire for two moons, and attend her day and night. The bridegroom sleeps for the same period on the opposite side of the fire with the brideman, who is always a bachelor friend, and must attend him day and night. The newly-married couple are not allowed to speak to or look at each other. The bride is, during this period, called a tiirok meetnya—'not look round.' She keeps her head and face covered with her opossum rug while her husband is present. He also keeps his face turned away from her, much to the amusement of the young people, who peep into their wuurn and laugh at them. If they need to speak to one another they must speak through their friends.

On the termination of this period, the bridemaid, or some other adult female relative of the bridegroom, takes the bride to see her own relatives for a week or two. The husband remains at home. When she returns, the attendance of the brideman and bridemaid is dispensed with. Ever afterwards the bridemaid, and other female friends, may sleep under the same roof with the married people, but on the opposite side of the fire.

After they have been married some months, they are visited by the parents of the bride. The bride's father can enter their wuurn, and converse with them as formerly; but the mother lives with her husband in a separate residence specially erected for them, and sees her daughter there. This visit is returned by the bridegroom and bride, for whose accommodation a wuurn is erected by the bride's friends. The mother-in-law can never speak to her daughter's husband, or enter his wuurn. If she meets him, she must cover up her head with her rug, walk in a stooping position, and speak in whispers while he is near. To such a length is this remarkable law carried, that it is not departed from even while one of them is dying. After death, however, the living looks upon the dead. The aborigines, who show great willingness to give explanations of their laws and habits to those persons they respect, cannot give any reason for this very extraordinary custom, which is said