Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 1, 1890.djvu/454

448 mother, who places before his foot a hot pan of hops, which he must kick away as far as possible. It is then set before the bride’s foot, who must do the same. In some places she kicks it three times, and the bridegroom does not kick at all. If the pan rolls gently it shows she will be a gentle daughter-in-law. If it makes much clatter, it portends she will be noisy. Should the pan fall bottom upwards, connubial life will be unhappy; but if it does not turn topsy-turvy, and no hops are upset, a happy future may be anticipated.

As soon as the best man and bridesmaid have raised the young couple from the nuptial bed they prepare to take the bride to a river. A procession is formed, at the head of which walk two or more of her companions, carrying empty tubs; behind them follows an old woman carrying on her head a round loaf, on the top of which is placed an omelette; the best man and the bridesmaid, with ladles and barrels of wort, occupy the next place, while behind them walks the young wife in a bare shirt, ungirt and bareheaded. During the whole journey from the house to the banks of the river, the best man and the bridesmaid sprinkle the path with pure. The young wife carries a great pile of towels on her head, and holds a hen to be sacrificed to the water goddess, Vedyn azyr ava. On reaching the river she drowns the hen, throws the loaf and the omelette into the water, while the old woman loudly utters the following prayer:

“O mother, Mistress of the Waters, thou art clean; make her