Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/322

 284 Marriage Customs of the Bedu and Fellahin.

you." " Your arrival be welcome," replies the father, " Darkness be behind you, and moonlight before." Each party then state the benefits to be conferred according to their own point of view, and at great length. Finally the father of the maiden assents, in the words, " I am the camel, — you are the knife," and, after this declaration of entire submission, proceeds to ask some exorbitant sum. " You will destroy the house ! " cries the spokesman indig- nantly, and one by one his party arise and go out, trailing their long cloaks behind them, in sign of displeasure. The relatives of the girl, — should they at heart desire the alliance, — will now pursue them, and with flattery and promises persuade them to return. All re-seat themselves, and a lengthened haggling begins, as is inevitable in any bargain in the East. As in ordinary affairs a man who wishes to buy a horse, or a piece of ground, or even a mat, will ask for a reduction in the name of his children or of the salesman's children, or, if he be a Christian, in the name of the Messiah, so now the spokesman will say, — " Now how much will you take off for the sake of God ? "^"^ Something having been conceded, he asks again and again for the sake of your father, and of mine, of our paternal and maternal uncles, children, grandchildren, and of this or that friend. Serious offence is sometimes taken by some friend whose name has not been mentioned, or on whose account some sum, inadequate to his consequence, has been remitted. Then the women appear, and one by one claim that, for their sake, a reduction shall be made. Finally some sum commensurate to the bridegroom's means, if not to the lady's value, is arrived at, and the spokesman accepts the terms in the phrase, — " The girl is priceless, but we will give you so many thousand piastres for her," (2000 ps. equal

i°For the following scenes cf. Dr. H. H. Spoer, "A Fellah Wedding at Siloam," Biblical World, vol. xxvi.. Ft. i; "Some Contributions to the Interpretation of the Song of Songs," Jonr?ial of Semitic Languages and Literature, vol. xxii., Pt. 4.