Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 23, 1912.djvu/104

86 bended heads, and for some time rested there. The godmother of the bridegroom stood behind with crossed arms resting on the backs of the happy pair. Throughout the service, she crossed and recrossed her arms in this position, after the ceremony of crowning holding one of the crowns in either hand. This crowning with wreaths of artificial orange blossom is of course the central point of the Greek marriage service. The crowns are blessed, and the sign of the cross is made several times with each of them over both parties before they are put on.

After the crowning an eikon was placed on the lectern and the pair were led round it three times, widdershins, kissing it each time they pass it. They were then made to stand, holding an eikon in their two hands, while first the priest, then the relatives, and then the rest of their friends went from bridegroom to bride kissing their foreheads and the eikons in their hands. The groom returned the salutation by kissing the hand of each one, and the bride after doing the same brought her forehead with a sharp jerk on to the hand she had kissed. After kissing the bridegroom, his friends are allowed, if they can elude prevention at the hands of the pariskámenos, to give him a slap in the face. The groom himself can of course do nothing to prevent them; throughout the service the principals do nothing for themselves. When, for instance, before the crowning, sacramental wine is given them to drink, the priest holds the cup to the bridegroom's lips, while her sister pours the wine down the bride's throat.

After walking round the church, the bride and bridegroom went out, and on their exit from the church enclosure kissed the door. We then went in procession to the house of the bride's godmother, much as we came, except that there was more pistol shooting at unpleasantly close quarters and that the order of groom and bride was different. The groom now walked in front, and behind him came his godmother, holding him with her right hand and with her left clutching the bride, who followed her. For ten minutes