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Haʾ balèë and pulang balèë.Should his wife die during this period, the husband in Acheh has a right to only one of two things; he either gets back half of the dowry[1], which sum is known as haʾ balèë[2], or he waives this right and chooses rather to marry a sister or other near relative of the deceased. In the latter event the jinamèë is mentioned at the marriage but never paid. Marriages of this kind are known as pulang balèë[3].
A wife who becomes a widow during the janji jinamèë, has just as little claim to her legitimate portion, but receives in its place a sum of money equal to half of her dowry, while in certain cases to which we shall presently allude, the walis of her husband offer her a suitor for her hand, preferably of the same family. It is only where the husband is very rich, and leaves behind him few relatives and those very distant ones, that the widow gets her proper share.
It is also understood that if a woman dies during the jinamèë period, the expenses of the laying out of the dead body, the funeral feasts etc., must be borne by her parents, but propriety requires that the widower should politely request his parents-in-law to allow him to bear the cost of one of the kanduris, as for instance that held on the seventh day after the death. Sometimes the father of the deceased privately warns his son-in-law not to expend too much money in this way, as any hopes he may cherish of a share in the subsequent distribution of property will be disappointed, and he will get no more than the haʾ balèë. Yet often even in such cases the husband gives as costly a feast as he can.
Peungklèh.As soon as the year or years of the janji jinamèë are over, the woman is committed to the sole charge of her husband. If she is an orphan, this is done without much formality, but with great ceremony if her father or mother be still living. The parents "put her forth" (peungklèh[4]) in the presence of all the authorities of the gampōng and other notabilities as witnesses, and mark the occasion by a public
- ↑ If the dowry has been only paid in half (see p. 340 above), the widower pays the remaining half and afterwards receives it back as haʾ balèë.
- ↑ Haʾ is the Arab. haqq = right, that which appertains to a person, and balèë means both widow and widower.
- ↑ It is said: mate adòë, pulang balèë ngòn a = "to make use, after the younger sister's death, of the right of wedding her elder sister without paying a dowry" and vice versâ, maté a, pulang balèë ngòn adòë. Cases of both such marriages occur.
- ↑ Peungklèh, which properly means "to set apart, to give up control of," is the technical term for the action of the parents or next of kin in this matter. After the conclusion of the ceremony it is said of the woman that she ka meungklèh, i, e. is put forth and placed under the protection of her husband.
