Page:Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894.djvu/172

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138
BIRTH, MARRIAGE, AND DEATH

The proverbs also are endless, but taken as a whole better than the riddles; here is a few:—

Whom you want to serve be condescending to him. الذي بدك تخدمه طيعه
What you want to mortgage, sell. الذي بدك ترهنه بيعه
Thou that comest without invitation, thou hast no honour. ياجي بلا عظيمه. ياقليل القيمه.
The serpent and the stick. الحيه والعسيه.
The young of the ducks are swimmers. فرخ البط سباح
If ifs could be planted, the people would plant onions! لوان الو بنزرع. كازرعو الناس بصل
If you beat, beat hard, if you feed, feed enough. ان ضربت اوجع. وان اطعمت اشبع
At the cleft—hide. عند الشق انزق
Follow the owl, he will take you to the desert. الحق البوم بدلك على الحراب

Question 16. Are there any peculiar customs at weddings? Putting a shoe or a plate on the bride's head? Throwing a shoe, or rice, or corn after her? Carrying her into the house, holding a sword over her as she enters, or any other customs?

Answer. As already stated above, I have seen them go into the house with a jug of water on the head (this means obedience to the household), the bridegroom holds the sword over her, to show his superiority, his (quality of lord or defender probably, and he also tries to break the jug.

Question 17. Do the bride and bridegroom wear crowns? Is any umbrella or canopy spread over them? Is a glass of wine broken {as among the Jews), or other such ceremony?

Answer. I have never seen the bridegroom have any peculiar clothing. In many cases, he has not even new clothes, but the bride of the "Kése" has always the red veil over her face and the red mantle on her head, with four black ostrich feathers standing upright at the four corners. The three preceding answers refer only to maiden brides. Widows' marriages are very simple; no processions, in the same veiled way, though some preparatory singing and dancing may take place. As a rule such a wedding ought to be as noiseless as possible, and, in fact, is considered a shame and an insult to the deceased husband. I have seen some men spit in the face of a widow-bride, as she was accompanied by