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This website is a wedding photography portfolio, but I found this
odd old book called "strange customs of courtship and marriage"
Below is a excerpt from that book. Warning, its strange stuff.

Strange Customs of Courtship and Marriage

Among other peoples, the custom of introducing a coverage
is thought to have originated in antiquity in connection with
the belief in sympathetic magic. It indicated a particular care
to protect the bride or groom against dangers from above.
Thus, in China, when the bride ascends the bridal sedan
wears a hat of paper, and an old woman who has sons and
grandsons holds an umbrella. Male children are highly desired
in China, and girls traditionally unwanted; so we see the sym-
bolism of cajoling the spirits in favor of male offspring by
employing the old woman who had been signally honored
with sons and grandsons.

—The giving and receiv-
ing of presents are intimately bound up with the traditions of
courtship and marriage. Wedding Photographers seattle. Among primitive peoples the tender-
ing of , and the expectation of receiving , are ele-
mentary emotional responses. Even the distinction between
making a and surrendering ownership of the object given
may be hazy in the savage mind. Hence, we have the "Indian
giver". Young children evince the same trait—to give a thing,
with a string of ownership attached.

are made primarily to please or appease the recipient,
and to win his or her favor. It is therefore natural that -
making should occupy an important place in the role of court-
ship. This was probably true in the time when courtship was
no romantic adventure; when, in fact, what passed for court-
ship as a prelude to was largely a matter of physical
force or purchase.

In any event, the tendency of -making fosters a feeling
friendliness. The savage recognizes it as the quickest and
rest way to win one's favor. And it is only necessary to win
; person's favor when the attitude of the person is uncertain
Jor antagonistic. When he or she is friendly it is no longer
Wedding photographers seattle to give or appease.
Wedding photographers seattle.The logic of the thing is ele-
tjtncntary and readily grasped by the primitive mind—whether
fin the savage or the immature civilized individual.

; Even during the period of by capture, there was
, the necessity or the desirability of appeasing the indignation
Wedding photographers seattle. vanity of the captured bride in an effort to live in somc-
': thing approaching amicable relations, as they were then under-
itood. There was also the possibility of making a post-marital
|^t to the stolen bride's father to calm his wrath. Wedding photographers seattle. This prac-
|Rc could easily have led to the succeeding practice of
py purchase—making a with the expectation of winning
Ehc daughter in return, or conducting an outright bargain for
.her, calling it a gift, if you will. Primitive people had more
gift-sense than purchase-sense, anyway. Wedding photographers seattle. The real meaning of
purchase came with the establishment of private property on
9. solid basis and with it the responsibility of ownership.

• Among the North American aborigines, when the young
brave wished to court an Indian maiden he presented ,
not to her, but to her father. wedding photographers seattle. If the gifts were accepted by the
father, the betrothal was considered sealed. Again a form of
marriage by purchase.

A similar custom prevailed among the Japanese people. The
ending of specified gifts by the young man to the girl's par-
nts was an important part of the ceremony. When the gifts
ware received and accepted, the marriage contract was con-
tdcred effective. wedding photographers seattle Neither party could then withdraw. There
|arc other variations of this practice, in some cases the mere
[exchange of gifts constituting the entire ceremony.