Old Marriage Customs From Norway and Finland

A wedding procession on the water is a common sight in the fiord districts of Norway and
Sweden. The bride wears a silver-gilt bridal crown from which hand silver coins and small
trinkets. These ring prettily like small bells when the wearer moves. A fiddler and two
brides-women accompany the bride.

       Many marriage customs in foreign countries, especially such as are observed by the peasantry, seem to us most picturesque, or curious, although among the people themselves they are regarded, through long usage, as matters of course.
      In Norway, the land of deep fjords and of the descendants of the Vikings, the patriarchal spirit still prevails in the northern districts among the fjords, and even marriages are quite on the patriarchal plan. The youth chooses his bride, who comes to the paternal farm, where she helps the womenfolk in their labors for a year or more before she is definitely married with the patriarch's consent. In the fjords the bridal procession is celebrated in boats on the water, and is often a picturesque scene, heightened by the bright colors of the women's national costumes.
       In Finland, the Karelians in the Government of Archangel are extremely fond of society, not only living in large villages, but traveling great distances to visit their neighbors. Every village has its own festival day, when strangers are expected, and every Karelian man and woman who arrives on such occasions is freely entertained. Games and dances are held at these meetings, which are, so to speak, ''marriage-markets," and there festivities are, perhaps, more important than the good cheer that is provided. Very often an acquaintanceship thus formed ends in courtship and a happy marriage.
       When a man has seen a girl whom he fancies, he collects his relations, and, accompanied by two or three men, and one woman, usually leaves in the evening for the home of the intended wife. By firing rifles it is announced to every village that a young man is now leaving again to seek for himself a ''woolen muffler"‚ a young bride ‚ and on approaching the. intended's home, firing takes place a second time. The bridegroom and his followers walk over at once to the seats of honor, and begin to lay their case before the girl's father and mother.
       There is now much bustle in the bride's home, the relations are called together, and begin to discuss the question behind locked doors. The parents have the chief say in the matter, and, after them, the girl's godfather. If the kinsmen agree and the girl leaves, then she bends her knee to the kinsmen, beginning with her father, and says: "You knew to nourish me, so you know also to give me away." The father lights a candle before the cottage ikon, and orders his daughter to extinguish it or let it burn. If the girl does not extinguish the candle, he agrees to her going, and so the union forever is complete, which the nearest male relations of the bride and bridegroom confirm by shaking hands and making money ring in front of the sacred picture. She is then betrothed.

The father lights a candle before the cottage ikon. If the
daughter lets it burn her suitor is accepted, but if she puts
it out he is refused.

       From now on weeping plays a most remarkable role in the proceedings. The bride sits in the women's corner, and on both sides are weepers. From the other side of the cottage the mother comes with weepers. Both groups meet on the floor, and then go to the women's corner, where the betrothal song is wept.
       The inviting and giving of wedding presents takes place to the accompaniment of weeping, one or two professional weepers, assisting the girl. For everybody they have to weep two songs, one of request and one of thanks, and certainly there is need of a throat and a back too, because in weeping the thanks, you must from time to time bend your head to the ground before the giver of the presents. From the house of a rich relative a present is given for every person; all kinds of clothes, silk headgear, shirts, towels, etc.
       When the wedding is to take place the bridegroom comes in the morning with some of his kinsfolk to the bride's home, and sits in the fartherest-away corner. The bride sits in the women's corner. The bridegroom with his follower steps in front of the bride, bows his head and tells her that he has come to seek her for the wedding. Having said so, they go away. The bride rises up, makes herself ready, eats and drinks. Some old woman is sought for the bride, to act as a guide or;  ''wedding-mother."  and about five girls are sought to be companions. On the part of the bridegroom, the "wedding-father" with the "wedding-mother" holds with a handkerchief an ikon over the couple, after which all the "wedding-people," altogether about ten persons, bend down on the floor before the ikons, beseeching them to bless the journey.
       The bridegroom's men go out first; the bride makes a deep bow to all present in the cottage, requesting them to bless the journey. Before leaving, the patvaska (master of ceremonies) performs rites in order to protect the couple from nefarious magic, but he himself, as representing the old superstitious beliefs, does not go to the Christian wedding ceremony. After having walked round the couple he lights three bits of amadon, of which the bride and bridegroom must swallow one each; the third is put under a frying-pan which is on the floor.

"The master of ceremonies takes an open knife in his teeth, a burning torch
 in his left hand and an axe in his right hand. He then walks around the
husband's people, making deep  cuts in the ground and praying. Despite
 the fact that this ceremony is a relic of heathenism, before performing it
 the sign of the cross is made three times."

       In the churchyard the bridegroom gives to the bride the head-cloth by which he conveys the bride into the church. All the '"wedding-people" come into the church in so dense a crowd that no one could succeed in passing through them. In the church the couple and the "wedding-father" and "wedding-mother" are standing on a calico mat. On the return journey the bridegroom invites the bride into his house, and all the "wedding- people," if they are living in the same village. If the bridegroom is from a distant village, he has in the village where the wedding takes place some house belonging to a relative or acquaintance as temporary home. The wedding festivities begin on Saturday night. The girls warm the bath-house and, weeping, invite the bride into the bath-house, in which a weeping song, expressed in old, flowery language, is wept. 

       There are any number of ceremonial troubles and worries the young girl has to go through before she can begin her life together with her husband. But these wedding customs have taken such deep root among the people, that, although the priest may have wedded the couple before, the bride is not allowed to be considered married until the Karelian wedding ceremonies have been observed. On the other hand, many postpone the ecclesiastical wedding to a suitable occasion, often for months, even a year or more, so that they may have their children baptized at the same time.

       All , however, do not continue to wait a whole week, and all do not have means for observing the wedding ceremonies, although not much money is spent in them. They may avail themselves of a custom which may be a survival of capturing wives. The would-be bride-groom goes in front of the woman whom he fancies, bows and offers her a corner of a woman's head-cloth. If she does not take it the third time, it is a sign that she does not like the man. If she takes it and thereby shows her consent, no other ceremonies are required than that some old woman does the girl's hair up into two plaits, presses a hat on her head, and the bride, the young wife, is thereby ready.

Norwegian Girl in a Bridal Dress.