OCR Text |
Show HAVE TO PURCHASE BRIDES Santatl Indian Bridegroom Must Lay Up Money Before He Can Aspire As-pire to a Wife. Tho Santall Indians must literally purehaso their brides. They pay n sum of monoy to thu girl's, parents usually about 100 dupees nnd, In addition, ad-dition, they present the mother nnd tho feiintlo relatives with new saris or ihnwl. Should tho bridegroom cbooso ft widow for his wife, sho will only cost half tho sum mentioned. The reason why tho Snntnll Indians hold widows In less regard than unmarried females Is becauso they assert that In tho next wurld innn nnd wlfo nro reunited, hence a widow who marries again Is only '"lent" to her second husband. When n yotinj man courts a girl ntio does not favor his suit, ho adopts an eccentric wny to euro her stubbornness. stubborn-ness. After having dipped bis finger In red pnlnt, ho goes In search of the lady and Imprints, tils mark on her forehead. Tl.cn ho may clulm her us his wife. |