MARRIAGE. 253

and a final pinch from the center, the bride’s fingers following his. The basket
of porridge is then passed over to the younger guests, who speedily devour
it with merry clamor, a custom analogous to dividing the bridecake at a,
wedding. The elder relatives of the couple now give them much good and
lengthy advice, and the marriage is complete. After this many songs, which
are really prayers, are chanted and sung by all the men, and the lips of the
women may be seen moving as they repeat these song-prayers, but they give
no utterance to the words.”

The ceremonial was not quite so elaborate among the Hupas. When the
day of the wedding had arrived, the bride was conducted to her husband by
a band of maids and young men from her village, who conveyed in canoes
the presents given her. On the night of the nuptial party’s arrival, a great
feast was given. On the third day, those who had accompanied her returned
with an equivalent number of gifts for the groom’s family.

Dr. Goddard says that, when first settled in her new house, “if her hus-
band was not pleasing, she sat on the smoky side of the fire that her tears
might be assigned to the smoke®’. He adds: “She must endure until she
learned to love her husband.” This was exactly the case with ill-matched
girls among the western Dénés.

As to nuptial ceremonies, or simple rejoicing or feasting on the occasion
of a marriage in the north, there was banquetting to celebrate various stages
in man’s growth or social attainments, but I never heard of the least public
acknowledgment of a wedding there, and believe none was ever indulged in,
Dr. King to the contrary notwithstanding’.

Restrictions to Marriage.

The Dénés think nothing of having two or three sisters to wives, and
two brothers will also feel particularly happy if they can marry two sisters.
The women like these unions, because they make them feel doubly at home.
As far as impediments to marriage are concerned, we may say that consan-
guinity in the direct line, even to the fifth degree if known, will ordinarily
prevent sexual intercourse, inasmuch as the offspring of the same ancestors
regard themselves as brothers and sisters.

But the effects of consanguinity in collateral lines are viewed in a very
different light according to the organic or fundamental constitution of the
tribe. This is not the place to treat of matriarchy and patriarchy; yet for the
proper understanding of the relations of the sexes it is necessary to state
that, with tribes that are governed by mother-right, agnation is not recognized
as a bar to marriage. Nay, a girl was formerly under the moral obligation

1 A. M. Stephen, “The Navajo” (Amer. Anthropologist, Oct. 1893, pp. 356—357).
2 “Tife and Culture of the Hupa”, p. 65.
* “Narrative of a Journey to the Arctic Ocean”, pp. 43—44.