C. Marriage as a Sociological Change.—Marriage is a crisis not merely in the spiritual sense. It is also an actual sociological transition from one state to another, both partners forsaking their old families to form a new one. The rupture with the pa rental family, clan, local community or tribe is expressed in a number of interesting wedding rites. Sham fighting between the bridegroom or his party and the bride's family, or some other kind of resistance made by the latter; the barring of the wedding procession ; weeping and other ritual expressions of grief and unwillingness on the part of the bride and her relatives; and the mimic enactment of capture or abduction of the bride—these are mostly the dramatic expression of the fact that the bride has to be torn from her old home, that this is a violent and critical act, a final one.
D. Marriage as a New Bond.—But the most important type of wedding rite is that which lays down that marriage is a sacra mental bond. Here again the symbolism is wide and varied, from the most direct expression of union by the joining of hands or of fingers, the tying of garments, the exchange of rings and chains, to complicated dramatic enactments of the separation and union. An important symbolism of the new ties to be established con sists in the performance of some act which in future will consti tute one of the normal duties or privileges of married life. Such acts in a way define the nature and exclusiveness of marriage by anticipation in ritual performances. Among them, naturally the most important are the ceremonial performance of the sexual act and the ceremonial participation in a common meal. In cer tain ceremonies the symbolism lays down the relative domains of marital influence. Thus in some cases the assertion of the hus band's power is prominent : he is presented with a whip, or he boxes the bride's ears, or mimically beats her, and so on. In others again the wife may attempt by similar acts to mark her independence and her power over her husband. The economic aspect of marriage is often also expressed in some magical act, intended to ensure prosperity to the future household, e.g., by the smearing of butter and honey by the bride over the pole of the tent to ensure abundance of staple food. Again, the division of economic functions is expressed in other rites, as where the wife tends the fire, prepares and cooks food for her husband, etc.
E. The General Function of Wedding Symbolism.—These ex amples cover the most important though by no means all the ideas expressed in wedding rites. It is easy to see that the sym bolism is extremely rich and varied, and that it embraces almost all the aspects of marriage. There are rites which bear directly upon sex and upon gestation; there are rites with a clear domestic and those with an economic significance; there are rites referring to emotional attitudes at marriage and to moral ideas as to its ends. In technique they are all legal, magical or religious. In short, the ceremonial of marriage covers and expresses all the relevant sides of the institution of marriage, and as such it has been a most fruitful and revelatory subject of anthropological study. It also has been the main source of errors and pitfalls.
In order to avoid them it is important to realise that all ritual symbolism is necessarily vague. Speaking of the marriage cere monies, Professor Westermarck rightly lays down that "Anthro pologists are often apt to look for too much reasoning at the bottom of primitive customs. Many of them are based on vague feelings rather than on definite ideas" (History of Human Mar riage, II., 563). The ritual symbolism at marriage also expresses as a rule mixed and compound meanings in most of the acts. Thus the spilling of corn over the couple may mean fecundity, pros perity, good husbandry as well as union, and probably it vaguely expresses all these elements. Sham fights and captures, tree mar riages or marriages by proxy have obviously a plurality of mean ings.
Nor is the function of symbolism exhausted by its direct and literal meaning. A ritual act, fixed by tradition, defining the relevant manner of concluding a contract, impresses by pomp and circumstance its social importance and its binding force in the moral sense. The ethical rules and tabus which usually go hand in hand with ritual add to this spiritualising function of wedding ceremonies. The public and official nature of the marriage act, often marked by the presence of an officiating priest, ruler or magician; heralded by banns and public announcements ; sealed by witnesses and documents; enhanced by the sacredness of place and of time constitutes the widest and most general function of the rite, and that is to make marriage public, binding, sacred and morally impressive.