MARRIAGE

Then they sit side by side behind the priest or witch-doctor (balian) and pray while he dedicates the offerings. They also take a meal in public - an act which appears to have a special significance, since only a married couple would ever be seen together eating in public.

The blessing by the priest to purify the couple that we witnessed, at the wedding of a prominent prince of Gianyar, was exceptionally elaborate. Three great sheds had been specially built: one for the ceremony, another for the banquet, and a third for the entertainment. The principal shed was surrounded by offerings brought by the prince's vassals, and there were tables and chairs for the guests of honour, Balinese noblemen and Dutch high officials, while the populace crowded on the outside.

Facing towards the right of the mountains, kangin, was a high platform filled with all sorts of great marriage offerings, and in the middle of the platform sat the venerable high priest of the prince's family among his ritual accessories. To the left of the shed was an altar for the sun, fifteen feet high, and at the right a story-teller gave a performance of wayang lemah, a shadowplay without a screen.

A murmur of admiration arose from the crowd as the bride and groom came out of the house, resplendent in gold and jewellery. They stood first at the right of the priest, who faced away from them. Old women attendants burned coconut husks and sticks of incense, then touched their hands and feet with an egg and with some of the offerings. Then they moved to the other side, at the left, and knelt on the ground making reverences, the sembah, with fans of palm-leaf adorned with flowers of different colours.

There were two chairs ready behind the priest, and the couple sat on them, the groom at the right, while the attendants waved symbols of purity - a live white chicken and a white duck - in front of them. They were given various sorts of holy water to drink and various foods to eat - eggs, rice, and sates. The priest turned towards them, shook a long grass broom at the couple, and gave them salt to taste. Next he sprinkled them with holy water and later drenched them with ladles of it, poured through a rice-steaming basket, held by the women over their heads, just as in the coming-of-age ceremony of Made Rai.

A sort of shield of palm-leaf was waved at them and each took a blade out of it and placed it folded in the head-dress. More prayers were said by the priest in the direction of the couple, and on finishing he gave each a flower which was also placed in the head-dress.

Next came curious actions with two ropes made of red, black yellow, and white string, weighted at the ends with kepengs. These were passed under the arms and across the backs of the bride and groom, the four ends held by the priest while he recited a prayer. Then the ends of the ropes were crossed over their chests and thrown back. The priest gave the couple a ladle of holy water to drink, and continued praying while the couple fanned towards themselves the essence of the prayer, doing the same again when the priest held in front of them a bundle made of the coloured ropes, which in the meantime had been removed by the attendants.

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