20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

628 Spartak KadiuThe groom never used to go to take the bride. In some southern areas, atthe time of departure, the envoys offer the horse of the bride to groom anda copper vessel with water. He drops the vessel in order to pour the waterand then jumped on the horse and shoots the gun. The father of the groomsacrifices a ram in front of the horse and the groom jumps over it and leavesthe house. The other envoys follow him. Overall, these ceremonies remindus of the ancient ritual of the kidnapping of the bride. During the way,the envoys must not sing and shoot, but silently have to come close to thebride’s house. The Muslims use to take the bride at night. The arrival of theenvoys to the bride’s house is accompanied by different rituals.The stealing or hiding of an object from the bride’s house is alsoanother interesting tradition. It is a sign of the kidnapping the bride whichis replaced by the grabbing of another object. (TIRTA, 2003: 300) Thewoman was covered by a red bridal veil, which has been used by all theAlbanians. The bride was put on the horse by her people (brother, uncle).The horse was carried by her people up to the place where are waiting theenvoys.In the entire Albania, during the way back, the envoys had to change theroute and never go back from the same road. If two different envoys wereto meet, the closest envoys had to open the way to those coming from far.In Mat and in general in the Kanun active areas, at the arrival of theenvoys and bride, the groom used to go in front of them and shoot a gun.The bride without jumping off the horse had to greet three times with thehead.Once, but also nowadays, at the departure from her house and arrivalat of the groom’s house, guests and relatives use to throw rice, corn, sugar,sweets and hazelnuts when the bride walks away. According to people’slegends, this ritual was a sign of prosperity, calmness, sweetness, as virtuesof the bride. In some areas, some people used to give the bride to carry amuffin or bread under her armpit. In Mat, those who help her jump off thehorse used to put two breads on the head. In some other regions, the motherin-lawused to hand over to bride a corn bread in a white handkerchief. Themuffin of the bride was to be eaten on that day or the next days. In Dukagjinarea, the bun was given to bride and groom, who cut it in half and share itwith the friends. In other regions, the bun was eaten by boys whose parentswere still alive.The custom of the threshold and the jumping. The threshold hadto be crossed with the right foot, because it was considered lucky. In theMalësia e Madhe region, the bride was to be received by the hostess of the