Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish Arabia: An Account of an Englishwoman's Eight Years' Residence Amongst the Women of the East
David Hume · en
To the third and final scene only a favoured few were admitted;
fortunately I was amongst that number. Into the room prepared for the
newly-married couple the little wife was now led, and for the first
time the coverings were taken from her head and face. She was placed
on a huge silk-covered mattress, then the husband came and took his
seat by her side: both of them were looking thoroughly miserable! One
of the women then brought a copper basin and ewer filled with milk,
and the bridegroom proceeded to wash his wife's feet in milk, and she
in her turn washed his hands. This done, we all bade farewell to the
newly-married couple and the wedding ceremony was at an end. Hastily
saying good-bye to our host and hostess, and expressing our good
wishes for the welfare and happiness of the young people, we made
our way homewards, to find it was not very far off dawn, but having
thoroughly enjoyed our first experience of a Parsee wedding ceremony.
The costume of the Parsee women is rather quaint and pretty; it
consists of very baggy trousers gathered in at the ankle. These
trousers are often made of very pretty pieces of embroidery joined
together. As soon almost as a girl can sew she begins to embroider
strips of brightly-coloured materials in order to have them ready
for her wedding trousseau. Over these garments they wear a loose
shirt reaching to just below the knees; this is also made of strips
of different coloured materials, or in the case of a bride is also
embroidered. Then comes the head-dress: it is far beyond my powers
to say of how many pieces this is composed, or as to how they are
arranged. The number of coverings on their heads is legion! First comes
a little tight cap fitting closely over the head and ears. Over this is
arranged in a most marvellous way some six or seven different pieces
of calico or linen, the top one of all generally being a very bright
calico, a mixture of red and yellow being the favourite pattern. The
men are obliged to wear dowdy colours as a mark of submission to the
powers that be. For the same reason also they are not allowed to ride
through the bazaars, and if a Parsee is riding outside the city and
meets a Moslem he promptly has to dismount and walk till he has passed
his more fortunate neighbour; then he may resume his riding. This is,
I believe, the case even if the Moslem be a poor man and the Parsee
a flourishing merchant.