Why does the groom bring the bride through the threshold of his house in her arms?

Some signs have firmly included in our lives, about the history of which we usually do not think about. Many of them concern the wedding celebration, and one of them is when the groom gets an honorary duty on his hands transfer the bride through the threshold your home.

Content

Why does the groom bring the bride to the house in her arms?
- Bride acquaintance with the brownie
- Bride Protection from Spirits
Why does the groom bring the bride through the threshold of his house in her arms: religious look
Why does the groom bring the bride through the threshold of his house in her arms: the traditions of other countries
Video: Wedding superstitions

This sight is touched by all the guests at the wedding ceremony, but where did this custom come from - few people know about it.

Why does the groom bring the bride to the house in her arms?

In the old days, the groom was prescribed bring the bride through the threshold of his house in his arms. And this custom was not neglected, but strictly followed him. For what reason?
Regarding the emergence of this tradition, there are several versions, the main of which we will now consider.

Bride acquaintance with the brownie

The history of the emergence of this tradition goes by its roots in the distant times of paganism. Our pagan ancestors sacredly believed that in all houses, the brownies lived in all houses. They had an important mission - the protection and help of the family in whose house he settled.
In gratitude, people tried not to predict their brownie and pleased him in every way. They were afraid that for insufficient respect this invisible assistant could be offended and begin to pack them.
In those days, people believed that the brownies do not like changes and therefore they would accept new family members “in bayonets”. The brownie could be in earnest if the threshold of the house, where he feels like a master, will cross a stranger to him. Well, if he still begins to live there and stands there, then this can be perceived as a real insult.
And since his “good” “superfluous”, in his opinion, did not give his “good” in the house, he could well start over the latter in every possible way Make mock and finish. That is, to do everything in order to quickly expel the “new” over the walls of the house he had chosen.
These "representatives of the parallel world" could approve the accession in the "their" house of only those people who did not go there with their feet, but penetrated otherwise. Like, for example, newborn children who were brought in their hands.
That's why i had to endure the bride through the threshold on the hands.

Bride Protection from Spirits

A huge sacred significance was attributed to the threshold, since it seemed to our ancestors a certain a line between the world of this house and all that remains beyond. There, behind the threshold, there was something hostile and incomprehensible, which people tried their best not to let the households and households.
In those distant centuries, people were characteristic of believe not only in the existence of brownies, but also in spirits - both good and evil. Each family and family had their own patrons Of the parallel worlds - mainly, according to belief, they became the souls of deceased relatives and ancestors.
There were different interpretations regarding the souls of those who left this mortal world. Some believed that their ancestors again and again, like a bird of Phoenix, were revived in their children and grandchildren. Others preferred to believe that the dead from their kind became spirits, helping their living relatives in all matters. The spirits of those ancestors who were offended by something and they took revenge for this, or some kind of evil, unclean power were considered unfriendly.

The bride was to go from the wedding day from why at home to the spouse and, as it were, reborn. It was understood that for her relatives she died that day, and after the wedding ceremony she was born already in a new, husband's family. By this, she seemed to cross a certain symbolic line that separates the two worlds.

By belief, it is at that moment the unclean power could easily take possession of her soul, And therefore, the bride was carefully protected and protected - they pinned pins to the dress, sewn the charms in her wedding outfit. But the main rite was considered when the groom brings the bride through the threshold. By this, he tried to deceive the waiting light prey in the face of the bride of evil.
In ancient Russia there was another, rather strange tradition. When respected family members died, they often arranged graves for them precisely under the threshold of the house, on which the rituals of sacrifices were then performed. The ancestors could not be in earnest if someone stepped on their grave-all the more people are still alien for this family. In order not to inadvertently offend the ancestors and protect his bride from their anger, the groom brought the bride through the threshold of his house.

Why does the groom bring the bride through the threshold of his house in her arms: religious look

Centuries passed before the pagan faith of our ancestors changed orthodoxy. However, beliefs did not disappear anywhere, just the churchmen began to interpret them differently.
Without completely denying the influence of spirits, the holy fathers introduced into the tradition in which the groom brings the bride through the threshold of his house, their own adjustments. In their opinion, the woman is initially sinful. And if the bride is moved to her groom over the threshold, then she supposedly clean from filth.

Be that as it may, without mysticism, it wasn’t here, the church also sees a certain line between the unfriendly outside world and the hearth in the threshold of the house.

Why does the groom bring the bride through the threshold of his house in her arms: the traditions of other countries

Not only Russian suitors bring the bride through the threshold of their house. Many countries and nations also have a similar tradition, but explain its origin in different ways.
Foreigners associate one of the most common versions with the historical fact called "The abduction of sabines". As stated in the annals, in Rome, when it was only founded, there were simply catastrophically lacked women. The main population of this city - men - to continue their kind and business management in the house required representatives of the opposite statue.
Then, one of the founders of Rome Romulus were invited to the Sabinyans from the tribe neighboring with the city. The Sabines had the imprudence to accept this invitation, and then their women were stolen with cunning Romans. They grabbed them in their arms and took them to their homes, thus providing themselves with their wives. It was since then that it happened that the groom in his arms tolerates his bride through the threshold, As if kidnapping it and thereby demonstrating that this woman is now in his inseparable power.

Let's look at other regions:

Switzerland: In this country, at the entrance to the house, the bride is waiting for the older relative of the groom. Three times showing her with wheat grain (so that family life was happy, and the family continues), she steps aside, and then the time of the groom came - he grabbed his narrowed and transferred her through the threshold of the house.
Greece: Here the bride is customary to transfer the groom through the threshold. According to the beliefs, the newly -made wife should by no means touch him. Otherwise, to be trouble and troubles, and the married couple will soon break up.
China: In this country, the bride cannot be touched to the threshold. Therefore, the bride should be transferred through him some elderly relative from the groom. But this is not the whole rite. A moment before that, a knife is placed on the threshold, which was previously displayed on fire, and then moistened with vinegar.
India: Here, the young husband does not have to transfer the bride on her hands through the threshold - she crosses through him, and does it certainly with her right foot.
Palestine: As in Russia, the groom tolerates the bride through the threshold of the house, but so that even his hem of the wedding dress does not touch. Otherwise, others will regard this as a bad sign.
France: The French have always been distinguished by their gallantry in relation to women. Therefore, it is not surprising that they now with great pleasure adhere to this custom - bring the bride through the threshold of the house on the hands.
East African peoples:some tribes have a very interesting ritual. There, no one wears the bride in her arms - she herself has to cross the threshold. But before she enters her new home, she is awarded to the bridegroom of a hoe, or some other working tool. When the first step is taken, it will receive a piece of fabric, and already inside the house - jewelry. These actions, as it were, imitate the bride’s lure under the roof of her future spouse.

Which of these above versions is most believable is not much important. The main thing is that this tradition has been able to survive until today. And even now, superstitions mostly sunk into oblivion, still exist signs, rites and fortune -telling related to the threshold.

It may well be that there are also other versions, for which the groom tolerates his bride through the threshold in his hands - they all have the right to exist. But even in our age of total disbelief in brownies and spirits, it is very important for every bride to feel like a fabulous princess at least for a moment, which her beautiful prince wears in her hands.

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