. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . to decide the amount of lohola tobe paid to the girls father. This is notso much a price paid for the bride as aguarantee that the husband is able to main-tain her, and a settlement for the benefit ofher children. It is usually paid in cattle,which are held in trust by her father orother guardian. Should she misbehave andbe divorced, or should she die withoutchildren, the cattle are returned to the 28o WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS husband ; but if he illtreats her and shereturns home, he forfeits them.
. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . to decide the amount of lohola tobe paid to the girls father. This is notso much a price paid for the bride as aguarantee that the husband is able to main-tain her, and a settlement for the benefit ofher children. It is usually paid in cattle,which are held in trust by her father orother guardian. Should she misbehave andbe divorced, or should she die withoutchildren, the cattle are returned to the 28o WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS husband ; but if he illtreats her and shereturns home, he forfeits them. They arenot always paid over at the wedding, andmay be claimed (with all their increase) yearsafterwards, or even in the next generation ;there are endless compUcations and lawsuitsarising from debts that have thus stood over. a good deal locally, so that it would beimpossible to give a full account within the limits of our space. WeZulu Marriage -^^^ ,^^^ ^^ ^ ^^^ ^f Ceremonies. j i o the more interesting points. It is quite a recognised thing, though inthese days rather the exception than the. Photograph by B. It. Caiey, Durban A ZULU BRIDE HAVING HER HAIR DRESSED BY TWO are used for pushing the string in and out between the strands. The woman on the right is married and wearsa short skin petticoat ornamented with beads, while the unmarried girl on theIeft (who wears her hair short) hasonly a bead girdle. The skirt (umbotiiya.) is often longer than this. Native women do not feel that they arebought and sold ; on the contrary, theywould feel slighted if no payment were madeat their marriage, as if they had no valuein the eyes of parents or husband. Thepa5ment of the lobola is usually consideredthe decisive point of the transaction, whichmay extend over many days, or even , however, say that the-knot is reallytied by the killing of an ox after theamount of the lobola is settled, the meat ofwhich is sent to the brides escort. The usages at weddings
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidwomenofa, booksubjectwomen
