339
When the bridegroom enters the meunasah with a small following from his own gampōng, his companions open a bundle which they have brought with them, and in which are rolled up two handsome sleeping mats and a number of costly cushions. These represent the future bridal couch, and are spread for the bridegroom to sit on during the making of the contract. Close by is placed a bowl (mundam) of water, wherewith the teungku and the bridegroom rinse their mouths before commencing the ceremony. As the name of Allah is to be invoked, it is not fitting that any remnants of food, tobacco or such should defile the instrument to be used in glorifying God.
The marriage gift.The attendants of the bridegroom also place in the foreground a platter (baté) containing the sum of money given as a wedding-present (jinamèë). The jinamèë[1] is seldom mentioned in the contract, since it is in every case pretty closely defined by the adat. The jinamèë for the daughters of princes of the blood (tuankus) amounts to 500 dollars, or according to the old-fashioned mode of expression, "a kati (1¼ lb.) of gold" (sikatòë meuïh); for those of persons of distinction (ureuëng ulèë) such as ulèëbalangs, imeums and others who are their equals in rank or wealth, 100 dollars or 4 bungkays[2] of gold; for those of middle rank (ureuëng peuteungahan), such as keuchiʾs, teungkus, wakis and the like, 50 dollars or 2 bungkays of gold, and for the lesser folk 25 dollars or 1 bungkay. He who marries a poor woman need only give one or two tahés (tahils) or even less.
The jinamèës here spoken of have reference only to marriage with a maiden; in other cases they depend mainly on mutual consent.
As a rule the dowry is paid at the conclusion of the contract[3]. In
- ↑ This word sheds a remarkable light on the history of the Achehnese marriage. Derived as it is from jamèë = guest, it can only be construed to mean, in its original sense, the gift or recompense given by a guest to him who extends his hospitality towards him, In spite of the great change unquestionably wrought by Islam in the Achehnese conception of marriage, there still remains, as we have seen, much that is based upon the idea of the husband as a guest in the house of his wife (prumòh; see p. 327 above).
- ↑ A bungkay of gold is reckoned at 25 dollars for the purpose of marriage contracts,but at 20 only in gambling and in the pepper trade. A tahé = ⅕ th of a bungkay, so that in marriage contracts it is equivalent to 5 dollars.
- ↑ This is entirely different from the custom in Java, in many parts of which it is usual to regard the dowry as a debt, which remains unpaid until separation or the death of one
wali happens to be one of the immediate next of kin of the bride, as for instance her father or brother, the adat forbids him to be present at the concluding of the contract (see p. 302), and thus the authorization is given beforehand in some other place. Indeed this often happens even where the relationship is much more distant.
