THE NOMADS OF THE BALKANS
114
selves with songs
and dancing there they return to the
bride-
groom's house. After a short interval the bridegroom's party forms in procession once more and moves off to the nunu. The procession is formed as before, but this time the women of the
The nunu is some older man. He acts as a kind of godfather to the happy pair, and has the duty of exchanging the rings and crowns during the wedding ceremony. He also is supposed to act as godfather to the children. At the house of the nunu the party stop for a short time, and are joined by his party, for the nunu too has the right of inviting He invites " with his friends and relations to the wedding. " as the saying goes, sending round to all, he the wooden flask wishes to invite, a boy with a wooden flask of wine. The boy bridegroom's family join and bring up the rear. either a friend of the bridegroom, or
offers
the flask to the person to be invited saying "
You
are
by the nunu," and the one invited then takes the and drinks saying " Here's to the wedding, and good flask luck to us." When the procession moves off from the house of the nunu his party takes its place immediately after the musicians. In front of his party goes a boy carrying a tray invited
on which are five wax candles, the roll of stuff for a frock which is his gift to the bride, the crowns if the nunu gives them, and some sweets mixed with barley and rice. The crowns are metal circlets with two raised semi-circular bands crossing one another on the top. If the nunu does not give the crowns then those belonging to the church are used, for each church has a Then the whole procession returns pair for use at weddings. again to the bridegroom's house to pick up any guests who may not have joined the procession hitherto, and then finally starts for the bride's house.
Before the party reaches the bride's house one of the groomsgoes on ahead to receive sihdrik'e, and
men mounted on a horse
to give the news that the bridegroom
the procession arrives the bride's shoes, for
he
coming. As soon as groomsman goes in to put on the with him a kerchief in which are a is
first
carries
kulaku and a pair of shoes. When he kneels to put on the shoes he puts some small coins in them, and the girls around the bride hit him with their fists and do not let him go till he