THE WEDDING RING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 109, 11 May 1931, Page 2

THE WEDDING RING

ANCIENT SIGNIFICANCE. Romance, love and eternity—all three symbolised in that little golden circlet —the wedding ring, says an English ( writer. For many years now the plain band with which we are so familiar has been used almost everywhere, but in olden days marriage, as well as betrothal rings, were often very elaborate and of strange shape and material —gold, sil ver, bronze, iron, ivory and even crystal being pressed into service, and the hands, both within and without, engraved with mottoes and devices. The gift of a ring, both as a token of be- ; trothal and marriage, dates back to the ' ancient Jewish custom giving some pledge as ratification of any agreement. The Romans also proffered rings on the conclusion of any business settlement, so that a ring became the recognised I token that persons had come to some special understanding or agreement | with each other. Among the Egyp i tians also the custom prevailed of placing a piece of “ring-money” (used be fore the introduction of coinage) upon the bride’s finger, in token that she now’ was partner in her husband’s wealth. Long ago both betrothal and wedding rings were very much more el aborate than to day. To the Romans belong that somewhat curious class of rings known as keyrings, because with the bridal ring the keys of the house were also delivered, a custom which ultimately became symbolised in the key rings. This rite W’as also observed among the old Northmen, the keys of the storeroom being handed to the wife on her wedding day, and carried at he r side as a token of housewifely dignity and also that henceforth she shared all things in common with her husband. The Saxon formula of marriage also alludes to this custom, for with the giving of the bride her father said: “I will give thee my daughter to be thy honour and thy wife, to keep thy keys and to share with thee in thy bed and goods, in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” The Hebrew rings were more symbolical still and usually surmounted

by a tiny building, representing either the Temble at Jerusalem or the Ark of the Covenant,