The evolution of the bride song in
Sunjata was reminiscent of
other epic stories and their need to explain the origins of
traditions. Each description of the bride was accompanied with a song
and the explanation that this was the origin of such traditions and
portions of the song. In other cultures, such stories explain
everything from the change of night into day to the reason that cats
wash themselves after they eat instead of before. These origin
stories are an important part of a culture, and how the traditions
began is a way of separating one culture's history from another. In
Sunjata, the
description of the ceremony is presented in order, with the reveal of
the bride's handicaps and the way that her escort adapts the song and
their actions in order to present her to her groom as an eligible
woman. The insistence with each piece that the tradition started here
is emphasized and important for the cultural considerations of the
people to their story and their origins.
Every
country has their own wedding traditions. In Russia, rather than
presenting the bride to the groom, the family keeps her locked away
from him. The groom must arrive at the home and pay a ransom of small
trinkets, gifts, and money to be permitted to marry his bride.
Sometimes the groom must even go through tests of strength, wisdom,
or manliness before the family will agree that he is worthy of
receiving his bride. In Sunjata,
the bride is presented to the groom after a ceremony of song and
presentation. The bride is a gift to the groom. This is a stark
contrast to the Russian tradition of the groom purchasing the bride
with his own wealth and virtues.
Works
Cited
Sunjata.
The
Norton Anthology of World Literature.
Ed. Martin Puchner. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: Norton, 2013.
1517-76. Print.
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