Saturday, September 24, 2011

He has tied a knot with his tongue, that he cannot untie with his teeth


Six years ago today me and my hubby tied the knot . . . figuratively speaking because there were no actual knots involve . . . but it was a wonderful ceremony.

The origin of Tie the Knot is highly debatable . . . there are many plausible explanations.  Here are just a few.

The one that comes up the most is the physical act of tying the knot of the ropes in the marriage bed.  Another is comes from a time when peasants couldn't afford jewelry, so a string was tied around the finger to remind the newlyweds that they are taken.  And yet another is that sailors and soldiers of yesteryear would send a piece of rope to their sweethearts when they wanted to get married. If the rope came back with a knot in it, that meant she said "yes" to the marriage proposal.

One explanation is right out of a raunchy romance novel . . .  Among the Germanic Goths of northern Europe in 200 A.D., a man usually married a woman from within his own community. However, when there were fewer women, the prospective bridegroom would capture his bride from a neighboring village. After the bridegroom captured his bride, he placed her on his left to protect her, thus freeing his right hand or sword hand against sudden attack. “To tie the knot” finds it origins here. To protect the virtue of this very young bride from the other lustful men, often times soldiers, the best man and future groom, would strip the poor girl and put upon her body layers and layers of clothing, types of corsets, tied with knots and only upon the day of consummation, would the groom then “free” his new wife and legally make her his property. 
It was a part of the ceremony, that as soon as the priest or lawyer, pronounced them married, it was not fully legal, until they consummated the marriage, which would be done immediately after the ceremony, sometimes in front of the guests. It is from this, horrible documentary, that the garter originates. You see, in order to untie all those knots, the groom would then have to rip off her clothing, and sometimes, those guests would join in. To take some of her clothes, was considered good luck for those other young lads, who so wanted a wife. Less they even become a servant to the groom. So, to fight off this rambunctious crowd, the groom would throw pieces of her clothing at them.

I think the most reasonable explanation is that in many, many different cultures a knotted rope is used to symbolize the union of a man in and a woman.  Wherein a rope or sash is draped over the hands or tied to the wrists of the bride and groom during the ceremony to show that they are bound together for life from that point forward.

Whatever the case may be . . . I am bound forever to my man and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  He is and always will be the love of my life and I'm happily tied to him.

Happy Anniversary, sweetie!


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