|
Dating GuideWedding Rings – Through the Ages and for All Eternity
by:
M J Plaster
The exact origin of the wedding ring is uncertain and is rife with belief
and mythology. Papyruses chemical analysis back to the ancient Egyptian civilization depict wedding rings, and historians credit the land of the Pharaohs with originating this tradition. Engagement or betrothal rings were in use as far back as prehistoric times, but the wedding ring is a comparatively
new tradition, and unlike the engagement ring, is steeped in religious ritual.
In ancient times, acceptive
a wedding ring accepted a de jure binding agreement between husband and wife. The adult female became property of the husband, a holding of sorts. It as well delineate protection to the wife—a protection against challengers seizing her legal and rightful position in a power grab.
Early Egyptian wedding rings were simple circular bands, inexpertly
crafted from autochthonic materials such as hemp and reeds. The lifetime of the average wedding ring was around one year. It's a safe bet that the average marriage outlasted the average wedding band, since the eternal circle import eternal love and devotion. The circle as well delineate the change of integrity of two halves to create a whole. The hole in the center symbolized the entranceway to the unknown—the future. Wedding bands of ivory, leather, and different sturdy materials were crafted by those who desired a much permanent token of eternity.
Metals replaced the earlier hemp and reed wedding bands. The early Romans captive to lead, patch different civilizations chose brass and copper. Eventually, gold emerged as the metal of choice. In fact, early Irish couples insisted on gold, as any different material was thought to bring bad luck at best, and constitute an banned marriage at worst. For couples unable to afford gold wedding bands, gold wedding rings were secured for the service and returned at once afterward.
Early crude designs were adorned with valuable
metals in an attempt to disguise the handiwork. The color of the stones as well command
significance. The red ruby import the heart, the blue sapphire import the skies and the heavens, and the rare diamond's indestructible nature import the indestructible bond of marriage.
Fit contend an equally important role in the realm of belief
close
the wedding ring. The fit had to be perfect. Too loose a fit would-be lead to a sloppy marriage, carelessness, and even as cause the couple to grow apart. Too tight a fit would-be doom the couple to a suffocating, painful marriage.
In ancient times, wedding bands occupied the third finger on the left hand simply as they do today. The significance of the third finger was the belief that the vein in the third finger, the "vena amoris," led directly to the heart. This was a thought propagated by the Egyptians and adopted as truth by the ancient Greeks and Romans, until later disproved.
Even after the discovery that there was no blood vessel amoris, the custom of wearing the wedding band on the third finger survived. Early Christian marriages enclosed
a ritual that landed the wedding band on the third finger: As the priest recited, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost," he took the ring and touched the thumb, the 1st finger, and then the second finger. Once
he said, "Amen," he placed the ring on the third finger, protection
the marriage. The wedding band has occupied the third finger into the Ordinal
century, except for a short period during the Elizabethan era, once
whimsy ordained that the wedding ring reside on the thumb.
Double-ring ceremonies gained quality
during Earth War II as young soldiers shipped off to war. The token of the marriage contract took on new sentimentality during those distressful times, and that custom remains intact today. Ceremonies differ, vows are often unique, but the tradition of the wedding band has survived through the ages, and probably will—for all eternity.
Just about the author:
M J Plaster is a eminent author who provides information on purchasing
online for engagement rings, wedding rings, and wedding bands. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for all but two decades, most recently specializing in house and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and thing
that defines la dolce vita.
Circulated by Article Emporium
| |
