Hlootoo's Art

hattedhedgehog:

In contrast to Mannish and Elvish traditions, which involve sexual acts to legitimise marriages, Hobbit and Dwarf unions take different approaches:

• Hobbit weddings start at tea-time (with snacks and socialising), continue through a feast and an all-night party, and are finally “consummated” with the eating of a delicious breakfast the next day. The couple getting married are expected to help cook. Basically the process is “Cook all day, getting married, dinner feast, party party party, breakfast feast, everybody goes home to sleep.” (If the couple sneaks away during the party and comes back to breakfast rather dishevelled and happy, well, who can blame them?)

• Dwarves write contracts explicating their duties to their intended, and may even sign and live under them during their engagement. In a ceremony, they publicly braid a small part of their hair (or beards) together into one long multi-stranded lock, and then cut it off as a token of giving up their unmarried lives. The marriage is legitimate when the braid is cut. (To them the idea of required wedding night sex isn’t very nice. They like to have sex on their own time, thank you very much, and not because they’re told to). Then there’s usually a feast or dancing, or just going down the pub to have a rowdy celebration and drinks.