I got some great references the first two times I?ve posted this, so
here it is again.
Find a 1900 or earlier source which mentions the tradition of
?treizain? or ?arras? (either by name, by description, or both).
Background: I am researching the tradition of giving 13 coins or
tokens during a wedding. (see my web site at:
http://users.pullman.com/fjstevens/tokens/ArrasTokens/index.htm) This
ceremony (and the coins) are called ?treizain? by the French, and
?Arras? by the Spanish. I am looking for sources from 1900 or earlier
which mention this tradition. The mention can be brief, as long as it
clearly refers to a specific number of coins (not necessarily 13,
though that is the most common number) that are exchanged during the
wedding ceremony. Sources may be non-fiction or fiction as long as
the date can be determined. To give you an idea of what I?m looking
for, here is an example of a source I?ve found already:
?La Mare Au Diable? by George Sand (1851)
?If you will allow me to relate to you in detail a country wedding?.
At the offertory Germain [the bridegroom] placed, according to the
custom, the treizain ? that is to say, thirteen pieces of silver ? in
the hand of his beloved.?
I have a list of other references I have found already at:
http://users.pullman.com/fjstevens/tokens/ArrasTokens/pre1900arras.htm
One new reference counts as an ?answer.? Answer need not be ?full
text? as long as it includes enough information for me to find it, and
it is findable (citations to manuscripts in European libraries would
be interesting, but not of much use). If you find more than one, or
find a really good reference, I?ll add a tip. If this question is
answered, I?ll post it again in a bit, so keep an eye out for
references even if you can?t find any right now.
Note: I have searched www.newspaperarchive.com (?treizain?, ?13
coins?, ?thirteen coins?), although there may well be some articles
there that I?ve missed. |