4.1278 Wedding Rings (3/41)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Tue, 23 Apr 91 21:51:38 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 1278. Tuesday, 23 Apr 1991.


(1) Date: Mon, 22 Apr 91 08:56:17 EST (11 lines)
From: Charles Ingrao <HABSBURG@PURCCVM>
Subject: Re: 4.1264 Rs: Wedding Rings

(2) Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1991 9:35:54 GMT+0400 (14 lines)
From: LBJUDY@VMSA.TECHNION.AC.IL
Subject: RE: 4.1264 Rs: Wedding Rings

(3) Date: Tue, 23 Apr 91 07:53 EDT (16 lines)
From: "Leslie Z. Morgan" <MORGAN@LOYVAX>
Subject: RE: 4.1264 Rs: Wedding Rings

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 91 08:56:17 EST
From: Charles Ingrao <HABSBURG@PURCCVM>
Subject: Re: 4.1264 Rs: Wedding Rings (1/12)

Thank you for the information. The replies that I have received so far
make it clear that Maximilian could have broken new ground only had he
given an engagement ring which, in fact, has a certain plausibility,
given the historical circumstances surrounding his famous marriage.
What I still need is real evidence that it happened. This is one of
those historical anecdotes that could be difficult to prove and
impossible to disprove.
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------23----
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1991 9:35:54 GMT+0400
From: LBJUDY@VMSA.TECHNION.AC.IL
Subject: RE: 4.1264 Rs: Wedding Rings (1/12)

Further to Charles Ingrao's comment: in England it's usual to
buy an engagement ring; as he said, it can be very simple and
doesn't have to be a diamond (tiny "chip" diamonds with other
stones are popular). Here in Israel, an engagement ring is
quite common but by no means obligatory. There's also a custom,
mainly observed by the religious sectors of the population,
of giving the mother a piece of jewellery on the birth of a
child.

Judy Koren
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------20----
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 91 07:53 EDT
From: "Leslie Z. Morgan" <MORGAN@LOYVAX>
Subject: RE: 4.1264 Rs: Wedding Rings (1/12)

I seem to remember having seen wedding rings mentioned in a Classical
context: women wore them, a gold one for special occasions, one of
lesser metal at home. Wherever I saw that, the ring was mentioned as
being a sign of "belonging" to her husband.

Also, Robert Graves, in his *White Goddess* has interesting suggestions
about the position of the wedding ring and rings in general (especially
the symbolism of which finger/joint they were worn upon).

How far back can wedding rings be traced?

Leslie Morgan (MORGAN@LOYVAX)