Your Wedding Flashcards
Farreum
Spelt cake (unleavened wafer)
Lares
The gods the bride would leave when she left home and offered childhood clothes and toys to
nodus Herculeus
Knot of Hercules
Flammeum
Saffron-dyed veil
Pronubae
Maid of honor
When did the ceremony begin?
In the evening before the wedding inside the bride’s home
A spear point parted the bride’s hair into how many tresses?
Six
Vittae
Strips of white wool
What was the Roman wedding color?
Saffron
What was sacrificed in the bride’s house?
A sow or ewe
How many witnesses were there to witness the bride and groom read the contract?
Ten
How long did the celebration last?
Until dusk
What did the maid of honor carry as a symbol of her duties?
A distaff and spindle
What were symbols of wealth and fertility?
Nuts, cakes, and coins
Why were songs sung insulting the newlyweds?
To ward off the evil eye and envy of the gods
What was on the groom’s door?
Torches that were extinguished and thrown to spectators
Why was the bride lifted over the threshold by men?
They wanted to ensure she would not stumble (an inauspicious omen)
What did the groom do to make sure that the bride was in charge of his household?
He offered her a pitcher of water and a brazier of burning coals
Confarreatio
Spelt-cake-sharing (Roman wedding ceremony)
