Cherokee Wedding Vase Research Paper

Instead of exchanging rings, in the old times the couple exchanged food. The groom brought ham of venison, or some other meat, to indicate his intention to provide for the household. The bride provided corn, or bean bread to symbolize her willingness to care for and provide nourishment for her household.

The marrying couple must drink together from a Cherokee Wedding Vase. The vase vessel has one handle, but had two different openings from each end for the couple to drink from at the same time. With this the bride and groom must share a drink of corn which is simply crushed dried corn and water mixed together. After they must take one sip from each cardinal ways, East, West, North, South, which is a way of declaring their marriage to all the earth. Only after this the priest will drink up toward the Heavens, and down to Mother Earth, and after towards the marrying couple. He then blesses the couple with the permission of the heavens and spirits, by directing the spirits attention towards the bride and groom. The vase is then thrown down and broken, to seal the wedding vows. The broken pieces of the vase must be buried in the ground to represent the gift being returned to Mother Earth.

The bride and groom both approach the sacred fire, and this …show more content…
The origins of this rite is traced back to different tribes in the different parts of the continent and simply cannot be pinpointed to one specific nation or group. This is where both the bride and the groom take seven steps sunwise (clockwise) around the sacred fire. For each single step taken around, a vow will be said by one another. At first the groom makes one step forward and then says a vow, and after the bride takes a step to join him and says her vow and this is done when one full round is made around the fire. When the round is completed, the family and friends join hands together in a circle around the fire to represent union of everyone in the