The bride didn't wear white. In fact, the bride didn't wear anything at all.
It might not have been the strangest marriage ever (hello, David and Liza) but it's close up there: The groom was an infant, and the bride was a dog.
According to a Reuters article, an infant boy in a village in India was married to a neighbor's dog so as to avoid being attacked by tigers and other wild animals.
About 150 tribespeople, because the boy grew a tooth on his upper gum (seen by the Munda tribe as a bad omen that makes them prone to attacks by tigers), performed the ritual spiritually marrying the boy to the dog. By doing such, the tribal god will apparently bless the child and ward off evil spirits.
"We performed the marriage because it will overcome any curse that might fall on the child as well on us," the boy's father, Sanarumala Munda, was quoted as saying by a local newspaper.
Indian law does not recognize the marriage between a dog and a human, so once the boy has grown he will be able to pick a bride without filing for divorce.
I think this would be an easy story to write off as odd news, or make a joke about and move on. But I also think it highlights an interesting idea, that we live in a world of diverse cultures and beliefs. Sometimes I feel like I am constantly told by the talking heads that the world is becoming Americanized. That it is growing smaller, country's identities are being swept clean with the power of technology and international trade.
But here, here is an example of a traditional community that has held on to a belief that to some Americans might seem absurd. They married a child to a dog to ward off evil. That is a part of their ideology. And I think it's important to acknowledge every once in a while, that the world is bigger than we think it is. That it is full of diverse peoples and cultures and traditions.
This seems an obvious thing to say, it's not very enlightening or perceptive. But I'm going to keep this article in mind for the next time I hear someone prostilitize (yup, that's right) about globalization.
Celebrate the uniqueness in the world.
-- Brianna
