From Rings To Wedding Rings
Jewellery has always been part of our human heritage varying from the commonplace rings and necklaces to the somewhat bizarre Burmese neck-rings and cheek piercing quills of Papua New Guinea. Jewellery progressed down the ages beyond mere adornment and became the repository of arcane symbols, none quite as precious and iconic as the wedding ring - the most potent symbol of love and commitment between a man and a woman.
Since time immemorial, rings or bands have signified status. Rings have adorned the fingers of popes and prelates, royalty and nobility. They have signified authority and conferred in popular imagination great magical powers to their bearers. Literature abounds with stories of such mythical rings – the Lord of the Rings being a case in point.
Rings have been an integral part of marriage ceremonies since classical times. This little band traditionally made of precious metals like gold, silver, or today also of platinum or titanium, studded with gems or engraved with names or mystic symbols, used to be made of humbler materials like copper, iron, brass, horsehair, plant stems, wool, bone, and ivory too.
The wedding ring is usually worn on the base of the left ring finger - a custom dating back to ancient Egyptians who believed that the fourth finger was directly connected to the heart, by the ‘vena amoris’ or ‘vein of love’ as the Romans called it. The ring for the pragmatic Romans signified ‘ownership’ of the woman and did not necessarily imply fidelity and mutual consent. Interestingly, men did not commonly wear the wedding ring until the post-war years. Rings meant jewellery pieces or bestowed authority. In fact, the double ring ceremony has become popular only in the last century.
While the wedding ring epitomizes marital oneness, the engagement ring usually is the initial bond of commitment. Today you find rings for all occasions including promise rings, eternity rings and trilogy rings. Heirloom rings too are charming with engraved names and dates commemorating the occasion.
Not every culture insists on exchanging of rings during the marriage ceremony. East Europeans perform this during the betrothal but British tradition places the onus of handing the ring to the groom at the symbolic time on the ‘best man’. Very formal weddings may have a designated ring bearer displaying the ring on a cushion.
Our ancestors were matter-of-fact souls. The wedding service in the prayer book of Edward VI included the sentence ‘This gold and silver I give thee’ immediately after the exchanging of rings. The groom would then give the bride a token of his worth.
Today the wedding ring or band conceptualizes the wedding vows, which read “With this ring, I thee wed.” This exchange of rings between the bride and groom is legal affirmation that just as the ring is an eternal circle, so too will the relationship endure. It is a marital pledge by the spouses toward fidelity and togetherness. The idea is not new. The Egyptians used sections of plants to create little circles, signifying never-ending, immortal love between partners.
No matter what the material or the design, the purpose of the wedding ring remains constant - it brings together the happy couple in holy and loving matrimony.
