The girl's household are responsible for providing the trousseau (ce§iz). Preparations begin at a girl's birth, and as she grows up she must herself weave prayer mats (kilim) and saddlebags (hebe). Nevertheless, much has to be bought, and a special expedition is made to Kayseri just before the wedding. In Elbashï, this expedition provides the cue for the father of the bride to send a message to the groom's father asking for money to buy the trousseau. I am told that this usually produces a crisis, and failure to agree on the sum is said sometimes to lead to the breaking off of negotiations. By this time both sides have invested time, money and honour in the marriage, and a rupture is therefore already a serious matter. In Sakaltutan, the payment of the balance of the bride price may lead to similar haggling, though the prior agreement and the fact that a large sum has already been paid makes a rupture even less likely.
The men of the groom's household also have some shopping to do. They must buy the cloth to make the wedding dress, a special wooden trunk that will be the bride's for her lifetime, and presents for members of her household and other kin. These are set out for inspection by the women of the groom's kin and neighbours, who pay a formal visit by invitation, pass frank comments, eat a special type of bread baked for the occasion, and leave a gift. The trunk with the gifts inside, (called düzen, that which makes smooth) is then taken by a small party of men to the bride's household. At this visit, at which once again a special meal may be eaten, final details of dates, numbers of guests and such like are fixed. Then the trunk is opened formally, and once again its contents are publicly inspected and criticised while the special bread is eaten, this time by the bride's womenfolk.
In Sakaltutan, the trousseau consisted normally of a complete set of mattresses and bedding, home-woven donkey bags and rugs, a supply of clothes for the bride, and presents of clothing for all the members of the groom's household and close kin, especially the groom himself. The same trunk in which the düzen arrives is used to pack the return gifts. The trousseau, like