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The following passages are taken from excerpts of D'Annunzio and De Nino and describe the "frumentario" (wheat related) nuptial rite so called because the wheat was one of the basic elements of the rite itself.
D'Annunzio, in his many works, has often made reference to the "wheat wedding". In fact we find these allusions in "Mungià" ("Le novelle della Pescara"), in ("Trionfo della morte") and in the first act (scene IV) of "La figlia di Iorio".
The first excerpt here presented is the one relative to "Il trionfo della morte", while the second is De Nino's and is exactly titled "The wheat wedding".
From "Trionfo della morte" by Gabriele D'Annunzio.
The women kinfolks came to the new bride's house carrying on their heads the baskets full of wheat, and on the wheat there was a bread loaf, and on the bread loaf a flower; they entered one by one and spread a handful of that good luck wheat on the hair of the lucky one.
From "The wheat wedding" by De Nino.
In front of the bride's house, among a large crowd, were lined up five mules loaded with stuff and covered with fineries. This was the bride's furniture: a chest, two wood benches, several bed boards, a large kettle, a conca, a frying pan, three chests with three green dresses on top, three corsets decorated with green ribbons, etc., etc.; and for center piece a distaff with a spindle, the antithesis of the machine, but domestic wisdom of our towns. The groom comes out followed by relatives and friends, and tossed confetti (sugar covered almonds) all around [...]. An old woman appears on top of the stairs: cries!
Who doesn't know the mother?
The bride comes down...there she is in the middle of the street, her eyes lowered: she doesn't look at anybody. Before going away, she turns around to say good by to the paternal house. The mother is still there, standing up, motionless. [...] she takes from her apron something...a handful of wheat; it is the symbol of abundance and of fecundation; and throws it toward her daughter...[...]
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