force families to arrange a marriage of the third kind, in which a few elders, invited to the house of the groom, bless the would-be couple over a few bowls of rice beer – and the wedding is over. The most common form of marriage in rural areas even today is the one by elopement. When a boy is in love with a girl and intends to marry her, but cannot afford the cost of a formal marriage, or expects some opposition to the marriage from some quarter, or would like to start a conjugal life without delay, he chooses elopement with the girl as the best option. More often than not, marriages by elopement are followed by due social recognition through simple formalities. Formal marriages are arranged through two or three stages of negotiation, but although arranged by parents or guardians, the marriage of a boy and a girl totally unknown to each other, would be very rare. Formal marriages amongst them appear to have been influenced to a great extent by the practice of such marriages amongst their neighbors in the valley. It is now common for the educated and the well-to-do parents to perform the marriages of their children in the formal way. Polygamy is permissible as per customary law, but it is not looked upon as an act of honor anymore. Polyandry is unknown altogether. Widows or widowers can remarry. Customary law allows divorces, but they are not very common. It is also customary for a groom's parents or guardians to pay bride price – mostly nominal – to the parents or guardians of the bride. Clan endogamy is taboo. Social structure Although administrators and outsiders saw the Misings as a single group, the Misings were in fact made up of many autonomous small tribes. Each of these tribes is settled in a contiguous region and has a distinct identity and folklore. Mising is used as an umbrella term for all these various tribes who migrated to the plains from the same region in the hills. However all Misings speak the same language and follow similar rituals, so most consider them to be a single community. This commonality was also recognized by educated Misings in the early 20th century. The Misings believe in Abotani as their ancestor and is supposed to be a son of mother Sun and father Moon of the Heavenly abode. The Mising