Later someone told me that the groom had paid a bride price of ten camels and twenty goats for his mystery woman, a figure that was considered dangerously inflationary.

BBC: Following the Silk Road to the end of China

Naturally, global girls outgrow such local traditions as arranged marriages, dowry and bride price, which have not been exclusive to African tradition (see the English period drama, "Downton Abbey") but have certainly lingered longer in homes of African descent.

CNN: African moms: Be patient with your unmarried daughters