Strange marriage customs

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

78927

Title

Strange marriage customs

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Leo Markun explores the evolution of marriage from ancient parental authority to modern companionate unions. Through global examples, the text examines matchmakers, economic motives, child marriage, and forbidden unions, offering a comparative look at human mating customs.

Summary up to 500 words

In "Strange Marriage Customs," Leo Markun offers a sweeping historical and geographical survey of matrimonial practices, contrasting the fading parental authority of twentieth-century America with the absolute power of ancient fathers and the economic necessities of primitive tribes. Markun argues that while customs vary wildly, the tension between economic necessity, religious duty, and romantic love remains a constant force in human history. He traces the evolution of marriage from a by-product of civilization driven by money and status to the modern ideal of the "companionate marriage," which he suggests offers a genuine solution to contemporary problems, even as pecuniary considerations continue to influence unions. The text details the pivotal role of professional matchmakers, particularly the Jewish *shadchan*, who historically served as dignified professionals rather than mere business agents. Markun notes that while young people in modern America feel capable of choosing their own mates, parental interference remains significant in many cultures and even within old American families. He explores how money dictates royal and common marriages alike, noting that while love and money have always been connected, the marriage for money is a product of advanced civilization. Markun addresses controversial topics with a detached, anthropological eye. He examines child marriage in India, attributing its persistence to factors like hypergamy (marrying into a higher caste) and the desire of parents to preserve authority, rather than solely to cruelty. He contrasts this with historical practices in Europe, where child marriage was common among the nobility until the nineteenth century. The author also analyzes the prevalence of incest in ancient monarchies, such as the Pharaohs of Egypt and the Incas of Peru, who believed they could find only sufficiently exalted queens among their own daughters. He explains that while brother-sister marriage is rare, unions between half-siblings were more common among kings. Furthermore, the work investigates the levirate custom, where a dead man's brother must marry his widow to preserve the family line, a practice found in both Hebrew law and various tribal societies. Markun highlights how industrialization and feminism have raised the average age of marriage in Europe and America, increasing the proportion of unmarried adults. He concludes that wherever monogamy is the law, it is inevitable that some adults will remain single, a reality shaped by the complex interplay of economic factors, social status, and the shifting moral landscape of civilization.

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4.2/5

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