Dear Want2Learn,
Yours is a difficult question. Not because there is lack of material
online regarding the history of marriage - there is affluence, in fact
[see these 7 million results
<://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=marriage+history&btnG=Google+Search>].
However, the definition of marriage makes it difficult for us to
define the "beginning" of this history. Is marriage living together
and raising a family (as defined by law regarding "common law
marriages", i.e., marriage without any official ceremony)? If so, even
the prehistorically men lived in a family structure. Is marriage only
those recognised by an official body, such as the Church or the state?
If so, this is of course a much more recent invention, although, of
course, one that could be found in the Bible. Of course, between these
two definitions there are many variations, and cultural biases. For
example, I used the term "Church" to refer to an organised religious
institution, but in fact, this is a culturally biased term.
The question of definition is especially important if one comes to
examine the question of whether or not marriage is relevant for
contemporary society - different framings (as in perceptions) of the
concept of marriage might bring about different conclusions.
The site dictionary.com provides several definitions for marriage.
Mirian Webster dictionary defines marriage as :
" the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband
or wife in a legal, consensual, and contractual relationship
recognized and sanctioned by and dissolvable only by law".
(SOURCE: Dictionary.com,
<http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=marriage&r=67>).
On the other hand, American Heritage dictionary claims that marriage
could be much broader:
"The legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife.
The state of being married; wedlock.
A common-law marriage.
A union between two persons having the customary but usually not the
legal force of marriage: a same-sex marriage" (ibid).
These difference in definitions also expresses different concepts.
Prof. Peter Bardaglio from Cornell states that "Marriage has been a
dynamic, ever-changing institution". (SOURCE: Cindy Kuzma, October 11,
2004, "A Brief History of Marriage",
<http://www.plannedparenthood.org/articles/041011_marriage.html>).
The Week Magazien tells us, that "The best available evidence suggests
that it?s about 4,350 years old. For thousands of years before that,
most anthropologists believe, families consisted of loosely organized
groups of as many as 30 people, with several male leaders, multiple
women shared by them, and children. As hunter-gatherers settled down
into agrarian civilizations, society had a need for more stable
arrangements. The first recorded evidence of marriage ceremonies
uniting one woman and one man dates from about 2350 B.C., in
Mesopotamia. Over the next several hundred years, marriage evolved
into a widespread institution embraced by the ancient Hebrews, Greeks,
and Romans. But back then, marriage had little to do with love or with
religion." (SOURCE: "The origins of marriage", 4/2/2004
<http://www.theweekmagazine.com/briefing.asp?a_id=567>).
In the biblical period, Easton's Biblical dictionary maintains that
marriage "was instituted in Paradise when man was in innocence (Gen.
2:18-24). Here we have its original charter, which was confirmed by
our Lord, as the basis on which all regulations are to be framed
(Matt. 19:4, 5). It is evident that monogamy was the original law of
marriage (Matt. 19:5; 1 Cor. 6:16). This law was violated in after
times, when corrupt usages began to be introduced (Gen. 4:19; 6:2). We
meet with the prevalence of polygamy and concubinage in the
patriarchal age (Gen. 16:1-4; 22:21-24; 28:8, 9; 29:23-30, etc.).
Polygamy was acknowledged in the Mosaic law and made the basis of
legislation, and continued to be practised all down through the period
of Jewish histroy to the Captivity, after which there is no instance
of it on record. It seems to have been the practice from the beginning
for fathers to select wives for their sons (Gen. 24:3; 38:6).
Sometimes also proposals were initiated by the father of the maiden
(Ex. 2:21). The brothers of the maiden were also sometimes consulted
(Gen. 24:51; 34:11), but her own consent was not required. The young
man was bound to give a price to the father of the maiden (31:15;
34:12; Ex. 22:16, 17; 1 Sam. 18:23, 25; Ruth 4:10; Hos. 3:2) On these
patriarchal customs the Mosaic law made no change. In the pre-Mosaic
times, when the proposals were accepted and the marriage price given,
the bridegroom could come at once and take away his bride to his own
house (Gen. 24:63-67). But in general the marriage was celebrated by a
feast in the house of the bride's parents, to which all friends were
invited (29:22, 27); and on the day of the marriage the bride,
concealed under a thick veil, was conducted to her future husband's
home. Our Lord corrected many false notions then existing on the
subject of marriage (Matt. 22:23-30), and placed it as a divine
institution on the highest grounds. The apostles state clearly and
enforce the nuptial duties of husband and wife (Eph. 5:22-33; Col.
3:18, 19; 1 Pet. 3:1-7). Marriage is said to be "honourable" (Heb.
13:4), and the prohibition of it is noted as one of the marks of
degenerate times (1 Tim. 4:3). The marriage relation is used to
represent the union between God and his people (Isa. 54:5; Jer.
3:1-14; Hos. 2:9, 20). In the New Testament the same figure is
employed in representing the love of Christ to his saints (Eph.
5:25-27). The Church of the redeemed is the "Bride, the Lamb's wife"
(Rev. 19:7-9).
(SOURCE: Dictionary.com,
<http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=marriage&r=67>).
In other words, one could identify polygamy. In ancient Egypt, another
type of marriage which is banned today has been practiced - incestuous
one: "Cleopatra's Ptolemaic dynasty practiced brother-sister marriage
in homage to the Egyptian gods Osiris and Isis. And in some Native
American cultures, transgendered women born as biological males ?
sometimes called berdache ? were among the most prized of wives."
(SOURCE: Cindy Kuzma, October 11, 2004, "A Brief History of Marriage",
<http://www.plannedparenthood.org/articles/041011_marriage.html>).
In fact, "The notion of marriage as a sacrament and not just a
contract can be traced St. Paul who compared the relationship of a
husband and wife to that of Christ and his church (Eph. v, 23-32)."
(SOURCE: Sheri and Bob Stritof, "History of Marriage,
<http://marriage.about.com/cs/generalhistory/a/marriagehistory.htm>).
In the time of early Christianity, and in the Roman empire, "(17 B.C.-
A.D. 476) the lower classes who became Christians later had common law
or free marriages. The father would deliver the bride and the
agreement of the two was called a consensus to wed. Then eventually as
Christianity spread the church interpreted a "free" marriage as a
conscience marriage. This agreement meant that each partner was to
keep the marriage vows and the marriage intact.
There were Romans who were very wealthy who would sign documents
consisting of listing property rights and letting all know that they
wanted this union to be legalized and not to be thought of as a common
law marriage. Thus this began the official recording of marriages as
we do today. Roman men could dissolve the marriage any time as it was
a male privilege, not one accorded to females." (SOURCE: The history
of marriage, Pagewise,
<http://ks.essortment.com/historyofmarri_rimr.htm>).
Marital code was established later: "In A.D. 527-565 during the rein
of Justinian lawyers drew up laws called the Justinian Code and this
was a regulation of their daily life including marriage. Up until the
time of the Justinian Code just saying you were married was enough.
Until the ninth century marriages were not church involved. Up until
the twelfth century there were blessings and prayers during the
ceremony and the couple would offer their own prayers. Then priests
asked that an agreement be made in their presence. Then religion was
added to the ceremony.
English weddings in the thirteenth century among the upper class
became religious events but the church only blessed the marriage and
did not want a legal commitment. In 1563 the Council of Trent required
that Catholic marriages be celebrated at a Catholic church by a priest
and before two witnesses. By the eighteenth century the wedding was a
religious event in all countries of Europe. " (SOURCE: The history of
marriage, Pagewise, <http://ks.essortment.com/historyofmarri_rimr.htm>).
In America, Kuzma describes a transformation from the days of the
pilgrims, whereas many did not have marriage in the official sense
(because of lack of judges and magistrates); and demanded civil
marriage; and from the mid-19th century onwards, children were not
considered anymore a capital for labour.
Until the 20th century, marriage was not a romantic union: "Romantic
love, as we know it, didn't have much to do with marriage until around
1920. [...] As late as 1967, one poll of American college students
showed that 75 percent of the young women said that they would marry a
man they didn't love if he met their other criteria" (SOURCE: Cindy
Kuzma, October 11, 2004, "A Brief History of Marriage",
<http://www.plannedparenthood.org/articles/041011_marriage.html>).
Sheri and Bob Stritof add, that "Throughout history, and even today,
families arranged marriages for couples. The people involved didn't
and don't have much to say about the decision. Most couples didn't
marry because they were in love but for economic liasons. [...] Some
marriages were by proxy, some involved a dowry (bride's family giving
money or presents to the groom or his family), some required a bride
price (the groom or his family giving money or a present to the
bride's family), few had any sort of courtship or dating, but most had
traditions." (SOURCE: "History of Marriage",
<http://marriage.about.com/cs/generalhistory/a/marriagehistory.htm>).
Another change was, of course, the lifting of laws prohibiting
inter-racial marriages, and before that - the abolition of slavery and
the prohibition of slaves to marry. This happened only in 1948:
"Despite the public opposition to interracial marriage, in 1948, the
California Supreme Court led the way in challenging racial
discrimination in marriage and became the first state high court to
declare unconstitutional a ban on interracial marriage. Perez v.
Lippold, 32 Cal.2d 711 (1948). The Court pointed out that races don't
marry each other, people do. Restricting who can marry whom based on
that characteristic alone was therefore race discrimination. The court
decision was controversial, courageous and correct: at that time, 38
states still forbade interracial marriage, and 6 did so by state
constitutional provision." (SOURCE: "History of Marriage" MECA Guide,
<http://www.marriageequalityca.org/history_marriage.php>).
This is not the end of it. "In 1958, in the bedroom of their Virginia
home, newlyweds Richard and Mildred Loving, a European-American man
and an African-American woman, awakened to blinding flashlights and
police. The couple was arrested. The charge: violating the ban on
marriage for interracial couples". (ibid) It was not until 1967, that
the ban on interracial marriage was declared as unconstitutionally
void by the Supreme Court.
The society changed the notion of marriage "from being about kids and
rules and norms to being about personal satisfaction, companionship,
and love." (SOURCE: Cindy Kuzma, October 11, 2004, "A Brief History of
Marriage", <http://www.plannedparenthood.org/articles/041011_marriage.html>).
More information
================
American Women's History: A Research Guide Marriage,
http://www.mtsu.edu/~kmiddlet/history/women/wh-marriage.html -
annotated list of bibliographic sources.
Callen, Samantha, "A Brief History of Marriage",
<http://www.2-in-2-1.co.uk/university/brhistory/>
Catholic Encyclopedia
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09693a.htm>
Nancy F. Cott, Public Vows A History of Marriage and the Nation
(Harvard University Press) - a recent book on the subject ; a book
review could be found here:
Nicole Eustace, ?Public Vows: A History of Marriage and the Nation ?
Reviews?, _Journal of Social History,_ Fall, 2002,
<http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2005/is_1_36/ai_92587347>
Cyberparent, "Early History of Marriage and Woman"
<http://www.cyberparent.com/women/marriage4.htm>
Jennifer Goodall Powers, "Ancient Weddings",
<http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/consortium/ancientweddings2.html>
Hendrik Hartog, "What Gay Marriage Teaches About the History of
Marriage" <http://hnn.us/articles/4400.html>
Mary Lyndon Shanley, "Just Marriage", Boston Review, Summer 2003,
<http://www.bostonreview.net/BR28.3/shanley.html>
Rictor Norton, "Taking a 'Husband': A History of Gay Marriage", Queer
Culture. 21 February 2004
<http://www.infopt.demon.co.uk/marriage.htm>. - history of gay
marriages
Larry R. Peterson , 1997 "The History of Marriage as an Institution"
<http://www.buddybuddy.com/peters-1.html> - a legal history
Lindsay Soll, 2003, To Tie the Knot of not?
<http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring03/Soll/home.html> - a college
essay/project on delayed marriages.
Tom Tomorrow, "This Modern World: A Brief History of Marriage in
America", <Working for Change,
<http://www.workingforchange.com/comic.cfm?itemid=16523> - comics
Pricilla Yamin , ?Towards an Anti-Authoritarian Critique of Marriage?
New Formulation, February 2003, Vol. 2, No. 1,. <
http://www.newformulation.org/3yamin.htm>
I hope this answered your question. Please contact me if you need any
clarification on this answer before you rate it. |
