Levirate marriage

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Anthropology of kinship Levirate marriage is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother's widow. Levirate marriage has been practiced by societies with a strong clan structure in which exogamous marriage (i.e. marriage outside the clan) is forbidden.

Etymology

The term levirate is derived from the Latin lēvir, meaning "husband's brother;"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> it is unrelated to Leviticus or Levite.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Background and rationale

Template:Main Levirate marriage can, at its most positive, serve as protection for the widow and her children, ensuring that they have a male provider and protector. Levirate marriage can be a positive in a society where women must rely on men to provide for them, especially in societies where women are under the authority of, dependent on, in servitude to or regarded as possessions of their husbands, and to ensure the survival of the clan. The practice of levirate marriage is strongly associated with patriarchal societies. The practice was extremely important in ancient times (e.g., Ancient Near East), and remains so today in parts of the world. Having children enables the inheritance of land, which offers security and status.

A levirate marriage might only occur if a man died childless, in order to continue his family line. The anthropologist Ruth Mace also found that the practice of widow inheritance by younger brothers, common in many parts of Africa, serves to reduce population growth, as these men will be forced to marry older (and hence, less fertile) women.<ref>Why Polyandry Fails: Sources of Instability in Polyandrous Marriages Nancy E. Levine; Joan B. Silk http://case.edu/affil/tibet/tibetanSociety/documents/02.pdf</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Judaism

Template:Main In the Hebrew Bible, a form of levirate marriage, called yibbum, is mentioned in Template:Bibleverse, under which the brother of a man who dies without children is permitted and encouraged to marry the widow. Either of the parties may refuse to go through with the marriage, but then both must go through a ceremony, known as halizah, involving a symbolic act of renunciation of a yibbum marriage. Sexual relations with one's brother's wife are otherwise forbidden by Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Jewish custom has seen a gradual decline of yibbum in favor of halizah, to the point where in most contemporary Jewish communities, and in Israel by mandate of the Chief Rabbinate, yibbum is prohibited.

This started already in time of Mishnah, "The opinion of Abba Shaul, who said, 'The mitzvah of ḥalitza takes precedence over the mitzvah of levirate marriage'" (Yevamot 3a). "Now that they do not have intent for the sake of fulfilling the mitzvah, the Sages say, The mitzvah of performing ḥalitza takes precedence over the mitzvah of consummating the levirate marriage" (Babylonian Talmud, Yevamot 39b). In Yemen, however, the practice of Levirate marriage was observed by the Jewish community there until their immigration to the Land of Israel.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In 1950, the Rabbinate of Israel, along with the Chief Sephardic Rabbi, forbade its practice amongst the Yemenites, citing a need for "uniformity amongst the Jewish groups," and only permitted those who were already married through levirate marriage from outside the country.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Islam

Islamic law (sharia) clearly lays down rules for marriage, including who may marry whomTemplate:Broken anchor, and although the Quran does not prohibit a man from marrying his brother's widow, it does insist that if it were to be done, it should be treated as a normal marriage with the wife's consent and additional mahr.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:BlockquoteWhile not being an Islamic tradition in and of itself, it has historically been widespread in the muslim world and is deemed permissible, with the consent of the wife, by most Muslim scholars, and is even recommended, depending on the circumstance, by some.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

It has recently come under strict scrutiny in some parts of the world like Afghanistan, under the Taliban.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Eurasia

Scythia

The levirate custom was revived in Scythia if there were shaky economic conditions in the decedent's family. Khazanov, citing [Abramzon, 1968, p. 289 - 290], mentions that during World War II, the levirate was resurrected in Central Asia. In these circumstances, adult sons and brothers of the deceased man held themselves responsible to provide for his dependents. One of them would marry the widow and adopt her children, if there were any.<ref>Khazanov А. M. Social history of Scythians, Moscow, 1975. p. 82 (no ISBN, but the book is available in US libraries, Russian title Sotsialnaya Istoriya Skifov, Moskva, 1975)</ref>

Central Asia and Xiongnu

The levirate custom survived in the society of Northeastern Caucasus Huns until the 7th century CE. The Armenian historian Movses Kalankatuatsi states that the Savirs, one of Hunnish tribes in the area, were usually monogamous, but sometimes a married man would take his brother's widow as a polygynous wife. Ludmila Gmyrya, a Dagestani historian, asserts that the levirate survived into "ethnographic modernity" (from the context, probably 1950s). Kalankatuatsi describes the form of levirate marriage practised by the Huns. As women had a high social status, the widow had a choice whether to remarry or not. Her new husband might be a brother or a son (by another woman) of her first husband, so she could end up marrying her brother-in-law or stepson; the difference in age did not matter.<ref>Gmyrya L. Hun Country At The Caspian Gate, Dagestan, Makhachkala 1995, p.212 (no ISBN, but the book is available in US libraries, Russian title Strana Gunnov u Kaspiyskix vorot, Dagestan, Makhachkala, 1995)</ref> Hungarians also practiced levirate marriages. Koppány's rebellion against the Christian king Stephen I and claim to marry Sarolt, the widow of his relative Géza, was qualified as an incestuous attempt by 14th-century Hungarian chronicles, but was fully in line with the pagan custom.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

India

In 2017, the Indian Army removed a rule which restricted payment of monetary allowances to widows of gallantry awardees if she marries someone other than the late husband's brother. Previously, the payment of an allowance was continued until her death or until she re-married, unless the new husband was the late husband's brother.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The most famous instance of levirate marriage in India was the wedding of the Panchala princess Draupadi to the five Pandava brothers. It is a main plot point of the epic Mahabharata, though heavily discussed in the text as being controversial. (Polygamy, however, was common at the time.)

Indonesia

According to the adat (customary practice) of the Karo people in North Sumatra, Indonesia, polygyny is permitted. A study of Kutagamber, a Karo village in the 1960s, noted one instance of the practice, as a result of levirate.<ref>Masri Singarimbun, Kutagamber: A village of the Karo.</ref> The Indonesian term for it is "turun ranjang" (lit.: get down off one's bed).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Japan

The Japanese had a custom of levirate marriage called aniyome ni naosu (兄嫁に直す) during the Meiji period.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Kurds

Levirate marriages among the Kurds are very common and also among the Kurds in Turkey, especially in Mardin.<ref>Template:In lang the reasons for traditional marriages in Turkey and the effects of custom on marriages; Tuğçe P. Taçoğlu "[1] Template:Webarchive</ref> Levirate is practised in Kurdistan: a widowed woman stays with her husband's family. If she is widowed when her children are young, she is obliged to marry her deceased husband's brother. This form of marriage is called levirate. Sororate marriage is another custom: When a man loses his wife before she bears a child or she dies leaving young children, her lineage provides another wife to the man, usually a younger sister with a lowered bride price. Both levirate and sororate are practiced to guarantee the well being of children and ensure that any inheritance of land will stay within the family.Template:Citation needed

Kyrgyz

"The Kyrgyz people practice levirate whereby the wife of a deceased male is very often married by a younger sibling of the deceased."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> "Kirghiz ... followed levirate marriage customs, i.e., a widow who had borne at least one child was entitled to a husband from the same lineage as her deceased spouse."<ref>Afghanistan -- Ethnicity and Tribe Template:Webarchive</ref>

Korea

The Korean kingdom of Goguryeo also had a custom of levirate marriage. An example of this was king Sansang of Goguryeo marrying the queen of Gogukcheon of Goguryeo, who was his older brother's wife.<ref name="Yi">Pae-yong Yi, 《Women in Korean History 한국 역사 속의 여성들》, Ewha Womans University Press, 2008. Template:ISBN, pp.122-123</ref>

Manchu

The existence of levirate marriage is supported by the case of Korean Princess Uisun who was brought to the Later Jin dynasty to marry the Manchu prince Dorgon and married his nephew after he died.<ref name="shizu">Veritable Records of Shunzhi: "Template:Lang"</ref>

Africa

Central African Republic

Levirate marriage is commonly practiced among Goula who mostly live in northern part of Central African Republic.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>

Cameroon

Among the Mambila of northern Cameroon, in regard to "Inheritance of wives: both levirates are practised throughout the tribe".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kenya

As among the Maragoli of western Kenya,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> likewise "in the Luo case widows become mostly remarried to the deceased husband's brother".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the highlands of Kenya, it is "Nandi custom for a widow to be 'taken over' ... by a brother ... of her deceased husband."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> "According to customary law, it is tantamount to adultery for a widow to be sexually involved with a man other than a close agnate of her late husband."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Nigeria

In some parts of Nigeria, it is a common practice for a woman to marry her late husband's brother if she had children. This enabled the children to retain the father's family identity and inheritance. Although less common today, it is still practiced: Template:Blockquote

Somalia

In Somalia, levirate marriage is practiced and is called Dumaal, and provisions are made under Somali customary law or Xeer with regard to bride price (yarad). The widow is usually given a choice in the matter. In the past few decades since the start of the Somali Civil War, this type of marriage has fallen out of favor due to strict Islamic interpretations that have been imported to Somalia.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

South Sudan

Template:Main Levirate marriages are very common among South Sudan's Nilotic peoples, especially among the Dinka and Nuer people.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

An alternate form, the ghost marriage, occurs when a groom dies before marriage. The deceased groom is replaced by his brother who serves as a stand in to the bride; any resulting children are considered children of the deceased spouse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, levirate marriage is practiced amongst the Shona people, and provisions are made under Zimbabwe customary law, with regard to bride price (roora). The widow is usually given a choice in the matter, as well as the widower. In the past few decades, this type of marriage has fallen out of favor due to increased rural-to urban migration as well as improved literacy for women and girls.

Americas

Pre-colonial Inca civilization

Spanish chronicler, Juan de Betanzos, described the practice of levirate marriage which he saw observed in Peru in the early 16th-century by the people ruled by the Inca: "If the first husband of a woman died and the woman wanted to marry, she would be married to the closest relative of her husband. If children remained from her first husband, she should rear them as her own. If the first husband left no children, the second should be from the same lineage and the lineage would continue and the blood of those of Cuzco would not be mixed with that of some other nation or disappear."<ref>Template:Cite book (based on the Palma de Mallorca manuscript)</ref>

Template:More citations needed section Levirate marriages serve as a plot-element in various works of fiction:

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Types of marriages Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Levirate_marriage&oldid=254408"