Polygamy Elle Phillips Sarah Zemach Polygamy is Derived

Polygamy Elle Phillips & Sarah Zemach

Polygamy is… • Derived from Greek term Polys Gamos meaning: “the practice of multiple marriage” • Polygamy can be defined as any form of marriage in which a person has more than one spouse at the same time. (1)

Types of Polygamy Polygyny, Polyandry, Group Marriage, Serial Monogamy, Polyamory Bigamy

Polygyny Polyandry Polyamory Polygamy Serial Monogamy Group Marriage Bigamy

Polygyny • One man having multiple wives • Practiced in: Ancient Hebrew Society, Classical China, and traditional Native American, African, and Polynesian cultures, accepted in Greece until the time of the Roman Empire. • In the United States, polygyny or "Plural Marriage" was allowed in the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) Church until 1899. • Sororal polygyny is a type of marriage in which two or more sisters share a husband

Polygyny in Context The Hebrew Bible, Judaism, Christianity, Asia, Islam, United States, Nature

The Hebrew Bible • The Hebrew Bible shows that polygyny was practiced by the ancient Hebrews, but the practice was not common. • The practice was discouraged against but not prohibited • The Bible mentions approximately forty polygynists. • Levirate marriage was a positive provision towards polygyny • The Torah, the Five Books of Moses, include regulations: ◦ Exodus 21: 10 ◦ Deuteronomy 21: 15 -17 ◦ Deuteronomy 17: 17

Judaism • Ashkenazi Jews have followed Rabbenu Gershom’s ban on polygyny. • Mizrahi Jewish communities (Yemenite and Persian Jews) discontinued polygyny much more recently • Bedouin Jews • Karaite Jews

Christianity • A belief among some Christians in the United States is that polygyny is wrong and cite for example Matthew 19: 4 -6: He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. ” (2) • Many say the new testament did ban polgyny for Bishops in 1 Timothy 3: 2: ▫ ““Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach” (3)

Asia • China ▫ Polygyny had been legal and was written in the law as recently as the end of the Qing/Ching dynasty of the imperial China (1911). ▫ 正室/정실 (main room), 大婆 (big woman/big wife) , 側室/측실 (she who occupied the side room), 二奶 (the act of having a second woman) ▫ Marriage Law passed in 1951 • Taiwan ▫ 1930 ROC civil law • Hong Kong & Macau ▫ Ban in October 1971 ▫ Quing Code

Islam • • Permitted, but not widely practices in Islamic countries Constraints on men who do marry more than 1 woman. Polygyny is a duty rather than a privilege. Many countries that are Muslim retain the traditional Sharia which permits up to 4 wives • Exceptions: ▫ Albania- 70% Muslim ▫ Turkey- 99. 8% Muslim ▫ Tunisia- 98% Muslim ▫ Former USSR Republics

United States & Canada • Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) • 2005 - Movement to politically and economically separate these societies from the greater population • Fundamentalist Mormons and their growing fears.

Nature • Wood Mouse • Female Defense Polygyny ▫ Marine Amphipods • Resource Defense Polygyny ▫ African Cichlid Fish • Scramble Competition Polygyny • Orangutans • Elephant Seals

Polyandry • When a woman is married to 2 or more husbands at the same time • Derives from Greek terms Poly and Andros • Fraternal Polyandry- When she is married to brothers

Fraternal Polyandry • Found in: ▫ ▫ Tibet Nepal Toda people of Southern India Hindu • Mahabharta ▫ A Hindu Sanskrit ▫ Tells story of 5 brothers 1 of whom who marry a kings daughter and shares with his brothers, this ultimately starts the Mahabharta War. • Primogeniture

Where Polyandry Was Practiced • Africa ▫ Lake Region • Europe ▫ Julius Ceaser • Asia • Pacific Islands • South America

Group Marriage • Form of polyamory in which more than one man and more than one woman form a family unit. • Line Marriage

Polyamory • Is the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. (4) • In July 2009, there were nearly 500, 000 polyamorous relationships in the U. S. (5)

Bigamy • Bigamy is the act or condition of a person marrying another person while still being lawfully married to a second person (6) • This is against the law

Serial Monogamy • Serial Monogamy- Long-term, exclusive sexual relationships entered into consecutively over the lifespan. (7) • *But only ever 1 at a time*

References • 1. http: //www. socialsciencedictionary. org/index. php? title=Polyga my • 2. http: //www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=Matthew%201 9: 4 -6&version=NIV • 3. http: //www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=1+Timothy+3% 3 A 2&version=NIV • 4. http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Polyamory • 5. http: //online. wsj. com/article/SB 1000142405297020461900457 4322084279548434. html • 6. http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Polygamy • 7. http: //www. health 24. com/sex/Glossary/1253 -1271, 26484. asp