Sahara: Navigating Marriage Pt 1

In the universe, multiverse and entirety, there’s always going to be a union between people. 

Perhaps, between spouses – Male and Female, at least that’s what’s normal. 

In summary, an establishment of rights, duties and obligations between spouses is clearly what marriage begets.

Okay, historically, marriage could be traced back to nearly 4,000 years, when the first instances of wedlock uniting one man and one woman were recorded in Mesopotamia.

The act of marriage is a well respected ritual. Typically, marriage was recommended to individuals who were fit enough to set up such an establishment.

Additionally, marriage has proven to be a strong indicator for fertility, longevity and progression. 

Meanwhile, statutes simplifies marriage as contract between two people. It is recognized by every state, religion and organization.

During the time of the ancient Romans and Greeks, the goal and focus of marriage was reproduction, thereby ensuring that marriage is an integral part of public interest.

However, the Anglo-Saxons, employed marriage as a strategic tool to establish diplomatic and trade ties. To them it was actually a means of gaining trading and peaceful relations. 

British anthropologist and academic, Sir Edmund Leach suggested that marriage can be viewed in terms of the different types of rights it serves to enshrine.

According to Leach, those rights are; 

1. To establish a legal father of a woman’s children.
2. To establish a legal mother of a man’s children.
3. To give the husband a monopoly in the wife’s sexuality.
4. To give the wife a monopoly in the husband’s sexuality.
5. To give the husband partial or monopolistic rights to the wife’s domestic and other labor services.
6. To give the wife partial or monopolistic rights to the husband’s domestic and other labor services.
7. To give the husband partial or total control over property belonging or potentially accruing to the wife.
8. To give the wife partial or total control over property belonging or potentially accruing to the husband.
9. To establish a joint fund of property – a partnership – for the benefit of the children of the marriage.
10. To establish a socially significant ‘relationship of affinity’ between the husband and his wife’s brothers.

Marriage indeed has an association with social responsibility and economic development.

The Wedding Ring 

The ritual of exchanging wedding rings dates back to 3,000 years, with the Egyptian pharaohs being the pioneers of the practice, which signifies eternity.

The Greeks then adopted it, as a sign of devotion between lovers.

In Western Christianity, wedding rings are given during the celebration of holy matrimony (marriage). Although, engagement rings are exchanged during the betrothal rite, the wedding ceremony is t dependent on the rings.

According to the 1549 edition of the Book of Common Prayer, the tradition of exchanging rings went as far as being a conditional exchange. 

“This gold and silver I give thee, with this ring I thee wed with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” The book reads.

However, wedding rings are not mandatory in Islam. 

According to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), while women are permitted to wear gold, men are not allowed to wear gold rings.

Types of Marriages 

Monogamy is a form of marriage which became common in Western marriages. 

In the 12th century, Roman Catholics referred to marriage as a sacred ceremony tied to God. 

As a result, Monogamy is simply a union between two individuals.

In the 16th century, the status of monogamy improved, as men began showing more respect for their other halves. Men remain heads in marriages and families.

Polygamy simply includes more than two spouses. 

Many cultures and societies recognize and accept polygamy as a standard practice. 

According to researcher Miriam Zeitzen, since it requires wealth to establish multiple households for multiple wives, social tolerance for polygamy is different from the practice of polygamy.

Marriage is considered a cultural universe, with variations of marriage practices and traditions around the world.

In the next chapter, we shall delve into more profound details and explore cultural influences of the sacred institution.