Do you ever wonder what marriage was like in the past? Do you know how marriage came to be or why the wedding ring is worn on the left hand? Listed below are some interesting historical facts about marriage from different cultures that may surprise you.
1. Marriage can be traced back to St. Paul who compared marriage between a man and woman to the relationship between Jesus and the Church.
2. People married for money. Yes this was probably the number one reason for marriage back in the day. The parents of the bride and groom wanted to align their families to ensure money and power stayed amongst them.
3. Money and or gifts were given to the families. In the past, the bride’s family gave money to the groom’s family, known as a dowry and sometimes the groom’s family gave money or a gift to the bride’s family known as the bride price.
4. There was no dating. Men didn’t have to spend any money on the bride- to-be since she was guaranteed. Most of the time, the couple didn’t spend any time together until after the wedding ceremony.
5. The engagement ring dates back to the ancient Romans. The roundness represents eternity and is worn on the left finger because it was thought that a vein ran from that finger to the heart.
6. Polygamy was common throughout history and in a few cultures, one woman married multiple men.
7. In the 1500’s there were no ceremonies or witnesses so anyone could say they were married. It wasn’t until 1953 that the Council of Trent declared that marriages had to take place in front of a priest and two witnesses and in today’s times it can take place in front of several hundred guests.
8. Marriage had nothing to do with love. Instead of aligning families, marriage eventually became a device for saving men and women from being sinful, and for the purpose of having children. Love wasn’t a necessary ingredient for marriage during this time, which leads to fact #9.
9. In the early church, a man could divorce his wife if she wouldn’t have sex with him. Too funny! I wonder how long a man would wait.
10. It is estimated that the majority of all marriages throughout history were between first and second cousins. Marrying cousins remain common throughout the world, especially in the Middle East.
Marriage has evolved over the centuries from an arrangement between families, to a way to have sex without sin to a romantic union between two people. So now that you know these few facts about marriage, do you think the concept has changed much?
I think a distinction should be made between “godly marriages” and marriages that are secular or worldly or cultural. Also in godly marriages it is supposed to be based in “love” because Jesus told husbands to “love their wives as Christ love the church”. The reasons for why Chritians get married go back to Genesis. God created a wife or helpmeet for Adam and then said for them to have a family. The basis for why Christians get married is very different from wordly marriages.
You’re spot on in regard to the distinction between the world and the church. I also refer to Proverbs 18:22.