A History of Matrimonial Institutions, Vol. 1 of 3Howard, George Elliott
History
A History of Matrimonial Institutions, Vol. 1 of 3
Howard, George Elliott
Families; Marriage -- History
[33] The marriage of Jacob with Laban's daughters is the case in
point. In "beena" marriage--the name given to the institution in
Ceylon--"the young husband leaves the family of his birth and
passes into the family of his wife, and to that he belongs as
long as the marriage subsists. The children born to him belong,
not to him, but to the family of their mother. Living with, he
works for, the family of his wife; and he commonly gains his
footing in it by service. His marriage involves usually a change
of village; nearly always (where the tribal system is in force)
a change of tribe--so that, as used to happen in New Zealand,
he may be bound even to take part in war against those of his
father's house; but always a change of family. The man leaves
father and mother as completely as, with the patriarchal family
prevailing, a bride would do; and he leaves them to live with
his wife and her family. That this accords with the passage in
Genesis will not be disputed." _Patriarchal Theory_, 42, 43.
Nevertheless, in this case McLennan is certainly mistaken. We
have here to do with that form of wife-purchase called "marriage
by service;" see LICHTSCHEIN, _Die Ehe_, 10, 11; the
argument of WAKE, _Marriage and Kinship_, 239-44; and
FRIEDRICHS, _Familienstufen und Eheformen, ZVR._, X,
207, 208. "Beena" marriage existed, however, among other Semitic
peoples and possibly also among the Hebrews: SMITH,
_Kinship and Marriage_, 108, 175-78, 146. It is found also in
Africa and in many other places: WAKE, _op. cit._, 149,
299-301; MCLENNAN, _op. cit._, 43; WESTERMARCK,
_Human Marriage_, 109, 389-90; TYLOR, _On a Method of
Investigating Institutions_, 246 ff.; STARCKE, _op.
cit._, 78; HELLWALD, _Die mensch. Familie_, 255, 266.
[34] On the Hebrew family see _Patriarchal Theory_, 35-50, 132,
133, 243-47, 273, 274 note, 289, 306, 307, 315, _passim_.
[35] FILMER'S _Patriarchia, or the Natural Power of
Kings_ appeared in 1680; LOCKE'S _Two Treatises on
Government_, in 1690. Both works are reprinted in the ninth
number of MORLEY'S _Universal Library_.
[36] See _Patriarchal Theory_, 36 ff., 243 ff., 273 note, where a
summary of Locke's argument, with additional evidence against the
existence of agnation and _patria potestas_ and in favor of an
original maternal system among the Hebrews, will be found.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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