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
[137] LUBBOCK, _Origin of Civilization_, 130-32, 536
ff.; GIRAUD-TEULON, _Les origines du mariage_, 5 ff.,
who says: "Le mariage (en prenant ce mot dans son sense étroit)
apparaît chez les races inférieures comme une infraction aux
droits de la communauté, et partant, comme la violation d'une
loi naturelle: de là, à le considérer comme la violation d'une
loi religieuse, il n'y avait qu'un pas." See the criticism by
MCLENNAN, _Studies_, I, 335 ff., who rejects the theory
of expiation for violation of communal right; because usually
the woman does not belong to the husband's tribe, and because
often the privileges are exercised by friends of both bridegroom
and bride. _Cf._ FISON AND HOWITT, _Kamilaroi and
Kurnai_, 149-56; WAKE, _Marriage and Kinship_, 17, 34,
65, 245 ff.; LIPPERT, _Geschichte der Familie_, 169;
KOHLER, in _ZVR._, VII, 327 (Australia); MUCKE,
_Horde und Familie_, 138-40, who rejects the theory; and
KOVALEVSKY, _Mod. Customs and Anc. Laws of Russia_,
10, 11, who refers to the promiscuous intercourse practiced at
various festivals, resembling the assemblies on the Roumanian
Gainaberg which Kohler has discussed in _ZVR._, VI, 398 ff. These
may be compared with the license practiced at certain gatherings
among the Arunta and several other Australian tribes: SPENCER
AND GILLEN, _Native Tribes of Central Australia_, 96 ff.
[138] "Thus Herodotus states, in Babylonia, every woman
was obliged once in her life to give herself up, in the
temple of Mylitta, to strangers, for the satisfaction of the
goddess; and in some parts of Cyprus, he tells us, the same
custom prevailed. In Armenia, according to Strabo, there
was a very similar law. The daughters of good families were
consecrated to Anaitis, a phallic divinity like Mylitta, giving
themselves, as it appears, to the worship of the goddess
indiscriminately."--WESTERMARCK, _Human Marriage_,
72; HERODOTUS, I, c. 199; STRABO, XI, 532.
As to Babylon Herodotus may have been mistaken; _cf._ chap.
iv, below. See further illustrations in BERNHÖFT,
_op. cit._, 169 ff.; GIRAUD-TEULON, _op. cit._, 7
ff.; PLOSS, _Das Weib_, I, 383 ff.; LIPPERT,
_Geschichte der Familie_, 171; FRIEDRICHS, in _ZVR._,
VIII, 373, who enumerates the peoples where the custom has
existed; _idem_, _ibid._, X, 215, 216; HELLWALD, _Die
mensch. Familie_, 356 ff.; and HOWARD, _Sex Worship_,
103-16, 201, _passim_, who holds that sacred prostitution, and
many of the other sexual practices usually assigned as survivals
of promiscuity, are evidences of phallicism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account