The History of Human Marriage

CONTENTS

History of human civilization. a part of Sociology, p. 1.-Early history based on

ethnography, p. 2.-Errors in method, pp. 2, et seq.-How we can from

ethnographical facts acquire information regarding the early history of man-

kind, pp. 3-6.-Dr. Tylor's method of investigating the development of
institutions,' pp. 4, et seq.—The causes of social phenomena, p. 5.-What
we know about the antiquity of the human race, pp. 5, et seq.—Social sur-
vivals, p. 6. Human marriage,' ibid.

CHAPTER I

THE ORIGIN OF MARRIAGE

Tales of the origin of marriage, pp. 8, et seq.-The subject regarded from a

scientific point of view, p. 9.-Parental care among Invertebrata, ibid.-The

relations of the sexes and parental care among Fishes, p. 10.-Among

Reptiles, ibid.-Among Birds, pp. 10, et seq.-Among the lower Mammals,

p. 12.—Among the Quadrumana, pp. 12-14.-Among savage and barbarous

races of men, pp. 14-17.-The father's place in the family, pp. 15-19.—

Definition of the word marriage, pp. 19, et seq.-Marriage a product of

natural selection, pp. 20, et seq.-Marriage rooted in family rather than

family in marriage, pp. 22-24.

CHAPTER II

A HUMAN PAIRING SEASON IN PRIMITIVE TIMES

Hypotheses as to the periodicity in the sexual life of animals, p. 25.—Every

month or season of the year the pairing season of one or another mammalian

species, pp. 25, et seq.-The rut not dependent upon any general physio-

logical law, but adapted to the requirement of each species separately, pp. 26,

et seq.-Wild species without a definite pairing season, p. 27.-Rutting

season among the man-like apes, ibid.-Among our earliest human or half-

human progenitors, p. 28.-Periodical increase of the sexual instinct

among existing savages, pp. 28-31.-Among civilized peoples, pp. 31-33.—

The increase of the sexual instinct at the end of spring or in the beginning of
summer, probably a survival of an ancient pairing season, pp. 34, et seq.-
The winter maximum of conceptions, pp. 35-37.-Why man is not limited
to a particular period of the year in which to court the female, pp. 37, et seq.
-Domestic animals without a definite pairing season, p. 38.

CHAPTER III

THE ANTIQUITY OF HUMAN MARRIAGE

Marriage a necessary requirement for the existence of the human race, p. 39.-

The hypothesis that the maternal uncle was the guardian of the children,

PP. 39-41.-The father the head of the family, p. 41.-The hypothesis that

all the men of the tribe indiscriminately were their guardians, pp. 41, et seq.-

Man originally not a gregarious animal, pp. 42, et seq.-The solitary life of

the man-like apes, ibid.-Savage peoples living in families rather than in

tribes, pp. 43-47.-Insufficient food supply a hindrance to a true gregarious

manner of living, pp. 47-49.-The gregariousness and sociability of man

sprang in the main from progressive intellectual and material civilization,

PP. 49, et seq.

CHAPTER IV

A CRITICISM OF THE HYPOTHESIS OF PROMISCUITY

The hypothesis of promiscuity, pp. 51, et seq.-The evidence adduced in sup-

port of it, p. 52.-Notices of savage nations said to live promiscuously,

pp. 52-55. Some of the facts adduced, no instances of real promiscuity,

PP. 55-57-Most of the statements obviously erroneous, pp. 57-59.--The

accuracy of the others doubtful, pp. 59, et seq.-Even if correct, they cannot

afford any evidence for promiscuity having prevailed in primitive times, pp.

60, et seq.-The free cohabitation of the sexes before marriage, in some parts of

the world, given as evidence of ancient promiscuity, p. 61.-Sexual intercourse

out of wedlock rare, and unchastity on the part of the woman looked upon as a

disgrace, among many uncivilized peoples, pp. 61-66.-The wantonness of

savages in several cases due chiefly to the influence of civilization, pp. 66–70.

-It is quite different from promiscuity, pp. 70, et seq.-Customs interpreted

as acts of expiation for individual marriage, p. 72.-Religious prostitution,

ibid.-Jus primae noctis accorded to the wedding guests or to the friends

of the bridegroom, pp. 72-76.—The practice of lending wives to visitors, pp.

73-75.-Jus primae noctis granted to a chief, lord, or priest, pp. 76–80.-

Courtesans held in greater estimation than women married to a single

husband, pp. 80, et seq.

CHAPTER V

A CRITICISM OF THE HYPOTHESIS OF PROMISCUITY

(Continued)

The 'classificatory system of relationship,' pp. 82-84.- Marriage in a group'
and the consanguine family,' pp. 84, et seq.-Mr. Morgan's assumption that
the classificatory system' is a system of blood ties, p. 85.-Terms for
relationships borrowed from the children's lips, pp. 85-87.-Other terms,

pp. 87-89.-Mr. Morgan's assumption not consistent with the facts he has

himself stated, p. 89. - The terms for relationships originally terms of address,

ibid.-The names given chiefly with reference to sex and age, as also to the

external, or social, relationship in which the speaker stands to the person

whom he addresses, pp. 90-95.-No inference regarding early marriage

customs to be drawn from the terms for relationships, pp. 95, et seq.-The

system of kinship through females only,' p. 96.-Supposed to be due to

uncertain paternity, pp. 96, et seq.-A list of peoples among whom this

system does not prevail, pp. 98-104.-The inference that kinship through

females only' everywhere preceded the rise of 'kinship through males

inadmissible from Mr. McLennan's point of view, p. 105.-The maternal

system does not presuppose former uncertainty as to fathers, ibid.-The

father's participation in parentage not discovered as soon as the mother's,

thongh now universally recognized, pp. 105-107.-Once discovered, it was

often exaggerated, p. 106. -The denomination of children and the rules of

succession, in the first place, not dependent on ideas of consanguinity,

p. 107. Several reasons for naming children after the mother rather than

after the father, apart from any consideration of relationship, ibid.--The_tie

between a mother and child much stronger than that which binds a child to

the father, pp. 107, et seq.-Polygyny, p. 108.-Husband living with the

wife's family, pp. 109, et seq.-The rules of succession influenced by local

connections and by the family name, pp. 110-112.-No general coincidence

of what we consider moral and immoral habits with the prevalence of the male

and female line among existing savages, p. 112.-Occasional coincidence of

the paternal system with uncertainty as to fathers, ibid. —A vowed recog-

nition of kinship in the female line only does not show an unconsciousness of

male kinship, pp. 112, et seq.-The prevalence of the female line would not

presuppose general promiscuity, even if, in some cases, it were dependent

on uncertain paternity, p. 113.-The groups of social phenomena adduced as
evidence for the hypothesis of promiscuity no evidence, ibid.

CHAPTER VI

A CRITICISM OF THE HYPOTHESIS OF PROMISCUITY

(Concluded)

Promiscuous intercourse between the sexes tends to a pathological condition un-

favourable to fecundity, p. 115.—The practice of polyandry does not afford

evidence in an opposite direction, pp. 115-117.-The jealousy of man and

other mammalian species the strongest argument against ancient promis-

cuity, p. 117.-Jealousy among existing peoples, pp. 117-121.-Punishments

inflicted for adultery, pp. 121, 122, 130.-Man's requirement of virginity from

his bride, pp. 123, et seq.-A wife considered to belong to her husband, not

during his lifetime only, but after his death, pp. 124-130.-Widows killed, pp.

125, et seq.-Duties towards deceased husbands, pp. 126, et seq.-Widows

forbidden to marry again, pp. 127, et seq.-Prohibition of speedy remar-
riage, pp. 128-130.-The practice of lending or prostituting wives no
evidence for the absence of jealousy, pp. 130, et seq.-Contact with a
'higher culture' misleading natural instincts, pp. 131, et seq.-No reason

to suppose that the feeling of jealousy ever was restrained by conditions

which made it necessary for a man to share his wife with other men, pp. 132,

et seq.-The hypothesis of promiscuity essentially unscientific, p. 133.

CHAPTER VII

MARRIAGE AND CELIBACY

Voluntary abstinence unheard of in a state of nature, p. 134.-Celibacy rare

among savage and barbarous races, pp. 134-136.-Savage views on celibacy,

pp. 136, et seq.-Savages marry early in life, pp. 137-139.-Celibacy rare

among several civilized races, pp. 139-143.-Celibacy caused by the practice

of purchasing wives, and by polygyny, pp. 143-145.-Celibacy in Europe,

and its causes, pp. 145-150.-Sexual relations considered impure, pp. 151,

et seq.-Religious celibacy, pp. 152-155.-Hypothesis as to the origin of
the notion of sexual uncleanness and of sexual bashfulness, pp. 155, et seq.

CHAPTER VIII

THE COURTSHIP OF MAN

Males active, females comparatively passive, in courtship, pp. 157, et seq.-Court-
ship by women among certain peoples, pp. 158, et seq.-Courtship by proxy,
p. 159.-Fighting for females among the lower animals, ibid.-Among
men, pp. 159-163.-Making love, p. 163.-Fights by women for the
possession of men, p. 164.-Female coquetry, ibid.

CHAPTER IX

MEANS OF ATTRACTION

Savage predilection for ornaments, pp. 165, et seq.-For self-mutilation, pp. 166,

et seq.-For dressing the hair, p. 167.-For showy colours and paint, p. 168.-

For tattooing, pp. 168, et seq.-Practices supposed to have a religious origin,

pp. 169-172.—Mr. Frazer's theory as regards the origin of tattooing, &c., pp.

170, et seq.-Other theories, p. 172.-Men and women began to ornament,

mutilate, paint, and tattoo themselves, chiefly in order to make themselves

attractive to the opposite sex, pp. 172–182.—Savage women less decorated than

savage men, pp. 182-185.-Opinions as to the origin of dress, p. 186.-Naked-

ness and want of modesty among many savage peoples, pp. 186-189. —Orna-

mental garments' among savages, pp. 189-192.-Covering a means of