Polygyny

The term polygyny (neo-Greek: poly+gyne woman) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology.

Human polygyny

The majority of human societies have probably permitted polygyny. It was accepted in ancient Hebrew society, in classical China, and in Islam. It was accepted in many traditional African and Polynesian cultures. In India, polygyny was practiced from ancient times onward, though historically only kings were polygynous in practise. For example, the Vijanagar emperor Krishnadevaraya had multiple wives. However, it was not accepted in ancient Greece or Rome, and has never been accepted in mainstream Christianity (although it was practiced in the early Mormon (LDS) church and survives in certain Mormon sects). The political and economic dominance of (at least nominally) Christian nations from the sixteenth to the twentieth century has meant that on the world scale polygyny is legally recognised in very few nations. Although many Muslim majority countries still retain traditional Islamic law which permits polygyny, certain liberal movements within Islam continue to challenge its acceptability.

Related Topics:
Hebrew - China - Islam - Africa - Polynesia - India - Krishnadevaraya - Greece - Rome - Christianity - Mormon - Sixteenth - Twentieth century - Muslim - Islamic law - Liberal movements within Islam

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The Economy of Polygamy

Even where acceptable, polygamy will probably never involve the majority of men, though there is a remote possibility that this could one day be made feasible through a dramatic increase in the number of women via genetic engineering or other means. It is quite possible that polygamy could involve the majority of women. In many societies, only the wealthy and politically powerful among men could afford to have more than one wife (or would be permitted to in many cultures, for example within Islam). This requires special social conventions if it is not to produce instability in the society. It is not, however, a unique problem of polygamy: some men (and women) never obtain mates in monogamous societies.

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Stabilising conventions in polygamous societies

Since the number of human males and females born is approximately equal, if some men have more than one wife, that necessarily deprives other men from obtaining even one wife. The resulting imbalance tends to be corrected within polygamous societies by one or more of the following conventions:

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• Men marry late (30+ years) and women marry early (mid teens, or earlier). This limits the number of men who can marry and prohibits the younger men from interfering. At the same time, because of mortality, the number of women available is always larger than the number of men seeking spouses. Some societies have formal age grades for males, and no man may marry until he succeeds into the highest grade. Younger age grades are used as a military force or for labor details.
• High male mortality from warfare, feuding, occupational accident, and disease. Not only are the men too involved in these activities to consider marriage, but the number arriving at the marriageable age is reduced. Again, this means that fewer men than females are marriageable.
• Bride price or bride service. Men are required to buy wives by presenting the bride's family with suitable and costly gifts, or carrying out long periods of work for them. Because bride prices are often collected by the groom's family, he will never be able to marry unless he has been obedient to their will, usually for a long period.

Modern Polygamy

Although polygamous marriages are not recognised in most modern societies, polygamous behaviour remains common. It survives through the use of mistresses and concubines, who are openly or secretly supported by wealthy males. In some cases the male may have a second (or more) family with the unofficial wife, supporting her and his illegitimate children. In some places the wife not only is aware of the husband's mistress, but helps him to select one that is "suitable" to his station.

Related Topics:
Mistresses - Concubines

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The Female in a Polygamous Marriage

One modern viewpoint adheres to the notion that polygamy degrades women, treating them as property and slaves. This may not always be true in polygamous marriage, and serves as a criticism of monogamous marriages as well. Many polygamous marriages have shown considerable variability in the amount of influence and control multiple wives could command. "Co-wives" might support each other and help with domestic chores. In cases of sororal polygamy (sisters marrying the same male), close bonds may have already been formed. However, the "co-wives" may also compete with each other for their husband's attention, particularly when the first wife is supplanted by a newer, younger wife.

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