The Origins And Original Purpose of Marriage

And when love finally entered the equation

(Public domain)

Marriage is one of humanity’s oldest cultural institutions and one of the most important. Many people live their lives with marriage as the centerpiece. Marriage looms large in many minds, whether it is the search for love or the tumultuous rise and fall of relationships. Marriage is heavily featured in popular culture, and people follow each other’s marriages with great interest. One could argue that you cannot explain the central premise of humanity without mentioning marriage. But when did marriage get its start? And why did marriage start at all?

In the past, plural marriages, polygamy, and multiple women living with one man were common. It was common for men, especially wealthy men, to have a primary wife plus three or four additional women in their household. Kings allegedly had epic harems that included dozens or even hundreds of women. So why would men tie themselves down to one woman through marriage? Was it for love? Was it because God ordained it? No. It was for legal reasons.

Heirs, Inheritance and Legal Children

With men galavanting around with multiple women, it wasn’t long before there were multiple children running around. As society began to coalesce around agrarian city-states…