Ethiopian kings’ family and marriage
Family and marriage customs in the élite of medieval Ethiopia traditionally went beyond the general Christian canons. They included a special form of polygamy practiced by the Christians of the country at which one wife was usually married by the Church ritual (wedding), while the others were not. I...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Russian |
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St. Tikhon's University
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svâto-Tihonovskogo Gumanitarnogo Universiteta: Seriâ III. Filologiâ |
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| Online Access: | http://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/6763 |
| _version_ | 1818939766734848000 |
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| author | Ekaterina Gusarova |
| author_facet | Ekaterina Gusarova |
| author_sort | Ekaterina Gusarova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Family and marriage customs in the élite of medieval Ethiopia traditionally went beyond the general Christian canons. They included a special form of polygamy practiced by the Christians of the country at which one wife was usually married by the Church ritual (wedding), while the others were not. In general the quantity of wives was not limited. The authors of the Royal Chronicles, the bearers of traditional Church education, usually called them “concubines” in their offi cial compilations. The tendency towards polygamy was not widespread all over the country, but proceed to be attested rather frequently at the Royal Court and among the élite of the country. Due to both political and economic interests and to other reasons the polygamy was constantly widespread. The emergence and development of this custom had a long history of formation. Most likely, it originated from the African pagan usage of inheriting of the late king’s wife and was linked with the sacred status of the “leader”, who deifi ed himself through obtaining several wives. In the frame of the present research we make an attempt to enlighten the history of formation and existence of the tradition of polygamy among Christian population of Ethiopia. Some particular details can be traced through the texts of Royal, Princely and monastic chronicles of the 14th –18th centuries AD. Curious details of practice of polygamy in diff erent social levels can be found inside the texts. Some differences, reasons and consequences are linked to the changings in the historical context. Of a special interest is the reaction of the clergy to the violation of church canons and its dependence on both the care about the purity of faith and economic reasons. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T06:28:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f42634a82236480d920997a6df6594cd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1991-6485 2409-4897 |
| language | Russian |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T06:28:58Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | St. Tikhon's University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svâto-Tihonovskogo Gumanitarnogo Universiteta: Seriâ III. Filologiâ |
| spelling | doaj.art-f42634a82236480d920997a6df6594cd2022-12-21T19:50:13ZrusSt. Tikhon's UniversityVestnik Pravoslavnogo Svâto-Tihonovskogo Gumanitarnogo Universiteta: Seriâ III. Filologiâ1991-64852409-48972018-12-0157573747http://dx.doi.org/10.15382/sturIII201857.37-474Ethiopian kings’ family and marriageEkaterina Gusarova0Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Russian Academy of Sciences; 18 Dvortsovaya nab., St. Petersburg, 191186, Russian FederationFamily and marriage customs in the élite of medieval Ethiopia traditionally went beyond the general Christian canons. They included a special form of polygamy practiced by the Christians of the country at which one wife was usually married by the Church ritual (wedding), while the others were not. In general the quantity of wives was not limited. The authors of the Royal Chronicles, the bearers of traditional Church education, usually called them “concubines” in their offi cial compilations. The tendency towards polygamy was not widespread all over the country, but proceed to be attested rather frequently at the Royal Court and among the élite of the country. Due to both political and economic interests and to other reasons the polygamy was constantly widespread. The emergence and development of this custom had a long history of formation. Most likely, it originated from the African pagan usage of inheriting of the late king’s wife and was linked with the sacred status of the “leader”, who deifi ed himself through obtaining several wives. In the frame of the present research we make an attempt to enlighten the history of formation and existence of the tradition of polygamy among Christian population of Ethiopia. Some particular details can be traced through the texts of Royal, Princely and monastic chronicles of the 14th –18th centuries AD. Curious details of practice of polygamy in diff erent social levels can be found inside the texts. Some differences, reasons and consequences are linked to the changings in the historical context. Of a special interest is the reaction of the clergy to the violation of church canons and its dependence on both the care about the purity of faith and economic reasons.http://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/6763эфиопская церковь христианский брак брачный союз многоженство наложницы эфиопская монархия история эфиопии царь царей священный статус вождь племени |
| spellingShingle | Ekaterina Gusarova Ethiopian kings’ family and marriage Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svâto-Tihonovskogo Gumanitarnogo Universiteta: Seriâ III. Filologiâ эфиопская церковь христианский брак брачный союз многоженство наложницы эфиопская монархия история эфиопии царь царей священный статус вождь племени |
| title | Ethiopian kings’ family and marriage |
| title_full | Ethiopian kings’ family and marriage |
| title_fullStr | Ethiopian kings’ family and marriage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethiopian kings’ family and marriage |
| title_short | Ethiopian kings’ family and marriage |
| title_sort | ethiopian kings family and marriage |
| topic | эфиопская церковь христианский брак брачный союз многоженство наложницы эфиопская монархия история эфиопии царь царей священный статус вождь племени |
| url | http://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/6763 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ekaterinagusarova ethiopiankingsfamilyandmarriage |