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'''Bride price''' also known as '''bride wealth''' is an amount of [[money]] or [[property]] or [[wealth]] "paid" to the [[parent]]s of a woman for the right to [[marriage|marry]] their daughter. In anthropological literature bride price has often been explained in [[market]] terms, as payment made in "exchange" for the bride's family's loss of her labor and fertility within her kin group. It is also an expression of the love the family has for their daughter, and their sincere effort to help the new family secure their future together.
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[[Image:Thai Bride Price 2008.jpg|thumb|250 px|A traditional, formal presentation of the bride price at a Thai engagement ceremony.]]
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'''Bride price''', also known as '''bride wealth''', is an amount of [[money]], [[property]] or other form of [[wealth]] "paid" to the [[parent]]s of a woman for the right to [[marriage|marry]] their daughter. In [[anthropology|anthropological]] literature bride price has often been explained in [[market]] terms, as payment made in "exchange" for the bride's family's loss of her [[labor]] and [[fertility]] within her [[kinship]] group. It may also be understood as a [[gift]] from the groom to his new bride's family. In this sense it is a substantial gesture of goodwill in the forging of the new unity of the [[lineage]]s. Unfortunately, the voluntary nature of gift-giving in the case of bride price has often been lost as the practice became a requirement for marriage, a requirement that has often proved burdensome.
  
 
==Definitions==
 
==Definitions==
'''Bride price''' also known as '''bride wealth''' is an amount of [[money]] or [[property]] or [[wealth]] "paid" to the [[parent]]s of a woman for the right to [[marriage|marry]] their daughter. This is often confused with [[dowry]], which is paid to the groom, or used by the bride to help establish the new household, and [[dower]], which is property settled on the bride by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both dowry and bride price.
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'''Bride price''' or '''bride wealth''' is [[money]], [[property]], or [[wealth]] "paid" to the [[parent]]s of a woman for the right to [[marriage|marry]] their daughter. This is often confused with [[dowry]], which is paid to the groom, or used by the bride to help establish the new household, and [[dower]], which is property settled on the bride by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both dowry and bride price.
  
The practice of bride price may include [[brideservice]], the service rendered to the bride’s family by the bridegroom as the brideprice or part of thereof. A famous example of brideservice occurs in the Book of [[Genesis]], when [[Jacob]] labors for [[Laban]] for fourteen years to win [[Rachel]] and [[Leah]].
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The practice of bride price may include [[brideservice]], the service rendered to the bride’s family by the bridegroom as the brideprice or part of thereof. A famous example of brideservice occurs in the Book of [[Genesis]], when [[Jacob]] labors for [[Laban]] for seven years to win [[Leah]] and another seven years to win [[Rachel]].
  
 
==History of the tradition==
 
==History of the tradition==
The [[Code of Hammurabi]] mentions bride price in various laws, as an established custom. It is not the paying of the bride price that is prescribed, but the regulation of various aspects:
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The [[Code of Hammurabi]] mentions bride price in various [[law]]s, referring to it as an established [[custom]]. In this context, it is not the paying of the bride price that is prescribed, but rather regulation of various aspects of the custom:
 
*a man who paid the bride price but looked for another bride was not entitled to the return of it, but if it was the father of the bride who refused the match, he was.
 
*a man who paid the bride price but looked for another bride was not entitled to the return of it, but if it was the father of the bride who refused the match, he was.
 
*if a wife died without sons, her father was entitled to the return of her dowry, minus the value of the bride price.
 
*if a wife died without sons, her father was entitled to the return of her dowry, minus the value of the bride price.
  
The [[Hebrew Bible]] and [[Talmud]] mention the practice of paying a bride price to the father of a minor girl.
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The [[Hebrew Bible]] and [[Talmud]] mention the practice of paying a bride price to the father of a minor girl. [[Exodus]] 22:16-17 says:
 +
<blockquote>If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins. NIV</blockquote>
  
The practice of the bride price is found in the Bible, in the [[Old Testament]]. [[Exodus]] 22:16-17 says: <i>"If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins."</i> NIV
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<blockquote>And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. KJV</blockquote>
  
<i>And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.</i> KJV
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[[Deuteronomy]] 22:28-29 states similarly:
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<blockquote>If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days. KJV</blockquote>
  
[[Deuteronomy]] 22:28-29 states similarly: <i>"If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days."</i> KJV
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In the [[Jewish]] tradition, the rabbis in ancient times insisted on the marriage couple entering into a marriage contact, called a ''[[ketubah]]''. Besides other things, the ''ketubah'' provided for an amount to be paid by the husband in the event of a [[divorce]] or by his estate in the event of his death. This amount was a replacement of the biblical [[dower]] or bride price, which was payable at the time of the marriage by the groom. This innovation was put in place because the bride price created a major social problem: many young prospective husbands could not raise the amount at the time when they would normally be expected to marry. To enable these young men to marry, the rabbis, in effect, delayed the time that the amount would be payable to later when they would be more likely to have the sum. Another function performed by the ''ketubah'' amount was to provide a disincentive for the husband contemplating divorcing his wife: he would need to have the amount to be able to pay to the wife.
  
The idea behind the bride price implied that an act of willful [[seduction]] had occurred, that at least a small amount of trickery or deception (for example, the promise of marriage) was included. Exodus illustrates an act of deception, while Deuteronomy's verse was about a rape. Interestingly, nearly the same price was to be paid for both violations.
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The [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] practiced bride price in archaic times. In the ''[[Odyssey]],'' [[Telemachus]] complains of the suitors wooing his mother [[Penelope]]:
 
 
The Greeks practiced bride price in archaic times, and in the ''[[Odyssey]]'', [[Telemachus]] complains of the suitors wooing his mother [[Penelope]]
 
 
<blockquote>
 
<blockquote>
 
They are too craven to go to the house of her father Icarus, that he may himself set the bride-price for his daughter, and bestow her on whom he will, even on him who finds favor in his sight.
 
They are too craven to go to the house of her father Icarus, that he may himself set the bride-price for his daughter, and bestow her on whom he will, even on him who finds favor in his sight.
 
</blockquote>
 
</blockquote>
The custom lasted into classical times, by which time it had been become token, less valuable than the bride's [[dowry]]. The absence of bride price in classical times distinguished the Greco-Roman society from their contemporary Indo-European peoples, such as the [[Celt]]s, as well as from the ancient Mediterranean societies.
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The custom lasted into classical times, by which time it had been become merely a token, less valuable than the bride's [[dowry]]. The absence of bride price in classical times distinguished the Greco-Roman society from their contemporary Indo-European peoples, such as the [[Celt]]s, as well as from the ancient Mediterranean societies.
  
In [[Chinese culture]], an auspicious date is selected to 'Ti Qin' (literally meaning 'propose marriage'), where both families will meet to discuss the amount of the bride price demanded, among other things. A couple of weeks before the actual wedding, the ritual of 'Guo Da Li' (literally meaning 'performing the rites') takes place (on an auspicious date of course). The groom and a [[matchmaker]] will visit the bride's family bearing gifts like wedding cakes, sweetmeats and jewelry as well as the bride price. On the actual wedding day, the bride's family will return a portion of the bride price (sometimes in the form of [[dowry]]) as a goodwill gesture.
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In [[Chinese culture]], an auspicious date is selected to ''Ti Qin'' (literally meaning "propose marriage"), where both families meet to discuss the amount of the bride price demanded, among other things. A couple of weeks before the actual wedding, the ritual of ''Guo Da Li'' (literally meaning "performing the rites") takes place (also on an auspicious date). The groom and a [[matchmaker]] visit the bride's family bearing gifts such as wedding cakes, sweetmeats, and jewelry as well as the bride price. On the actual wedding day, the bride's family return a portion of the bride price (sometimes in the form of [[dowry]]) as a goodwill gesture.
  
The practice of bride price also existed in [[India]]. It was primarily occurring in the lower castes, and many families had a very hard time to have the means to provide for their daughters. It was been virtually eliminated in the early twentieth century.  
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The practice of bride price also existed in [[India]]. It occurred primarily in the lower [[caste]]s, and many families had a very hard time to have the means to provide for their daughters. It was virtually eliminated in the early twentieth century.  
  
In parts of [[Africa]] the validity of a traditional marriage ceremony depends on the payment of a [[bride price]] which can vary from a token amount to really exorbitant figures.  
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In parts of [[Africa]] the validity of a traditional marriage ceremony depends on the payment of a bride price, which can vary from a token amount to exorbitant figures.
  
==Similar Traditions==
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==Similar traditions==
A similar tradition to the bride price is the [[Morgengab]]e of medieval Germans, paid by the groom or his family to the bride. Its purpose was to secure the bride for widowhood, loss of other means of survival or loss of other property. Together the Morgengabe and dowry worked to give a start in life to a young couple, and secure the bride's future. This German tradition was followed by most people in medieval and modern Europe (all Western Europe being an outcome of Migrations of Germanic peoples), and only in recent centuries have the dowry and Morgengabe disappeared from European law.
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A similar tradition to the bride price is the ''[[Morgengabe]]'' ("Morning gifts") of [[medieval]] [[Germany|Germans]], paid by the groom or his family to the bride. The name derives from the Germanic tribal custom of giving them to the bride the morning after the wedding night. The purpose was to secure the bride for widowhood, loss of other means of survival, or loss of other property. Together the ''Morgengabe'' and [[dowry]] worked to give a start in life to a young couple, and secure the bride's future. Morning gifts were preserved for many centuries in [[morganatic marriage]], a union where the wife's inferior social status was held to prohibit her children from inheriting a noble's titles or estates. In this case, the morning gift would support the wife and children.  
  
'''[[Mahr]]''' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]) is a similar tradition in [[Islamic view of marriage|Islamic marriage]]. It is a gift given by the groom to the bride. But unlike a bride price, it is given directly to the bride and not to her father, and it is mandated that this must be voluntary.  
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''[[Mahr]]'' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]) is a similar tradition in [[Islam]]ic marriage. It is paid (or promised to be paid in case of [[divorce]]) by the groom to the bride (as opposed to the bride's father). It is mandatory.
  
'''Lobola''' or '''Lobola''' ('''''Mahadi''''' in [[Sesotho]], is a similar tradition in [[southern Africa]]. It is sometimes translated as ''[[bride price|Bride-price]]'') is a traditional [[southern Africa]]n [[dowry]] custom whereby the man pays the family of his fiancee for her hand in marriage. The custom is aimed at bringing the two families together, fostering mutual respect, and indicating that the man is capable of supporting his wife financially and emotionally.  
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''[[Lobola]]'' (''Mahadi'' in [[Sesotho]]), is a similar tradition in [[southern Africa]]. Sometimes translated as bride-price, ''Lobola'' is a traditional southern African [[dowry]] custom whereby the man pays the family of his fiancée for her hand in marriage. The custom is aimed at bringing the two families together, fostering mutual respect, and indicating that the man is capable of supporting his wife financially and emotionally. The process of Lobola negotiations can be long and complex, and involves many members from both the bride's and the groom's [[extended family|extended families]]. Often, to dispel any tensions between the families, a bottle of brandy is placed on the table. This is usually not drunk; it is simply a gesture to welcome the guest family and make everyone feel more relaxed (it is known as ''mvulamlomo,'' which is [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]] for "mouth opener").  
  
==Current Bride Price Traditions==
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==Contemporary bride price traditions==
The tradition of giving bride price is still practiced in many [[Asia|Asian countries]] although the amount changing hands is more a token amount to continue the traditional [[ritual]] then an actual price-tag attached to the bride-to-be for marriage.
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The tradition of paying a bride price is still practiced in many [[Asia]]n countries. However, the actual amount changing hands is more of a token for the purpose of continuing the traditional [[ritual]] then an actual price-tag attached to the bride-to-be for marriage.
  
In [[Afghanistan]], with ongoing war, young girls have been virtually "sold" for their valuable bride price. No one is happy about this, but as it may keep their family from starvation it continues even though prohibited by Islam.
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In [[Thailand]], bride price (locally known as ''sin sot'', and often erroneously referred to by the English term "[[dowry]]") is still extremely common. The bride price may range from nothing, if the woman is [[divorce]]d, has a child fathered by another man, or is widely known to have had premarital relations with many men; to ten million [[Thai Baht]] (US$300,000) or more for a woman of high social standing, a beauty queen, or a highly educated woman. The ''sin sot'' is paid at the engagement ceremony, and consists of three elements: cash, Thai (96.5 percent pure) [[gold]], and the traditional [[diamond]] ring. The most commonly stated rationale for the bride price in Thailand is that it allows the groom to demonstrate that he has enough financial resources to support the bride (and possibly her family) after the wedding. In many cases, especially when the amount is large, the parents of a Thai bride will return all or part of the money to the couple in the form of a wedding gift following the engagement ceremony.
  
Unlike what happened in the case of [[dowry]], the Bride Price in India has been making a comeback in recent years due to a worsening shortage of women. Some speculate that the foeticide of female fetuses had increased the shortage of women.
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In contemporary [[Africa]], with a declining economy and a change to a more urban environment, the bride price seems to function like a [[pension]] for aged parents. However, it has become very controversial with modernization in many parts of Africa. Some argue that it is good social policy, while others believe it encourages a [[slavery]] type situation.
  
In contemporary Africa, when the economy declines and there is a  change to a more urban environment, the bride price seems like a pension for the aged parents. It is very controversial as parts of Africa are becoming more modernized. Some argue that it is good social policy, while others believe it encourages a slavery type situation.
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In [[South Africa]], traditionally the ''Lobola'' payment was in [[cattle]], which were the primary source of wealth in African society. However, most modern urban couples have changed to cash. Like other bride price situations, Lobola has numerous unintended negative side-effects. It has created a financial barrier to entry for young men looking to take a bride. It is commonplace for a couple that is [[emotion]]ally ready to commit to building a life together to stay unmarried if they do not have the financial resources to satisfy the impeding traditional ritual. Lobola is seen by some as an extravagance that has little relevance in a society where young Africans are trying to lift themselves out of inherited [[poverty]]. Young men who are in the wealth-creation stage of life feel their future is better served if they invest their money elsewhere to receive significant financial returns.
  
In South Africa, traditionally the Lobola payment was in cattle as cattle were the primary source of wealth in African society. However, most modern urban couples have switched to using cash. The process of Lobola negotiations can be long and complex, and involves many members from both the bride's and the groom's extended families. Often, to dispel any tensions between the families, a bottle of brandy is placed on the table. This is usually not drunk; it is simply a gesture to welcome the guest family and make everyone feel more relaxed (it is known as ''mvulamlomo'', which is [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]] for 'mouth opener'). This tradition of is as adhered to today as strongly as ever.  
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==Bride price reform==
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The problem that bride price has been viewed as payment for [[property]], much as one would buy a cow, and thus should be refunded in the case of [[divorce]] or death of the wife, has been challenged in the twenty-first century. Atuki Turner, executive director of the MIFUMI Project in Africa, has stated:
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<blockquote>The payment of bride price by men for their wives as demanded by custom leads men to treat their wives as near possessions from whom maximum obedience is extracted. Whereas young men and their families have to work hard to accumulate the wealth necessary to pay bride price, women, especially widows become vulnerable in the face of relatives who want to take away their husbands property and leave them with no support. Girls are married off early to raise income for the family. Refund of bride price does not take into account the contribution of the woman to the marriage, the children she has produced and the products of her labor.</blockquote>
  
However, Like other bride price situations, Lobola has numerous unintended negative side-effects. It has created a financial barrier to entry for young men looking to take a bride. It is commonplace for a couple that is emotionally ready to commit to building a life together to stay unmarried if they do not have the financial resources to satisfy the impeding traditional ritual. For those who do have the financial means, the burning issue is Lobola's opportunity cost. Young men who are in the wealth-creation stage of life feel their future is better if they invest their money elsewhere to receive significant financial returns.
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As a result of MIFUMI's work, the Tororo district council in [[Uganda]] passed an ordinance in 2008 determining that bride price should become a bridal [[gift]], and as such is non-refundable.
  
==The tradition in art==
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==The tradition in popular culture==
A famous [[Telugu language|Telugu]] play ''Kanyasulkam'' (Bride Price) satirized the practice and the [[Brahmin]]ical notions that kept it alive. Though the practice no longer exists in [[India]], the play, and the movie based on it, are still extremely popular in [[Andhra Pradesh]]. Another book entitled ''The Bride Price'' by Nigerian woman [[Buchi Emecheta]] has also gained some popularity, and tells a very human and trans-cultural tale about maintaining identity.
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A famous [[Telugu language|Telugu]] play ''Kanyasulkam'' (Bride Price) [[satirize]]d the practice of bride price and the [[Brahmin]] notions that kept it alive. A book entitled ''The Bride Price'' by [[Nigeria]]n woman [[Buchi Emecheta]] has also gained some popularity, and tells a very human and trans-cultural tale about maintaining [[identity]].
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
* Ember, Carol R. and Melvin Ember. 2004. ''Cultural Anthropology''. New Jersey: Pearson, Prentis Hall. ISBN 0131116363
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*Abdullah, Amatullah. 2005. [http://www.islamonline.net/english/Family/2005/11/article05.shtml The Bride Price: Dowry Abuse]. ''Islam Online'', November 28, 2005. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
* Kaplan, Marion A. (Editor). 1984. ''Marriage Bargain: Women and Dowries in European History''. Institute for Research in History. ISBN 978-0866563116
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*Beaumont, Peter. 2007. [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1984396,00.html Starving Afghans sell girls of eight as brides]. ''The Observer'', January 7, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
* Kass, Amy A. and Leon R. 2000. ''Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar''. Indiana, IN: Notre Dame University Press. ISBN 978-0268019594 
+
*Birodkar, Sudheer. 1998. [http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birodkar/hindu_history/practices1.html Hindu Social Customs - Dowry, Sati and Child Marriage], ''Hindu History: A Search for Our Present in History''. Hindu Books Universe. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
* Sudheer Birodkar 1998. [http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birodkar/hindu_history/practices1.html Dowry, Sati and Child Marriage] Retrieved October 5, 2007.
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*China Bridal. 2003. [http://www.chinabridal.com/etiquette/guide.htm Complete Guide to Chinese Wedding]. ChinaBridal.com. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
*China Bridal. [http://www.chinabridal.com/etiquette/guide.htm Complete Guide to Chinese Wedding] Retrieved October 5, 2007.
+
*Ember, Carol R. and Melvin Ember. 2004. ''Cultural Anthropology.'' Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0131116363
*IRIN July 17, 2007 [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73272 Zimbabwe: Daughters fetch high prices as brides] Retrieved October 5, 2007.
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*IRIN. 2007. Zimbabwe: Daughters fetch high prices as brides. IRIN, July 17, 2007.
*Peter Beaumont, January 7, 2007 [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1984396,00.html Starving Afghans sell girls of eight as brides] ''The Observer'' Retrieved October 5, 2007.
+
*Jain, Laika. 2003. [http://www.sikhspectrum.com/022003/laika.htm When brides become scarce] ''SikhSpectrum.com Monthly'', No. 9, February. Retrieved May 19, 2009. 
*Amatullah Abdullah Nov. 28, 2005 [http://www.islamonline.net/english/Family/2005/11/article05.shtml The Bride Price: Dowry Abuse] Islam Online. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
+
*Kaplan, Marion A. (ed.). 1985. ''Marriage Bargain: Women and Dowries in European History.'' Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press. ISBN 9780866563116
*Benecia L. Williams. Fall 1997. [http://english.emory.edu/Bahri/Emech.html Buchi Emecheta] Retrieved October 5, 2007.
+
*Kass, Amy A., and Leon R. 2000. ''Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar.'' Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame University Press. ISBN 9780268019594
{{Credits|Bride_price|83777851|Lobolo|111182172}}
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*MIFUMI. 2008. [http://www.mifumi.org/index.php?prgm=pubs.view_pub&doc=./docs/1224587169MIFUMI_Newsletter.pdf Tororo District passes the ordinance Bill 2008 on Bride Price]. MIFUMI Newsletter. Retrieved May 19, 2009.  
 +
*Williams, Benecia L. 1997. [http://english.emory.edu/Bahri/Emech.html Buchi Emecheta]. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
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{{Credits|Bride_price|83777851|Lobolo|111182172|Bride_price|289004672}}

Latest revision as of 02:03, 12 January 2023


A traditional, formal presentation of the bride price at a Thai engagement ceremony.

Bride price, also known as bride wealth, is an amount of money, property or other form of wealth "paid" to the parents of a woman for the right to marry their daughter. In anthropological literature bride price has often been explained in market terms, as payment made in "exchange" for the bride's family's loss of her labor and fertility within her kinship group. It may also be understood as a gift from the groom to his new bride's family. In this sense it is a substantial gesture of goodwill in the forging of the new unity of the lineages. Unfortunately, the voluntary nature of gift-giving in the case of bride price has often been lost as the practice became a requirement for marriage, a requirement that has often proved burdensome.

Definitions

Bride price or bride wealth is money, property, or wealth "paid" to the parents of a woman for the right to marry their daughter. This is often confused with dowry, which is paid to the groom, or used by the bride to help establish the new household, and dower, which is property settled on the bride by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both dowry and bride price.

The practice of bride price may include brideservice, the service rendered to the bride’s family by the bridegroom as the brideprice or part of thereof. A famous example of brideservice occurs in the Book of Genesis, when Jacob labors for Laban for seven years to win Leah and another seven years to win Rachel.

History of the tradition

The Code of Hammurabi mentions bride price in various laws, referring to it as an established custom. In this context, it is not the paying of the bride price that is prescribed, but rather regulation of various aspects of the custom:

  • a man who paid the bride price but looked for another bride was not entitled to the return of it, but if it was the father of the bride who refused the match, he was.
  • if a wife died without sons, her father was entitled to the return of her dowry, minus the value of the bride price.

The Hebrew Bible and Talmud mention the practice of paying a bride price to the father of a minor girl. Exodus 22:16-17 says:

If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins. NIV

And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. KJV

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 states similarly:

If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days. KJV

In the Jewish tradition, the rabbis in ancient times insisted on the marriage couple entering into a marriage contact, called a ketubah. Besides other things, the ketubah provided for an amount to be paid by the husband in the event of a divorce or by his estate in the event of his death. This amount was a replacement of the biblical dower or bride price, which was payable at the time of the marriage by the groom. This innovation was put in place because the bride price created a major social problem: many young prospective husbands could not raise the amount at the time when they would normally be expected to marry. To enable these young men to marry, the rabbis, in effect, delayed the time that the amount would be payable to later when they would be more likely to have the sum. Another function performed by the ketubah amount was to provide a disincentive for the husband contemplating divorcing his wife: he would need to have the amount to be able to pay to the wife.

The Greeks practiced bride price in archaic times. In the Odyssey, Telemachus complains of the suitors wooing his mother Penelope:

They are too craven to go to the house of her father Icarus, that he may himself set the bride-price for his daughter, and bestow her on whom he will, even on him who finds favor in his sight.

The custom lasted into classical times, by which time it had been become merely a token, less valuable than the bride's dowry. The absence of bride price in classical times distinguished the Greco-Roman society from their contemporary Indo-European peoples, such as the Celts, as well as from the ancient Mediterranean societies.

In Chinese culture, an auspicious date is selected to Ti Qin (literally meaning "propose marriage"), where both families meet to discuss the amount of the bride price demanded, among other things. A couple of weeks before the actual wedding, the ritual of Guo Da Li (literally meaning "performing the rites") takes place (also on an auspicious date). The groom and a matchmaker visit the bride's family bearing gifts such as wedding cakes, sweetmeats, and jewelry as well as the bride price. On the actual wedding day, the bride's family return a portion of the bride price (sometimes in the form of dowry) as a goodwill gesture.

The practice of bride price also existed in India. It occurred primarily in the lower castes, and many families had a very hard time to have the means to provide for their daughters. It was virtually eliminated in the early twentieth century.

In parts of Africa the validity of a traditional marriage ceremony depends on the payment of a bride price, which can vary from a token amount to exorbitant figures.

Similar traditions

A similar tradition to the bride price is the Morgengabe ("Morning gifts") of medieval Germans, paid by the groom or his family to the bride. The name derives from the Germanic tribal custom of giving them to the bride the morning after the wedding night. The purpose was to secure the bride for widowhood, loss of other means of survival, or loss of other property. Together the Morgengabe and dowry worked to give a start in life to a young couple, and secure the bride's future. Morning gifts were preserved for many centuries in morganatic marriage, a union where the wife's inferior social status was held to prohibit her children from inheriting a noble's titles or estates. In this case, the morning gift would support the wife and children.

Mahr (Arabic) is a similar tradition in Islamic marriage. It is paid (or promised to be paid in case of divorce) by the groom to the bride (as opposed to the bride's father). It is mandatory.

Lobola (Mahadi in Sesotho), is a similar tradition in southern Africa. Sometimes translated as bride-price, Lobola is a traditional southern African dowry custom whereby the man pays the family of his fiancée for her hand in marriage. The custom is aimed at bringing the two families together, fostering mutual respect, and indicating that the man is capable of supporting his wife financially and emotionally. The process of Lobola negotiations can be long and complex, and involves many members from both the bride's and the groom's extended families. Often, to dispel any tensions between the families, a bottle of brandy is placed on the table. This is usually not drunk; it is simply a gesture to welcome the guest family and make everyone feel more relaxed (it is known as mvulamlomo, which is Xhosa for "mouth opener").

Contemporary bride price traditions

The tradition of paying a bride price is still practiced in many Asian countries. However, the actual amount changing hands is more of a token for the purpose of continuing the traditional ritual then an actual price-tag attached to the bride-to-be for marriage.

In Thailand, bride price (locally known as sin sot, and often erroneously referred to by the English term "dowry") is still extremely common. The bride price may range from nothing, if the woman is divorced, has a child fathered by another man, or is widely known to have had premarital relations with many men; to ten million Thai Baht (US$300,000) or more for a woman of high social standing, a beauty queen, or a highly educated woman. The sin sot is paid at the engagement ceremony, and consists of three elements: cash, Thai (96.5 percent pure) gold, and the traditional diamond ring. The most commonly stated rationale for the bride price in Thailand is that it allows the groom to demonstrate that he has enough financial resources to support the bride (and possibly her family) after the wedding. In many cases, especially when the amount is large, the parents of a Thai bride will return all or part of the money to the couple in the form of a wedding gift following the engagement ceremony.

In contemporary Africa, with a declining economy and a change to a more urban environment, the bride price seems to function like a pension for aged parents. However, it has become very controversial with modernization in many parts of Africa. Some argue that it is good social policy, while others believe it encourages a slavery type situation.

In South Africa, traditionally the Lobola payment was in cattle, which were the primary source of wealth in African society. However, most modern urban couples have changed to cash. Like other bride price situations, Lobola has numerous unintended negative side-effects. It has created a financial barrier to entry for young men looking to take a bride. It is commonplace for a couple that is emotionally ready to commit to building a life together to stay unmarried if they do not have the financial resources to satisfy the impeding traditional ritual. Lobola is seen by some as an extravagance that has little relevance in a society where young Africans are trying to lift themselves out of inherited poverty. Young men who are in the wealth-creation stage of life feel their future is better served if they invest their money elsewhere to receive significant financial returns.

Bride price reform

The problem that bride price has been viewed as payment for property, much as one would buy a cow, and thus should be refunded in the case of divorce or death of the wife, has been challenged in the twenty-first century. Atuki Turner, executive director of the MIFUMI Project in Africa, has stated:

The payment of bride price by men for their wives as demanded by custom leads men to treat their wives as near possessions from whom maximum obedience is extracted. Whereas young men and their families have to work hard to accumulate the wealth necessary to pay bride price, women, especially widows become vulnerable in the face of relatives who want to take away their husbands property and leave them with no support. Girls are married off early to raise income for the family. Refund of bride price does not take into account the contribution of the woman to the marriage, the children she has produced and the products of her labor.

As a result of MIFUMI's work, the Tororo district council in Uganda passed an ordinance in 2008 determining that bride price should become a bridal gift, and as such is non-refundable.

The tradition in popular culture

A famous Telugu play Kanyasulkam (Bride Price) satirized the practice of bride price and the Brahmin notions that kept it alive. A book entitled The Bride Price by Nigerian woman Buchi Emecheta has also gained some popularity, and tells a very human and trans-cultural tale about maintaining identity.

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