Strange Marriage Customs

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. Marriage here is revealed as far more than a private romance: it is a system shaped by kinship, religion, class, economics, and authority. From arranged unions controlled by parents, elders, rulers, and matchmakers to the modern American ideal of choosing one's own mate, the book traces how marriage has long served property, diplomacy, status, and social order. It follows the shadchan from traditional Jewish communities to immigrant America, where matrimonial bureaus, newspaper ads, and comic exaggeration keep the profession alive, while money and ambition continue to drive many matches. The survey widens to child marriage, comparing India, Indigenous and Asian customs, medieval Europe, and even modern cities where low ages of consent can lead to exploitation. It examines endogamy, exogamy, incest taboos, cousin and sibling marriages, levirate unions, and other prohibitions and obligations that vary sharply across cultures. Finally, it shows how industrialization, class change, and women's growing independence have pushed marriage later in life, making the history of marriage a record of shifting power, desire, and social change.