Where did the idea of Marriage originate from?
Marriage was intorduced in order to protect women from being jumped – more or less. Before marriage, there was even more strife over who was seeing who and sleeping with who. So many societies started allowing for exclusivity in relationships – it acknowledges the union and warns other suitors off. It also serves as a public acknowledgement and endorsement of the union, which is another reason for the appeal to those who are not allowed to marry to do so. Before marriage, there was no way to tell someone you were “with someone” already and get them to take a hike. Marriage is also used for joint property issues and parentage – assuming all children are “legitimate,” which they are not. But marriage was a sort of child-rearing license, back then – you were expected to form a breeding pair. Another reason people created marriage was to control who could not marry – mostly siblings and parent-child unions in those days – trying to keep the genetic tree less tangled and make the interlocki
