The polygyny (polygamy) is a form of marriage, that is a special form of polygamy where a man is allowed more than one wife to marry. Polygyny is widespread, in many regions more than polyandry. If a man liiert it with exactly two women, which is also called Bigynie.
Many polygynous conjugal know a pronounced hierarchy and strong rivalry between the women. The (chronologically) first women usually have a higher status than those coming after them.
Polygyny is also often an expression of a stratification between age and sex: In many polygynous societies marry older men remain very young women and young men, either unmarried or married for a long time older widows.
The occurrence of polygyny is correlated with political and economic systems, which represent human resources – and not land or property – the most important resources.
Dissemination
Polygyny occurs in many parts of Africa, in the Islamic Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Melanesia and Polynesia in front and at various Indian tribes in North and South America and historically among the Mormons in Utah (today at some Mormon splinter churches ).
She was part of ancient religions like Judaism and, to this day, of Islam. When the Normans and Vikings was the opportunity to marry a second wife, after their Christianity for a time More than danico (according to Danish custom) tolerated by the Church.
Martin Luther married the Landgrave of Hesse, Philip the Magnanimous, based on the Bible with two women also limited by the law but the ruling class. The Münster Rebellion was introduced in 1534 because of a substantial surplus of women general polygyny.
Forms of polygyny
General polygyny
Of general Polygyny is called when every man has that company the opportunity to marry multiple women, and it aspires to. General polygyny tends to come in more egalitarian societies organized.
Limited polygyny
Of limited polygyny is then speaking, if plural marriage is reserved for a small group of men. Limited polygyny tends to come in more strongly stratified societies.
In some societies with limited polygyny only leaders or chiefs have the right to marry multiple women. For example, the polygyny Trobrianders a status symbol, with the power of a chief is put, by polygyny, he can have more children and kinship relations, which he in turn can manipulate strategic. Thus, it has a broader economic base, and he can, to a certain degree of not only his wives but also control their brothers.
Polygyny, with or without Koresidenz
When women live together and life is spoken of polygyny with Koresidenz. Polygyny with separate residence occurs much less frequently.
Sororale polygyny
Are the wives sisters, one speaks of sororaler polygyny. In the cultural comparison, the non-sororalen polygynous marriages are more common than sororale. This form of marriage should not be confused with the Sororat.
Polygyny in the animal world
In animals, it is called polygyny, when a male mates within a breeding season with several females, the females but only males with this one. Mate and the female with several males, one speaks of promiscuity.
A classic example of polygyny or polyandry, the hedge sparrow, which has a flexible mating system and changes according to the condition between monogamy, polyandry, polygyny and Polygynandrie. Obligate Polygyny is observed in almost all chicken birds (Galliformes) and many mammalian species. But even in insects – as in the field wasps – polygyny is common.
Polygyny in ants
When ant colonies are called polygynous, containing more than one queen. One must distinguish between primary (joint creation of several young queens) and secondary Polygyny (adoption of young queens). Secondary polygyne ant colonies live theoretically infinitely long, since deceased queens using the adoption to be replaced and the colony thus far may exist across the life span of a single queen.
Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygynie
See Also: idul fitri, hamper hari raya, hari raya hampers