Ghost marriage in South Sudan: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Cultural practice}} |
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⚫ | In [[Sudan]], a '''ghost marriage''' is a [[marriage]] where a deceased [[bridegroom|groom]] is replaced by his brother. |
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{{More footnotes needed|date=November 2009}} |
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⚫ | In [[South Sudan]], a '''ghost marriage''' is a [[marriage]] where a deceased [[bridegroom|groom]] is replaced by his brother. The brother serves as a stand in to the [[bride]], and any resulting children are considered children of the deceased spouse. This unusual type of marriage is nearly exclusive to the [[Dinka people|Dinka]] (Jieng), [[Nuer people|Nuer]], and [[Atuot people]] of South Sudan although instances of such marriages have also occurred in [[France]].{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} These tribes overlap in cultural practices, potentially because all of these tribes are cattle-herding [[Pastoralism|pastoralists]]. |
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== Nuer people == |
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Nuer women do not marry deceased men only to continue the man's [[bloodline]]. In accordance with Nuer tradition, any wealth owned by the woman becomes property of the man after the marriage. This wealth that is transferred is in the form of cattle, being exchanged from the father's lineage to the mother's lineage. Once this exchange is completed, the male children of that woman who received the cattle can now marry. |
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== Atuot people == |
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There was a decline in ghost marriage among the Atuot people in the 1970s, and some sources attributed it to a connection with the cattle trade.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Burton|first=John W.|date=October 1978|title=Ghost Marriage and the Cattle Trade among the Atuot of the Southern Sudan|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/africa/article/ghost-marriage-and-the-cattle-trade-among-the-atuot-of-the-southern-sudan/5459F7F8C57B1AD1DE2A9B26DFB45E4C|journal=Africa|language=en|volume=48|issue=4|pages=398–405|doi=10.2307/1158804|jstor=1158804 |s2cid=154423402 |issn=1750-0184}}</ref> |
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== See also == |
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* [[Ghost marriage (Chinese)]] |
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* [[Levirate marriage]] |
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* [[Posthumous marriage]] |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{Reflist}} |
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*[http://anthro.palomar.edu/marriage/marriage_4.htm http://anthro.palomar.edu/marriage/marriage_4.htm] |
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*[http://ocw.mit.edu/NR/rdonlyres/Anthropology/21A-100Fall-2004/F014B20E-5A61-41CC-8190-979182D92A48/0/lecture_15_2.pdf Lecture from MIT Professor Howe.] |
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{{Types of marriages|state=autocollapse}} |
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[[Category:Marriage, unions and partnerships by country|South Sudan]] |
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[[Category:Posthumous marriage]] |
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[[Category:Culture of South Sudan]] |
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[[Category:Widow inheritance]] |
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Latest revision as of 18:53, 14 October 2024
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (November 2009) |
In South Sudan, a ghost marriage is a marriage where a deceased groom is replaced by his brother. The brother serves as a stand in to the bride, and any resulting children are considered children of the deceased spouse. This unusual type of marriage is nearly exclusive to the Dinka (Jieng), Nuer, and Atuot people of South Sudan although instances of such marriages have also occurred in France.[citation needed] These tribes overlap in cultural practices, potentially because all of these tribes are cattle-herding pastoralists.
Nuer people
[edit]Nuer women do not marry deceased men only to continue the man's bloodline. In accordance with Nuer tradition, any wealth owned by the woman becomes property of the man after the marriage. This wealth that is transferred is in the form of cattle, being exchanged from the father's lineage to the mother's lineage. Once this exchange is completed, the male children of that woman who received the cattle can now marry.
Thus, a wealthy woman may marry a deceased man to retain her wealth, instead of giving it up after marrying. Among the Nuer, a ghost marriage is nearly as common as a marriage to a live man.
Atuot people
[edit]There was a decline in ghost marriage among the Atuot people in the 1970s, and some sources attributed it to a connection with the cattle trade.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Burton, John W. (October 1978). "Ghost Marriage and the Cattle Trade among the Atuot of the Southern Sudan". Africa. 48 (4): 398–405. doi:10.2307/1158804. ISSN 1750-0184. JSTOR 1158804. S2CID 154423402.