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[–][deleted]  (3 children)

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    [–]Aquadog 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

    Well it was also meant to obtain property or for strengthening social/business ties, including among the lower classes. Both parents would be involved in the decision: the father on who is most advantageous, and, depending on the mother, whether or not she thought the couple-to-be would get along and learn to love each other OR whether she should just shut up and accept it. Very rarely a mother would push to not have her daughter married to a monster, but we see all three of these dynamics still existing in this day and age in various cultures.

    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

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      [–]Aquadog 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

      I never knew about dowries in Northern Europe, that's really interesting!

      I would assume that dowries would offer an extra layer of protection to the woman? I have heard that in some smaller African cultures that the village kind of collectively pays for the bride-to-be's dowry. If the husband mistreats his wife (cheating, abuse) they take the dowry and sometimes his wife back, leading to a greater incentive to treat her well. I don't know how well this actually works in practice but it's always interesting to learn about marital practices in different cultures.