WHAT IS MARRIAGE 1 5 



ally violated by some section of the human family. 

 Among the ancient Egyptians brothers and sisters 

 were allowed to marry. The ancient Persians saw 

 no harm in a son marrying his mother. In Babylon 

 women were expected to sacrifice their virtue in the 

 temples previous to marriage, and a modified form of 

 this custom has been found in the Balearic Islands, 

 where, on the occasion of a wedding, the bride used 

 to belong for one night to all the guests. On the 

 west coast of Africa a son generally inherits his 

 father's wives, with the exception of his mother. The 

 Krooman, however, goes further ; he inherits his 

 mother with the rest. The practice of husbands lend- 

 ing their wives to guests and friends exists among 

 the aborigines of North and South America, also in 

 Greenland, Siberia, Central Asia, Africa, Australia, 

 and Polynesia. It was not unknown in Eome. Cato 

 lent his wife Martia to his friend Hortensius, and 

 upon the death of the latter took her back to his 

 household. Certain New Zealand tribes meet at 

 intervals and exchange wives. 



Polyandry, or the custom of one woman having 

 several husbands, exists in Thibet, Ceylon, New 

 Zealand, and Polynesia. In Thibet the several hus- 

 bands of a woman are usually brothers. In such 



