See also:

• LEVIRATE (Lat. levir, a husband's brother)

LEVIRATE (See also:

• LAT

Lat. levir, a See also:

• HUSBAND

husband's See also:

• BROTHER

brother)  , a See also:

• CUSTOM (from O. Fr. costume, costume or coustume; Low Lat. costuma, a shortened form of consuetudo)

custom, sometimes even a See also:

• LAW
• LAW (0. Eng. lagu, M. Eng. lawe; from an old Teutonic root lag, " lie," what lies fixed or evenly; cf. Lat. lex, Fr. loi)
• LAW, JOHN (1671—1729)
• LAW, WILLIAM (1686-1761)

law, compelling a dead See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man's See also:

• BROTHER

brother to marry his widow . It seems to have been widespread in See also:

• PRIMITIVE

primitive times, and is See also:

• COMMON

common to-See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day . Of the origin and primitive purpose of the See also:

• LEVIRATE (Lat. levir, a husband's brother)

levirate See also:

• MARRIAGE

marriage various explanations have been put forward: 1 . It has been urged that the custom was primarily based on the law of See also:

• INHERITANCE

inheritance; a wife, regarded as a See also:

• CHATTEL (for derivation see CATTLE)

chattel, being inherited like other possessions . The social See also:

• ADVANTAGE

advantage of providing one who should maintain the widow doubtless aided the spread of the custom . The See also:

• ABANDONMENT (Fr. abandonnement, from abandonner, to abandon, relinquish; abandonner was originally equivalent to mettred banddn, to leave to the jurisdiction, i.e. of another, bandon being from Low Latin bandum, bannum, order, decree, " ban ")

abandonment of a woman and her See also:

• CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO

children in the nomadic See also:

• STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage of See also:

• CIVILIZATION

civilization would be See also:

• EQUIVALENT

equivalent to See also:

• DEATH

death for them; hence with some peoples the levirate became a See also:

• DUTY (from " due," that which is owing, O. Fr. deu, dil, past participle of devoir; Lat. debere, debitum; cf. " debt ")

duty rather than a right . Among the Thlinkets, for example, when a man See also:

• DIES, CHRISTOPH ALBERT (1755-1822)

dies, his brother or his See also:

• SISTER

sister's son must marry the widow, a failure in this duty occasioning feuds . The See also:

• OBLIGATION

obligation on a man to provide for his sister-in-law is analogous to other duties devolving on kinsfolk, such as the See also:

• VENDETTA (Ital. from Lat. vindicta, revenge, vindicare, to defend oneself)

vendetta . 2 . J . F . McLennan, however, would assume the levirate to be a relic of See also:

• POLYANDRY (Gr. iroXus, many, and 6.vi7P, man)

polyandry, and in his See also:

• ARGUMENT

argument See also:

• LAYS

lays much stress on the fact that it is the dead man's brother who inherits the widow .

But among many races who follow the custom, such as the Fijians, Samoans, See also:

• PAPUANS (Malay pap4wah or puwah-puwah, " frizzled," " woolly-haired," in reference to their characteristic hair-dressing)

Papuans of New See also:

• GUINEA

Guinea, the See also:

• CAROLINE
• CAROLINE (1683-1737)

Caroline Islanders, and some tribes in the interior of Western See also:

• EQUATORIAL

Equatorial See also:

• AFRICA
• AFRICA, ROMAN

Africa, the See also:

• RULE

rule of inheritance is to the brother first . Thus among the See also:

• SANTALS

Santals, " when the See also:

• ELDER (0. Eng. ellarn; Ger. Holunder; Fr. sureau)
• ELDER (Gr. 1rpev(3iTepos)

elder brother dies, the next younger inherits the widow, children and all the See also:

• PROPERTY

property." Further, there is no known See also:

• RACE

race where it is permitted to a son to marry his own See also:

• MOTHER

mother . Inheriting a woman in primitive See also:

• SOCIETIES, LEARNED

societies would be always tantamount to marrying her, and, apart from any See also:

• SPECIAL

special See also:

• LAWS

laws of inheritance, it would be natural for the brother to take over the widow . In polygamous countries where a man leaves many widows the son would have a right of ownership over these, and could dispose of them or keep them as he pleased, his own mother alone excepted . Thus among the See also:

• BAKALAI (BAIALE, BANGOUENS)

Bakalai, an See also:

• AFRICAN

African tribe, widows may marry the son of their dead See also:

• HUSBAND

husband, or in See also:

• DEFAULT (Fr. defaut, from defailler, to fail, Lat. fallere)

default of a son, can live with the brother . The Negroes of See also:

• BENIN

Benin and the See also:

• GABUN

Gabun and the See also:

• KAFFIRS (Arabic Kafir, an unbeliever)

Kaffirs of See also:

• NATAL

Natal have similar customs . In New See also:

• CALEDONIA

Caledonia every man, married or single, must immediately marry his brother's widow . In See also:

• POLYNESIA, (Gr. iroXi,, many, and vnno-os, island)
• POLYNESIA, MELANESIA, MICRONESIA (q.v.)

Polynesia the levirate has the force of law, and it is common throughout See also:

• AMERICA

America and See also:

• ASIA

Asia . 3 . Another explanation of the custom has been sought in a semi-religious See also:

• MOTIVE (from Lat. movere, to move)

motive which has had extraordinary See also:

• INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence in countries where to See also:

• DIE
• DIE (Fr. de, from Lat. datum, given)

die without issue is regarded as a terrible calamity . The fear of this See also:

• CATASTROPHE (Gr. Karaurpoch, from KaraQrp4ecv, to over-turn)

catastrophe would readily arise among See also:

• PEOPLE

people who did not believe in See also:

• PERSONAL

personal See also:

• IMMORTALITY (Lat. in-, not, mortalis, mortal, from mors, death)

immortality, and to whom the extinction of their See also:

• LINE

line would be tantamount to annihilation . Or it is easily conceivable as a natural result of ancestor-See also:

• WORSHIP (i.e. " worth-ship," O. Eng. weor8scipe)

worship, under which failure of offspring entailed deprivation of cherished See also:

• RITES

rites and service.' Thus it is only when the dead man has no offspring that the Jewish, See also:

• HINDU

Hindu and Malagasy laws prescribe that the brother shall " raise up See also:

• SEED (from the root seen in Lat. serere, to sow)

seed " to him .

In this sense the levirate forms See also:

• PART

part of the Deuteronomic See also:

• CODE (Lat. codex)

Code, under which, however, the obligation is restricted to the brother who " dwelleth together " (i.e. on the See also:

• FAMILY

family See also:

• ESTATE (through O. Fr. estat, mod. flat, from Lat. status, state, condition, position, stare, to stand)

estate) with the dead man, and the first See also:

• CHILD
• CHILD, FRANCIS JAMES (1825-1896)
• CHILD, L
• CHILD, LYDIA MARIA (1802-1880)
• CHILD, SIR FRANCIS (1642-1713)
• CHILD, SIR JOHN (d. 1690)
• CHILD, SIR JOSIAH (163o - 1699)

child only of the levirate marriage is regarded as that of the dead man . That the custom was obsolescent seems proved by the enjoining of ceremony on any brother who wished to evade the duty, though he had to submit to an insult from his sister-in-law, who draws off his See also:

• SANDAL (from the Latinized form of Gr. vavb4Atov or vav&aAov: this probably represents the Persian sandal, slipper; it is not to be referred to Gr. stasis, board)

sandal and spits in his See also:

• FACE (from Lat. fades, derived either from facere, to make, or from a root fa-, meaning " appear "; cf. Gr. cbatvstv)

face . The biblical See also:

• STORY, JOHN (c. 1510-1571)
• STORY, JOSEPH (1779-1845)
• STORY, ROBERT HERBERT (1835-1907)
• STORY, WILLIAM WETMORE (1819—1895)

story of See also:

• RUTH, BOOK OF

Ruth exemplifies the custom, though with further modifications (see RUTH, See also:

• BOOK

BOOK oF) . Finally the custom is forbidden in See also:

• LEVITICUS

Leviticus, though in New Testament times the levirate law was still observed by some See also:

• JEWS
• JEWS (Heb. Y8hudi, man of Judah; Gr. 'Iovbaiot; Lat. Judaei)

Jews . The ceremony ordained by See also:

• DEUTERONOMY

Deuteronomy is still observed among the orthodox . Among the See also:

• HINDUS

Hindus the levir did not take his brother's widow as wife, but he had intercourse with her . This practice was called niyoga . 4 . Yet another suggested origin of the levirate is agrarian, the motive being to keep together under the levirate husband the ' An expression of this See also:

• IDEA (Gr. Ibia, connected with i&eiv, to see; cf. Lat. species from specere, to look at)

idea is quoted from the Mahabharata (See also:

• MUIR, JOHN (1810-1882)
• MUIR, SIR WILLIAM (1819-1905)

Muir's trans.), by Max See also:

• MILLER, HUGH (1802–1856)
• MILLER, JOAQUIN (CINCINNATUS HEINE) (1841- )
• MILLER, JOE (JosEPH or JosIAS( (1684-1738)
• MILLER, SAMUEL FREEMAN (1816-1890)
• MILLER, WILLIAM (1782-1849)
• MILLER, WILLIAM (1795-1861)
• MILLER, WILLIAM (1796–1882)
• MILLER, WILLIAM HALLOWES (18o1–188o)

Miller (See also:

• GIFFORD, ROBERT SWAIN (184o—19o5)
• GIFFORD, SANDFORD ROBINSON (1823–188o)
• GIFFORD, WILLIAM (1756-1826)

Gifford Lectures), Anthropological See also:

• RELIGION
• RELIGION, FOLKLORE, CUSTOM

Religion, p . 31 That stage completed, seek a wife And gain the See also:

• FRUIT (through the French from the Lat. fructus; frui, to enjoy)

fruit of wedded See also:

• LIFE

life, A race of sons, by rites to See also:

• SEAL
• SEAL, FUR
• SEAL, HAIR

seal, When See also:

• THOU, JACQUES AUGUSTE DE [THUANUS] (1553-1617)
• THOU, NOM

thou See also:

• ART

art gone, thy spirit's weal." property which would otherwise have been divided among all the I allowed their See also:

• SHARE (O. Eng. scearu, chiefly in compounds, e.g. land-scearu, a share of land, from sceran to cut; cf. " shear" )

share of the offerings (Dent. xviii . 6-8) ? The See also:

• BROTHERS, RICHARD (1757-1824)

brothers or next of See also:

• KIN (0. E. cyn, a word represented in nearly all Teutonic languages, cf. Du. kunne, Dan. and Swed. kon, Goth kuni, tribe; the Teutonic base is kunya; the equivalent Aryan root gan- to beget, produce, is seen in Gr. 'yEvos, Lat. genus, cf. "kind")

kin .

Deuteronomic See also:

• HISTORY

history of the See also:

• MONARCHY (Fr. monarchic, from Lat. monarchia, Gr. uovapXia, rule of one, µbvos, alone, apXi7, rule)

monarchy actually ascribes to the See J . F . McLennan, Studies in See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

Ancient History (See also:

• LONDON

London, 1886) Judaean See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king See also:

• JOSIAH (Heb. yo' shiyydhu, perhaps " Yah [weh] supports ")

Josiah (621 B.C.) the suppression of the high-places, and " The Levitate and Polyandry,' in The Fortnightly See also:

• REVIEW (Fr. revue, from revoir, to see again, Lat. re and videre)

Review, n.s. and states that the See also:

• LOCAL

local priests were brought to See also:

• JERUSALEM (Heb. ^S0-r, Yerushalaim, pronounced as a dual)
• JERUSALEM, SYNOD OF (1672)

Jerusalem and vol. xxi . (1877); C . N . Starcke, The Primitive Family in its Origin received support, but did not See also:

• MINISTER (Lat. minister, servant)

minister at the See also:

• ALTAR (Lat. altare, from alias, high; some ancient etymological guesses are recorded by St Isidore of Seville in Etymologiae xv. 4)

altar (2 See also:

• KINGS, FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF

Kings and Development (London, 1889) ; See also:

• EDWARD

Edward Westermarck, History See also:

• XXIII

xxiii . Final' See also:

• SCHEME (Lat. schema, Gr. oxfjya, figure, form, from the root axe, seen in exeiv, to have, hold, to be of such shape, form, &c.)

scheme of See also:

• RITUAL (from Lat. ritus, a custom, especially a religious rite or custom)

ritual for the second See also:

• TEMPLE
• TEMPLE, FREDERICK (1821-1902)
• TEMPLE, RICHARD
• TEMPLE, SIR RICHARD, BART
• TEMPLE, SIR WILLIAM, BART

temple raises of Human Marriage (London, 1894), pp . 510-514, where are valuable 9)• y, a notes containing references to numerous books of travel; H . See also:

• SPENCER
• SPENCER, HERBERT (1820-1903)
• SPENCER, JOHN CHARLES SPENCER, 3RD EARL (1782-1845)
• SPENCER, JOHNPOYNTZ SPENCER
• SPENCER, WILLIAM ROBERT (1769-1834)

Spencer, this exclusion to the See also:

• RANK (O.Fr. rant or rent, mod. rang, generally connected with the O.E. and O.H.G. bring, a ring)

rank of a principle . The See also:

• LEVITES

Levites who had Principles of See also:

• SOCIOLOGY

Sociology, ii . 649; A . H .

See also:

• POST

Post, Einleitung in das been idolatrous are punished by exclusion from the proper See also:

• STUD

Stud. d . Ethnolog . Jurisprud .