Polygamy, Gay, and 'Open' Marriages

[JBeukema]

And have you noticed that it's always the men wanting many wives to care for them, service them and have their offspring? Does anyone know of a case of the reverse? Where a woman wanted/had many husbands at the same time to care for her, service her and get her pregnant?

It's called polyandry

Polyandry in Tibet

I think most women are too smart for polyandry

Too many males can cost, in biological terms, the female. Females 'going' from one male to another are more exposed to injury, sexually transmitted diseases and predators, not to mention the wasted energy. In the polyandrous species, the female mates with more males.

Polyandry is widespread in nature. In 1 % of the birds, polyandry is the rule: nandu, cassowaries, some shore birds (like phalaropes), lily-trotters or buttonquails. Many frogs and reptile females, too, are highly promiscuous, but so are social spiders and insects, like beetles attacking stored food.
The honey bee is the whore of the insect world, exhausting many drones....
....


Various Himalayan nations practiced this: in Tibet, Kashmir, Nepal, Buthan, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh (northeastern India) and Mosuo people. The extinct culture of the Marquesan Islands (Pacific) practiced polyandry, but the phenomenon was also encountered amongst Amerindians (in the Canadian Arctic), Ceylon, Mongolia, South India (by Toda people) and some Sub-Saharan African tribes. Guanches, the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands, practiced polyandry as well.

There are tribal societies considering that a child could and should possess more than one father. In many cases (like that of Tibet), polyandry was caused by a need to retain aristocratic titles or lands within the family or due to frequent absence of the husband for long periods from the household (so that usually only one husband was present). Poor farmers, too, could not afford to divide their small agricultural lands.

Some anthropologists see in human polyandry a method of birth control, as the woman will have only one pregnancy, no matter the number of partners, while in polygyny, a man impregnates several women, resulting more children.

(source)

 

[Phoenix]

It's called polyandry

Polyandry in Tibet

I think most women are too smart for polyandry

(source)

I concur.

Thanks for the linkies, JB. I learned something new today.

 

[Toro]

Polyandry evolved in societies of high scarcity. More than one husband meant a better chance of being able to provide for a woman's children.

In polygamist societies, it evolved mainly because the men wanted to have sex with as many women as possible and not have women have sex with any other men. These men were usually more powerful and wealthier, and were able to attract more females. Polygamy ended in the Christian world not so much because of Christian values but because the church and royalty became convinced that many unwed young men wandering around releasing their pent up testosterone raping and pillaging wasn't a particularly good idea.

 

[JBeukema]

In any society that traces lineage through the father, polygamy (as commonly use) makes sense, as it maximizes one's heirs and results in each man having a greater potential for later influence through the inheritance of his name.

conversely, any society that traces lineage through the mother (via mDNA, in scientific terms) should experience a higher or equal rate of polyandry compared to a 'control' group that i cannot picture 9who has traced lineage through both parents on any meaningful scale).

hmm... We should see more polyandrous societies that trace lineage through the mother4 than we dio polyandrous societies that trace lineage through the father. Conversely, we should see more polygamous (in hereto used in the ';conventional' sense of one man having multiple wives') socialites that trace lineage through the father than we doe polygamous societies that trace lineage through the mother.

There is am more accurate term for the one-husband, multiple wives model, but hell if i recall it or feel like looking it up right no

 

[JBeukema]

JB should stop drinking and posting...

 

[caela]

Polygamy

--- Who in their right mind would want to take the garbage out for more than one woman? Can you imagine multiple wives giving you directions while you drove the car? How about multiple wives deciding who's parent's house you shall be having Thanksgiving dinner at? Maybe it's a good thing that you can only have one wife in this country... Might be safer that way!

I don't get it either.

And have you noticed that it's always the men wanting many wives to care for them, service them and have their offspring? Does anyone know of a case of the reverse? Where a woman wanted/had many husbands at the same time to care for her, service her and get her pregnant?

I don't know any women that necessarily want a man just to take care of them and get them pregnant (most of them are perfectly capable of caring for themselves and few of the women I call friends want children) but I have more than one friend that has multiple male partners to care for their sexual needs. Hell one gf has a husband, a boyfriend, another married couple she dates.

 

[Phoenix]

I don't know any women that necessarily want a man just to take care of them and get them pregnant (most of them are perfectly capable of caring for themselves and few of the women I call friends want children) but I have more than one friend that has multiple male partners to care for their sexual needs. Hell one gf has a husband, a boyfriend, another married couple she dates.

But we're talking about being married to more than one man, not just having sex with them. I don't think that having sex with more than one man is all that uncommon.

 

[ABikerSailor]

You know........if your wife/wives are cool with it, then do what you want. If you want 20 wives (and can afford the headache, hassle and expense), then by all means do so.

Same thing in reverse for women. By the way, there is a group of people who used to exist who were called the Thracians. Men, if they could afford it, had multiple wives. Women incidentally, held equal status in the group, and if they could afford it, had multiple husbands.

As far as an "open marriage"? Well..........I've known several couples who had open marriages, and they seemed pretty happy with it. But.......in order to do something like that, you've got to have a VERY strong relationship with crystal clear communication.

Same thing with swingers. I've hung around some, and they're interesting people.

So basically...........if it happens in your bedroom, it's nobody's business other than yours and whoever is present at the time. Otherwise? Back off.

As far as gay couples? Hey........God and Yeshua BOTH said "love one another as you would love yourselves, but love God above all else". Gender WAS NOT SPECIFIED.

So.......if you're willing to enter into a legal contract to live with someone else, be it marriage or civil union, what goes on under your roof with the consent of others, should be left between you and them.

 

["b0xcar*girl*]

Polygamy

--- Who in their right mind would want to take the garbage out for more than one woman? Can you imagine multiple wives giving you directions while you drove the car? How about multiple wives deciding who's parent's house you shall be having Thanksgiving dinner at? Maybe it's a good thing that you can only have one wife in this country... Might be safer that way!

Absolutely right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Al Gunn]

Polygamy

--- Who in their right mind would want to take the garbage out for more than one woman? Can you imagine multiple wives giving you directions while you drove the car? How about multiple wives deciding who's parent's house you shall be having Thanksgiving dinner at? Maybe it's a good thing that you can only have one wife in this country... Might be safer that way!

Absolutely right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually, polygamist religions require the women to be extremely servile, and to keep their mouth shut. Don't forget that most polygamists are pedophiles, so the big age difference intimidates the children they marry.

PS Dog, you're pussy whipped.

 

[Phoenix]

Actually, polygamist religions require the women to be extremely servile, and to keep their mouth shut. Don't forget that most polygamists are pedophiles, so the big age difference intimidates the children they marry.

PS Dog, you're pussy whipped.

Or perhaps he's just a good guy with a sense of humor.


But I'll agree on the servile wife issue. It does seem to be that way.

 

[midcan5]

I have no trouble with the concept of polygamy. If everyone wants to be there it's all good, right?

That is an interesting question.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/religion-and-ethics/55274-why-is-polygamy-wrong.html

"Being the first wife means that everybody hates you and those other wives are just waiting for you to fall from your perch, silently praying every day that you do. They won’t take any steps themselves to be rid of you but they won’t cry if you do go. Nothing good is ever said about you and nobody will ever back you up. You know this and you don’t like it, but the worst part is how cheated you feel. You originally married one man, not a man and several other women. But you wouldn’t give your spot up for the world. In a strange, small sense you nurture your bitterness and hurt. Being the victim can be a sweet pain. He treats you with extreme care and buys you nice presents. You’re the first, you know you’re the benchmark, and in the end, he always comes back to you. You’re the queen bee: the rest are just wannabes.You sleep in the big bedroom, you make the shopping lists and you have control of the money. You have his ear and ultimately, the final word on everything.Well, almost everything."

Polgamy Problems - By Claire Zulkey

 

[Amanda]

I have no trouble with the concept of polygamy. If everyone wants to be there it's all good, right?

That is an interesting question.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/religion-and-ethics/55274-why-is-polygamy-wrong.html

"Being the first wife means that everybody hates you and those other wives are just waiting for you to fall from your perch, silently praying every day that you do. They won’t take any steps themselves to be rid of you but they won’t cry if you do go. Nothing good is ever said about you and nobody will ever back you up. You know this and you don’t like it, but the worst part is how cheated you feel. You originally married one man, not a man and several other women. But you wouldn’t give your spot up for the world. In a strange, small sense you nurture your bitterness and hurt. Being the victim can be a sweet pain. He treats you with extreme care and buys you nice presents. You’re the first, you know you’re the benchmark, and in the end, he always comes back to you. You’re the queen bee: the rest are just wannabes.You sleep in the big bedroom, you make the shopping lists and you have control of the money. You have his ear and ultimately, the final word on everything.Well, almost everything."

Polgamy Problems - By Claire Zulkey

Wow, Claire sounds pretty bitter and cynical. Is that a perspective you share?

 

[ABikerSailor]

Personally? I think every couple should swing once or twice, just to know that there's other things out there, and the reason you're with someone is because you LIKE them.

Marriage is a piece of paper that fucks up a perfectly good relationship.