Marriage

Chapter XL

Definition of the term “marriage,” p. .—The horror of incest well-nigh universal in the human race, pp. –366.—The prohibited degrees as a rule more numerous among peoples unaffected by modern civilisation than in more advanced communities, p. .—The violation of the prohibitory rules regarded by savages as a most heinous crime, p. sq.—The horror of incest among nations that have passed beyond savagery and barbarism, p. sq.—Attempt to explain the prohibition of marriage between near kin, pp. –371.—Refutation of various objections raised against the author’s theory, pp. –378.—Incestuous unions stigmatised by religion, p. sq.—Endogamous rules of various kinds, pp. –382.—Marriage by capture, p. .—Marriage by purchase, pp. –384.—The disappearance of marriage by purchase, p. sq.—The morning gift, p. .—The marriage portion, p. sq.—The form of marriage influenced by the numerical proportion between the sexes, p. sq.—Polyandry, p. .—Group marriage of the Toda type, ibid.—The causes of polygyny, pp. –389.—Of monogamy, p. . Polygyny less prevalent at the lowest stages of civilisation than at somewhat higher stages, pp. –391.—Civilisation in its higher forms leads to monogamy, p. .—The moral valuation of the various forms of marriage, p. .—The assumed prevalence of group marriage in Australia, pp. –396.—The duration of marriage and the laws of divorce, pp. –398.