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'Concubinage' is the state of a woman or youth in an ongoing, quasi-matrimonial relationship with a man of higher social status. Typically, the man has an official wife in addition to one or more concubines. Concubines have limited rights of support from the man, and their offspring are publicly acknowledged as the man's children, albeit of lower status than children born by the official wife or wives.

Contents

Concubine

Concubinus

Concubinage in mythology

See also

References

External links

Concubine

The term ''concubine'' generally signifies ongoing, quasi-matrimonial relationships where the woman is of lower social status than the man or the official wife or wives. Some historical Asian and European rulers maintained concubines as well as wives.
Historically, concubinage was frequently voluntary (by the girl and/or her family's arrangement), as it provided a measure of economic security for the woman involved. Involuntary, or servile, concubinage sometimes involves sexual slavery of one member of the relationship, typically the woman.

Concubinus

In Roman times, this was the title of a young male who was chosen by his master as a bedmate. Concubini were often referred to ironically in the literature of the time. Catullus assumes in the wedding poem 61.126 that the young manor lord has a ''concubinus'' who considers himself elevated above the other slaves.

Concubinage in mythology

In jewish mythology, Abraham took the slave girl Hagar as a concubine. His wife, Sarah, failed to conceive and offered her maid servant Hagar to Abraham to produce an heir. Abraham did not formally marry Hagar, but resided with her according to the Jewish laws of a ''Pilegesh'' (Hebrew for Concubine). After an initial miscarriage she produced Ishmael. After a miracle occurred for Sarah---she became fertile in old age---she conceived and gave birth to Isaac. Sarah then demanded that Abraham drive Hagar out of the home and into the desert.

See also

★ pilegesh

★ polygyny

★ polygamy

★ polyamory

★ Ma malakat aymanukum

★ monogamy

★ morganatic marriage

★ harem

★ cohabitation

★ Common-law marriage

References

★ ''Rosales v. Battle'' (2003) 113 Cal.App.4th 1178 (California court decision involving status of concubine. Link requires free registration.)

External links

★ Servile Concubinage