Random notes on gender and marriage in my fictional world.
Why? Because no one asked for it and I thought it was interesting!
Off to L.A. for the weekend. WOO retail therapy! (Spoiler: there will probably not be much retail therapy, as I am poor.)
Until I return, have a random thing I wrote about my books instead of writing my books. It'll make more sense if you've read them, but otherwise...well, *I* think it's interesting, perhaps because I went to Wells. I love reading random crap about how society is organized.
A note on marriage and gender in Kusleke:
The entire Kuslekite system of government and social stratification is
based on polygamist marriage. Moreover, the terms "husband" and "wife"
do not connote gender; the "husband" is the leader of a House. He or she
makes financial decisions and is responsible for the comfort and well-
being of his wives. While it is true that the majority of Houses are led by
men, it is by no means unheard-of or even unusual for a woman to do so.
Similarly, "wife" does not connote femininity. There are male wives,
called "bouras." The traditional purpose of a boura is (firstly) to bring status
and wealth to a Husband through marriage, and (secondly) to provide
entertaining companionship when the other wives in a House are
menstruating or pregnant, or when no more children are desired. However, during the Midrion Rebirth Cycle (hereafter referred to as the MRC), this purpose has been altered; the purpose of a boura during Kaiya's time is to contribute to the status and perceived wealth of a Husband, intimating that the Husband is so wealthy that ze can afford "useless" (not child-bearing) wives. The reason for this shift in thought is unclear, but many scholars believe that it coincides with the assimilation by the Kuslekite Empire of several smaller Western nations, among which male homosexuality is not tolerated.
The choice to become either Husband or Wife is theoretically one made by
every individual by the age of sixteen. However, since it is considered
indecent for a Wife to be involved in the choosing of her or his husband,
the choice is privately made within the young person's family by
(approximately) the age of twelve or thirteen, depending on status.
While it may sound baffling that anyone, especially a young man would
choose the life of a Wife instead of that of a Husband, there are many
advantages to the former. Firstly, especially in times of economic scarcity
(as in Silvian's time), there is a great deal of pressure on a Husband to
succeed financially. If ze cannot feed and care for hir wives in a style
befitting their status, ze will most likely be dragged before the nearest
magistrate and sold into slavery to pay hir debts. Without a viable source
of income or a massive inheritance, as well as the financial savvy to put
them to use, few young people are able to start their own Houses with any
hope of success.
Secondly, the life of a Wife is, most usually, an easier and less demanding
one. Obviously, the level of work demanded varies wildly depending on
social stratification--the Wife of a Lord has a good deal less to do than the
Wife of a Baker, though this also varies from House to House. Those
individuals who crave an easy life are, as a rule, not drawn to their own
Houses.
Thirdly, a Husband has little to no free time. A Wife, however, can expect a
significant amount of time to hirself, as well as the comraderie and
companionship of sisterwives (note: though "Wife" is not an exclusively
female term, all Wives of a given Husband are referred to as "sisters.").
Differences in the Kuslekite marriage system from the Midrion Cycle: The
Midrion's Rebirth Cycle takes place more than two hundred years after
Silvian's lifetime. Naturally, some variance has occurred. The most
prevalent changes include:
1. The age of consent. In Silvian's time, the age of consent for marriage is
sixteen years old, and is strictly enforced. In the MRC, children as young
as twelve are routinely married off. Reasons for this shift in the perception
of morality are vague at best; while betrothal has always taken place at a
young age, it is probable that the assimilation of several smaller
principalities in the Southeast of the Continent contributed in a large part. It
is also probable that much of the shift in perception resulted from the
passing of two centuries during which Kusleke was rarely, if ever, not
involved in armed conflict of some kind.
2. Status difference between Husbands and Wives. In the MRC, Kaiya is
informed that in Kusleke, a husband has the right to beat, rape, murder, or
mind-wipe his wives. This is vehemently not so in Silvian's time. This is in
part due to two major factors: Firstly, in Silvian's time a wife was permitted
far more contact with hir birth family, with a higher premium placed on
familial loyalty. Thusly, whereas in the MRC a Wife's family would
cooperate with hir Husband's wishes out of fear that ze would be harmed,
in Silvian's time a great deal more positive reinforcement is utilized. A
Husband is more dependent on the goodwill of hir Wife's family.
The second (and more ironic) factor contributing to the status of Wives in
the MRC is the assimilation of Midrion into the Kuslekite Empire. In
Silvian's time, Midrians do not leave their borders. Therefore, the magics
common to Midrion, namely Reading and Planting, are confined within,
and governed by the strict moral and legal code of the Lancers. In the
MRC however, alliances and marriages between the then-Province of
Midrion and the greater Kuslekite Empire have been taking place for
hundreds of years, with Planting especially being a highly prized talent.
The prevlance of Planters has led to the commercialization of the skill, and
its utilization as a domestic "peacekeeping" weapon.
Perception of Sexuality in Kusleke: The concept of being either
heterosexual or homosexual does not exist in Kusleke. Given the fluidity of
gender roles, this is perhaps unsurprising. A male Husband is expected to
have sexual intercourse with his female Wives for procreation, and with his
male Wives for entertainment. There is no stigma attached to such an act.
In fact, while any sex outside of marriage is strictly prohibited,
heterosexual sex is even more so, in that it could lead to a child with no
name.
Given that Kusleke is constantly at war with one country or another, a high
priority is placed on childbearing and childrearing. Every member of a
House is expected to take a role in the raising of children, which are
valued. Due to a high mortality rate, a child is raised to treat all Wives of
his parent's spouse as a parent. In other words, the child of a woman with
three female Wives and two bouras would behave as if she had four
mothers and two fathers (further note: "Mother" and "Father" are not
gender-neutral terms. A Female Husband who bears a child is a mother. A
boura who fathers a child is a father, though that is technically forbidden).
Sex between Wives is neither unheard-of nor forbidden. It is, however,
forbidden unless sanctioned by the Husband. For example, a high-ranking
male Husband might find it difficult (or simply exhausting) to impregnante
all his female Wives (Lords frequently have upwards of seven wives; the
Emperor might have as many as thirty) as much as he is supposed to; it
would be up to his discretion if he wished to have one of his bouras sleep
with his female wives. All children born to the Wives of a Husband are
counted as that Husband's progeny; a female Husband's female Wife's
son is, technically, the female Husband's son.
Likewise, Husbands that are required to be absent for long periods of time
frequently sanction liasons between their Wives, simply to keep them from
being bored. However, if it is done without the Husband's permission, sex
between Wives of the same Husband, no matter what gender, is
considered infidelity, and is punishable at the Husband's discretion. Legal
punishments include being sold into slavery and "Un-marriage," similar to
divorce. In such a case, the Wife returns to hir parents' House as an
unmarried child. It is extraordinarily rare, and is almost impossible for such
a person to find another Husband. However, such a person is then
permitted, if ze wishes, to become a Husband of hir own House, if ze
should so desire.
Off to L.A. for the weekend. WOO retail therapy! (Spoiler: there will probably not be much retail therapy, as I am poor.)
Until I return, have a random thing I wrote about my books instead of writing my books. It'll make more sense if you've read them, but otherwise...well, *I* think it's interesting, perhaps because I went to Wells. I love reading random crap about how society is organized.
A note on marriage and gender in Kusleke:
The entire Kuslekite system of government and social stratification is
based on polygamist marriage. Moreover, the terms "husband" and "wife"
do not connote gender; the "husband" is the leader of a House. He or she
makes financial decisions and is responsible for the comfort and well-
being of his wives. While it is true that the majority of Houses are led by
men, it is by no means unheard-of or even unusual for a woman to do so.
Similarly, "wife" does not connote femininity. There are male wives,
called "bouras." The traditional purpose of a boura is (firstly) to bring status
and wealth to a Husband through marriage, and (secondly) to provide
entertaining companionship when the other wives in a House are
menstruating or pregnant, or when no more children are desired. However, during the Midrion Rebirth Cycle (hereafter referred to as the MRC), this purpose has been altered; the purpose of a boura during Kaiya's time is to contribute to the status and perceived wealth of a Husband, intimating that the Husband is so wealthy that ze can afford "useless" (not child-bearing) wives. The reason for this shift in thought is unclear, but many scholars believe that it coincides with the assimilation by the Kuslekite Empire of several smaller Western nations, among which male homosexuality is not tolerated.
The choice to become either Husband or Wife is theoretically one made by
every individual by the age of sixteen. However, since it is considered
indecent for a Wife to be involved in the choosing of her or his husband,
the choice is privately made within the young person's family by
(approximately) the age of twelve or thirteen, depending on status.
While it may sound baffling that anyone, especially a young man would
choose the life of a Wife instead of that of a Husband, there are many
advantages to the former. Firstly, especially in times of economic scarcity
(as in Silvian's time), there is a great deal of pressure on a Husband to
succeed financially. If ze cannot feed and care for hir wives in a style
befitting their status, ze will most likely be dragged before the nearest
magistrate and sold into slavery to pay hir debts. Without a viable source
of income or a massive inheritance, as well as the financial savvy to put
them to use, few young people are able to start their own Houses with any
hope of success.
Secondly, the life of a Wife is, most usually, an easier and less demanding
one. Obviously, the level of work demanded varies wildly depending on
social stratification--the Wife of a Lord has a good deal less to do than the
Wife of a Baker, though this also varies from House to House. Those
individuals who crave an easy life are, as a rule, not drawn to their own
Houses.
Thirdly, a Husband has little to no free time. A Wife, however, can expect a
significant amount of time to hirself, as well as the comraderie and
companionship of sisterwives (note: though "Wife" is not an exclusively
female term, all Wives of a given Husband are referred to as "sisters.").
Differences in the Kuslekite marriage system from the Midrion Cycle: The
Midrion's Rebirth Cycle takes place more than two hundred years after
Silvian's lifetime. Naturally, some variance has occurred. The most
prevalent changes include:
1. The age of consent. In Silvian's time, the age of consent for marriage is
sixteen years old, and is strictly enforced. In the MRC, children as young
as twelve are routinely married off. Reasons for this shift in the perception
of morality are vague at best; while betrothal has always taken place at a
young age, it is probable that the assimilation of several smaller
principalities in the Southeast of the Continent contributed in a large part. It
is also probable that much of the shift in perception resulted from the
passing of two centuries during which Kusleke was rarely, if ever, not
involved in armed conflict of some kind.
2. Status difference between Husbands and Wives. In the MRC, Kaiya is
informed that in Kusleke, a husband has the right to beat, rape, murder, or
mind-wipe his wives. This is vehemently not so in Silvian's time. This is in
part due to two major factors: Firstly, in Silvian's time a wife was permitted
far more contact with hir birth family, with a higher premium placed on
familial loyalty. Thusly, whereas in the MRC a Wife's family would
cooperate with hir Husband's wishes out of fear that ze would be harmed,
in Silvian's time a great deal more positive reinforcement is utilized. A
Husband is more dependent on the goodwill of hir Wife's family.
The second (and more ironic) factor contributing to the status of Wives in
the MRC is the assimilation of Midrion into the Kuslekite Empire. In
Silvian's time, Midrians do not leave their borders. Therefore, the magics
common to Midrion, namely Reading and Planting, are confined within,
and governed by the strict moral and legal code of the Lancers. In the
MRC however, alliances and marriages between the then-Province of
Midrion and the greater Kuslekite Empire have been taking place for
hundreds of years, with Planting especially being a highly prized talent.
The prevlance of Planters has led to the commercialization of the skill, and
its utilization as a domestic "peacekeeping" weapon.
Perception of Sexuality in Kusleke: The concept of being either
heterosexual or homosexual does not exist in Kusleke. Given the fluidity of
gender roles, this is perhaps unsurprising. A male Husband is expected to
have sexual intercourse with his female Wives for procreation, and with his
male Wives for entertainment. There is no stigma attached to such an act.
In fact, while any sex outside of marriage is strictly prohibited,
heterosexual sex is even more so, in that it could lead to a child with no
name.
Given that Kusleke is constantly at war with one country or another, a high
priority is placed on childbearing and childrearing. Every member of a
House is expected to take a role in the raising of children, which are
valued. Due to a high mortality rate, a child is raised to treat all Wives of
his parent's spouse as a parent. In other words, the child of a woman with
three female Wives and two bouras would behave as if she had four
mothers and two fathers (further note: "Mother" and "Father" are not
gender-neutral terms. A Female Husband who bears a child is a mother. A
boura who fathers a child is a father, though that is technically forbidden).
Sex between Wives is neither unheard-of nor forbidden. It is, however,
forbidden unless sanctioned by the Husband. For example, a high-ranking
male Husband might find it difficult (or simply exhausting) to impregnante
all his female Wives (Lords frequently have upwards of seven wives; the
Emperor might have as many as thirty) as much as he is supposed to; it
would be up to his discretion if he wished to have one of his bouras sleep
with his female wives. All children born to the Wives of a Husband are
counted as that Husband's progeny; a female Husband's female Wife's
son is, technically, the female Husband's son.
Likewise, Husbands that are required to be absent for long periods of time
frequently sanction liasons between their Wives, simply to keep them from
being bored. However, if it is done without the Husband's permission, sex
between Wives of the same Husband, no matter what gender, is
considered infidelity, and is punishable at the Husband's discretion. Legal
punishments include being sold into slavery and "Un-marriage," similar to
divorce. In such a case, the Wife returns to hir parents' House as an
unmarried child. It is extraordinarily rare, and is almost impossible for such
a person to find another Husband. However, such a person is then
permitted, if ze wishes, to become a Husband of hir own House, if ze
should so desire.