Marriage Culture Of Countryside In The Edieval Western Europe

Marriage is an integral part in the development of human society. Marriage’sevolution is inevitably influenced by social evolution; meanwhile, it is also theconcentrated embodiment of social evolution. Marriage in different historical periodsand cultures has different rules and conventions and it reflects the changes anddevelopment of mankind’s social intercourse. More than90percent of the populationlived in rural areas in the Medieval Western Europe, so we can get further knowledgeabout the politics and culture of this period from understanding of rural marriages.The manor is the main form of rural society in the Medieval Western Europe. It isgenerally considered that the minimum goal of management about estate isself-sufficient. Production and operation can guarantee the consumption demand oflord and serf. Therefore, the medieval village was a “cobweb” type of closed system,and farmers’ experienced all their life here. The lords of the countryside made farmersdependent on him by land, and involved every aspect of farmers’ life, even interferedwith marriages, showing its nature of exploitation and oppression. However, thefeudal lords were not omnipotent, and sometimes they must give way to the medievalreligious. Lord can not be forced labor on serf on the important religious festivals.The air of Christianity was full of Western Europe in the middle ages. Selection ofspouse had a large amount of restrictions in the feudal lord-manor. People’s mindswere closed and narrow in small rural environment. Patriarchy was deep-rootedthroughout the feudal society, and marriages of peasants and nobles were oftenarranged by patriarch. Sometimes feudal lords imposed their will on peasants.Economic factors were also essential considerations on the marriages of the ruralareas, so widows had a strong economic strength and they were very popular in themarriage market. However, not everyone took material factors of marriage as theirfirst choice. There were marriages based on the emotion but not much. When ruralfarmers concluded to marry, they may be not in accordance with strict procedures ofChurch’s regulations due to lack of financial resources.Cultures all over the Middle Ages Western were based on Christian themes andChristian background. It can be said that Christian culture is the subject of culture inthe medieval European. The church formed its own set of ideas and norms aboutmarriage. In a changing society, secular of marriage and standard of Church took aninteraction. Christian cultural influenced on people’s attitude towards women, somarital relations of medieval showed as the wife belonging to the husband. Marriagemeans to the transfer of persons and property. Once married, all of wife’s fortune andthemselves placed along with the husband’s name, and husband can be called a legalrepresentative in the marriage, in contrast wife with nothing.