African Marriage Rites

518 Words2 Pages

African Marriage Rites

The African marriage rites are very important to the African peoples. The marriage rites are followed strictly and are very traditional. Marriage is the beginning of new life and when two people become one.

In African Traditional Religion, marriage is a cherished fecundity and is intended for procreation. Marriage involves not only interpersonal relations but also intercommunity relations. The survival of kinship in the social structure depends on marriage; marriage always establishes very strong bonds between the individuals belonging to different families and clans, especially when children are born.

When a community seeks out a wife or a son-in-law, they look for one that lives up to their expectations. A person with good moral qualities, industrious in physical work, respectful towards their elders and a good reputation. Physical attractiveness doesn’t matter as much as the community’s expectations. Fertility is the central requirement in marriage. There would be less of a chance of proposal if a woman or a woman in her family were suspected...

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