Lately, I’ve been fleshing out the details of a steppe culture in my main fantasy setting. Marriage naturally came to mind for its influence on familial structure, not to mention politics, and I think I’ve constructed some intriguing traditions…but I’m having a really difficult time coming up with names both for this form of marriage itself and the roles within.
Much like the Scythians and Sarmatians who inspired them, the Marchers are very egalitarian when it comes to sex. Marcher women are warriors, rulers, merchants, landholders, heirs…the social equals of Marcher men in all respects. The Marchers are also a warrior culture; they’ve had to be to defend their rich pastures and fertile farmlands from outsiders, so Marcher noblemen and noblewomen alike are expected to lead their forces into battle and fight alongside them.
This means there’s an increased risk one or both of them dies in combat without heirs, threatening succession crises.
The solution? Marcher nobles often take husbands and wives from the commons as well as one of their own class. Sometimes a nobleman and noblewoman wed an existing freeholder couple. Sometimes all four are wed at once. Sometimes it’s a triad instead of a quad, with the lowborn member usually added on whichever side heads the household (i.e. a noblewoman who heads her house and her nobleman consort wed a woman from one of the lower classes).
Regardless of the specifics, all children from these unions are considered fully and solely children of the nobles. Genetics don’t matter, even when it’s obvious there isn’t a drop of noble blood in their veins. Marcher culture considers it uncouth to discriminate between these half-siblings or consider a child from these unions anything less than legitimate.
Aside from insurance in case of death in battle, the tradition also counteracts infertility, diversifies bloodlines, and welds the classes together.
My issue is I’m not sure what to call this kind of marriage, how the lowborn husbands and wives might be titled, or how the children might refer to them. Sociologically, I haven’t found clear equivalents to draw on. “Concubine” has connotations of enslavement, unwillingness, and a clear subordinance I’d like to avoid. If anyone has ideas for a better alternative, I’m all ears!
Much like the Scythians and Sarmatians who inspired them, the Marchers are very egalitarian when it comes to sex. Marcher women are warriors, rulers, merchants, landholders, heirs…the social equals of Marcher men in all respects. The Marchers are also a warrior culture; they’ve had to be to defend their rich pastures and fertile farmlands from outsiders, so Marcher noblemen and noblewomen alike are expected to lead their forces into battle and fight alongside them.
This means there’s an increased risk one or both of them dies in combat without heirs, threatening succession crises.
The solution? Marcher nobles often take husbands and wives from the commons as well as one of their own class. Sometimes a nobleman and noblewoman wed an existing freeholder couple. Sometimes all four are wed at once. Sometimes it’s a triad instead of a quad, with the lowborn member usually added on whichever side heads the household (i.e. a noblewoman who heads her house and her nobleman consort wed a woman from one of the lower classes).
Regardless of the specifics, all children from these unions are considered fully and solely children of the nobles. Genetics don’t matter, even when it’s obvious there isn’t a drop of noble blood in their veins. Marcher culture considers it uncouth to discriminate between these half-siblings or consider a child from these unions anything less than legitimate.
Aside from insurance in case of death in battle, the tradition also counteracts infertility, diversifies bloodlines, and welds the classes together.
My issue is I’m not sure what to call this kind of marriage, how the lowborn husbands and wives might be titled, or how the children might refer to them. Sociologically, I haven’t found clear equivalents to draw on. “Concubine” has connotations of enslavement, unwillingness, and a clear subordinance I’d like to avoid. If anyone has ideas for a better alternative, I’m all ears!
