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Polygamy

Polygamy is the practice of having more than one spouse at a time. The word polygamy refers to both men with multiple wives and women with multiple husbands. However, it is most often used to refer only to men having multiple wives. This is rightfully known as polygyny, whereas polyandry is the correct term for a woman having multiple husbands. Polygyny is accepted by many world cultures, most notably in Muslim countries, where there are no laws against the practice. Polygyny is also accepted in many places in Africa and Asia, but is becoming less and less commonplace. Polyandry has occurred only sporadically among the ancient Britons, the primitive Arabs, the Aborigines of America, the Hottentots, and the inhabitants of the Canary Islands, India, Ceylon, Tibet, Malabar, and New Zealand. In none of these cultures was polyandry viewed as the “norm;” monogamy and polygyny were much more common.
The problem with polygamy is not the practice itself, although some people wo...

Posted by: Tamara Moore

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