It is these days that women can make a living on their own. If desired, the fair sex devotes their time to their careers and, by and large, do not need a "strong male shoulder". All the hard housework is done by household appliances, delivery services bring food and furniture, and cleaning specialists help with cleaning the apartment.
But even some 300 years ago, life was far from modern realities. Women who had sat up in girls were perceived by those around them as flawed and unhappy. That is why the main girlish fear was "no one will marry." This will probably surprise you, but the 18-year-old bride in Russia was considered overgrown.
Parents' blessing
And here is a well-known fact: marriages were concluded only with the blessing of parents. By and large, young people did not decide anything when choosing their soul mate. Mother and father knew better what kind of marriage would be strong, and what would make their daughter or son deeply unhappy. But before sending in matchmakers, it was necessary to choose the best bride. What were our ancestors guided in their choice?
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The appearance of the bride
A good wife had to be able to do all the housework, keep livestock and work in the fields. Most of the peasant families survived by running subsidiary plots, therefore, burly young ladies, literally full of health, were especially appreciated. Excessive thinness was identified with soreness. How could a girl weighing 40 kilograms mow hay for several hours in a row in the heat, milk cows and carry buckets of milk?
There were no assistants in the huts in the form of electrical household appliances. The women themselves weaved yarn, sewed, knitted and ironed themselves using special devices, many of which were heavy. They dragged water from a well into the house, washed and rinsed things in natural reservoirs, and in the summer they worked on sowing crops. Therefore, girls with well-developed muscle mass, dexterous, agile, hardworking and curvaceous were appreciated.
In addition, thinness was associated with poverty and malnutrition. As you can imagine, not a single groom dreamed of a wife without a dowry. Everyone wanted to get married with the greatest benefit for themselves and their family.
Good fertility
The perfect bride's cheeks should have been full of blush. This indicator was considered a sign of excellent health. Wide hips spoke of fertility - and this was another important criterion. In the old days, medicine and obstetrics were poorly developed, so often children died in infancy. The narrower the girl's pelvis, the more problems during childbirth. Well, if a woman could not have children, she was considered flawed at all.
Good dowry
If the parents wanted to successfully marry their daughter, they accumulated a dowry from her birth. The chest contained everything: from household utensils and cuttings of fabric to curtains and bed linen. The richer the savings were, the greater the chances of getting a respectable groom from a good family. The nobles' dowry was calculated in gold, precious stones, real estate and securities.
The amount of the dowry was never kept secret. The parents of the potential bride believed that the more people learn about the wealth of the family, the faster their house will meet matchmakers. From here came the expression "to fill the price" - to brag about their savings. Well, if wealthy commoners wanted to get a title of nobility, they could easily do it with the help of a dowry. They gave their daughter in marriage to an impoverished nobleman, and everyone was happy.
Chastity
Of course, the ideal bride must have kept her virginity until marriage. Therefore, parents looked after their daughters and did not allow them to have casual love affairs. But since the girls got married early (before reaching the age of 18), many of them did not even think about debauchery. But a widowed woman with a child could easily find a husband for herself, since she was automatically ranked among those who are able to provide a family with healthy offspring.
It is noteworthy that before Russia adopted Christianity, virginity not only did not play any role for marriage, but even was something shameful. If the groom on his wedding night discovered that he had got a virgin, he could get angry and kick her out of the house. No one wanted a wife who was inexperienced in sexual pleasures. However, with the advent of Christianity, everything changed dramatically. Harlots began to be persecuted and ostracized, and even severely beaten by their relatives.
Lack of external markings
If the matchmakers noticed a rash, birthmarks or a banal runny nose on the bride, they immediately turned around and left. A girl with a sickly appearance could only get married if an incredibly rich dowry was given for her. The relatives guarded the bride right up to the wedding. The mother fed her daughter from her own hands to avoid accidental poisoning from the "loving mother-in-law".
Age of marriage
In ancient times, most cultures believed that girls and boys could marry once they reached puberty, so the 12-year-old bride was no surprise. In Russia, as a rule, the groom was 2-3 years older than his betrothed. This age difference was considered ideal. And only in 1775 the synod approved a new law. From now on, girls were allowed to marry no earlier than 16 years old, and young men were allowed to marry no earlier than 18 years old.
How do you feel about the traditions of our ancestors?
Author: Inga Kaisina