Marriage in Traditional African Society and It’s Televance Essay

The African marriage is full of deep-rooted culture that cannot be wished away. African culture and traditions are handed put through from generation to generation. The African marriage is an integral part of the whole African culture and was a Lords Supper of passage for every mature gentle man and woman. In African tradition, marriage was done after mortal had gone through the adolescent stage where different lessons on respect, morality and upholding the tribes culture and traditions. Once the man found a wench who was willing to tie him and of his choice, the man and his kin would go and visit the ladys family and get permission from the brides parents. He would visit the home with a few of his peers and they would gestate in the simba (bachelors hut) as the man went to get confirmation from the brides family. If he received good newsworthiness he would come back and tell his peers. This tralatitious practise is still relevant as it is venerating for a suitor to get per mission from the brides family if he should marry their fille.Though not arbitrary in todays society, it is a good show of faith from the brides family that they entrust their daughter in the mans hands. The circumstances ceremony which was known as Ayie (which means I agree). The mans family would visit the womans homestead. It is on the Ayie ceremony that a groom officially meets the parents of the bride for the kickoff time all other visits that could have taken place prior to the Ayie ceremony are unauthorized and in some cases may attract disciplinary action on the groom. If a groom visits the parents of the bride precisely without the intention to pay Ayie during the visit, he may be considered undisciplined, as his action may be interpret as arrogance or prematurely show off his relationship with the bride to her parents to time, although the mother of the bride may act a higher price whilst the groom may also negotiate a lower price.The dowry ceremony is still releva nt in todays society as its a sign of appreciation to the brides family for taking care of her. Polygamy in traditional Luo society is rampant. The man was allowed to marry to marry as many wives as he wished.This practice, though now constitutional is irrelevant in that most Luo men of today are Christians and conduct religious wedding ceremonies which forbid the union of a man to more than one woman. The practice is also expensive and does not cater for the needs of the women in the relationship. There was also wife inheritance in traditional Luo society. Once a womans husband died one of his brothers was to cater to all her needs and would take her in as a wife. This practice caused emotional distress to the mourning widow and also allowed for the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS. The traditional Luo marriage ceremony has its pros and cons. Like in every culture there are many classic values to carry on and many practices that cannot be sustained in the 21st century. As indiv iduals it is up to us to sift through the good in every culture and adapt it or gift away the irrelevant.