The Medieval Marriage Market
By David Herlihy
Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Vol. 6:1 (1976)
Introduction: In the medieval world, as in most human societies, the terms of marriage normally included conveyances of property between the bride and groom, or their respective families. Assignments of property at marriage served many important functions. Gifts from the groom to the bride’s family may at one time have compensated that family for the loss of a daughter, but even the earliest medieval records preserve only fleetign glimpses of a true brideprice. These marital conveyances primarily served to cement the marriage and to help the newly formed household in its principal functions – the rearing of children and the support of its members.
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Tags: Social History
