Friedelehe
Encyclopedia
Friedelehe is the term for a postulated form of Germanic
marriage
said to have existed during the Early Middle Ages
. This concept was introduced into mediaeval historiography
during the 1920s by Herbert Meyer
. Whether such a marriage form actually existed remains controversial.
friudil, which meant "lover", or "sweetheart"; this is in turn derived from frijōn "to love". The OHG friudil was parallel to the Old Norse
fridl, frilla, modern Danish
and Norwegian
frille "lover".
Friedel is compounded with the word Ehe "marriage", from OHG ēha or ēa "marriage", which in turn harks back to the form ēwa, meaning (approximately) cosmic or divine "law". An OHG form *friudilēha is itself apparently not attested, contributing to the controversy about the authenticity of the modern term.
According to Meyer, Friedelehe was declared illegitimate by the Church in the 9th Century. Nevertheless, vestiges of this form of marriage are said have persisted until modern times reflected in the form of the Morganatic marriage
(also called left-hand marriage).
In addition to Friedelehe there are said to have existed in the Middle Ages the aforementioned Muntehe, Kebsehe (concubinage
), Raubehe (abduction
) and Entführungsehe (elopement),
The following points of criticism have been raised:
That Meyers' theory was still able to prevail in this field of research for decades may be attributed to the specific context in which it developed. It was, on the one hand, a time in the 19th and early 20th century characterized by the search for historical models for freer choice in the amatory realm
; on the other hand, it was precisely during the time of the Nazi regime, which was careful to ensure that Meyer's theory was not overlooked, since it fit very well into the Nazi ideology emphasizing Germanic heritage and promoting a higher birthrate (cf. Lebensborn
).
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
said to have existed during the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
. This concept was introduced into mediaeval historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
during the 1920s by Herbert Meyer
Herbert Oskar Meyer
Herbert Oskar Meyer was a German jurist and historian....
. Whether such a marriage form actually existed remains controversial.
Etymology
The term Friedelehe means approximately "lover marriage". The modern German word Friedel is derived from the Old High GermanOld High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
friudil, which meant "lover", or "sweetheart"; this is in turn derived from frijōn "to love". The OHG friudil was parallel to the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
fridl, frilla, modern Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
and Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
frille "lover".
Friedel is compounded with the word Ehe "marriage", from OHG ēha or ēa "marriage", which in turn harks back to the form ēwa, meaning (approximately) cosmic or divine "law". An OHG form *friudilēha is itself apparently not attested, contributing to the controversy about the authenticity of the modern term.
Defining characteristics of Friedelehe according to Meyer
According to Meyer, the characteristics or Friedelehe were:- The husband did not become the legal guardian of the woman, in contrast to the Muntehe, or dowered marriage.
- The marriage was based on a consensual agreement between husband and wife, that is, both had the desire to marry.
- The woman had the same right as the man to ask for divorce.
- Friedelehe was usually contracted between couples from different social status.
- Friedelehe was not synonymous with polygynyPolygynyPolygyny is a form of marriage in which a man has two or more wives at the same time. In countries where the practice is illegal, the man is referred to as a bigamist or a polygamist...
, but enabled it. - The children of a Friedelehe were not under the control of the father, but only that of the mother.
- Children of a Friedelehe initially enjoyed full inheritance rights; under the growing influence of the church their position was continuously weakened.
- A Friedelehe came into being solely by public conveyance of the bride to the groom's domicile and the wedding night consummation; the bride also received a Morgengabe.
- A Friedelehe was able to be converted into a Muntehe (dowered or guardianship marriage), if the husband subsequently conveyed bridewealth.
According to Meyer, Friedelehe was declared illegitimate by the Church in the 9th Century. Nevertheless, vestiges of this form of marriage are said have persisted until modern times reflected in the form of the Morganatic marriage
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
(also called left-hand marriage).
In addition to Friedelehe there are said to have existed in the Middle Ages the aforementioned Muntehe, Kebsehe (concubinage
Concubinage
Concubinage is the state of a woman or man in an ongoing, usually matrimonially oriented, relationship with somebody to whom they cannot be married, often because of a difference in social status or economic condition.-Concubinage:...
), Raubehe (abduction
Raptus
Raptus is the Latin for "seized", from rapere "to seize". In Roman law the term covered many crimes of property, and women were considered property.It may refer to:*any literal seizure**confiscation**robbery**kidnapping**raptio, i.e...
) and Entführungsehe (elopement),
Criticism of Meyer's definition
According to recent research (among others that of Else Ebel, Karl Heidecker and Andrea Esmyol), indications have accumulated providing evidence to the effect that Friedelehe is a mere research artifact, a construct that arose from a faulty interpretation of the sources by Meyers. In particular Esmyol has refuted the basic assumptions of Meyer's definition in her dissertation Lover or Wife? Concubines in the Early Middle Ages.The following points of criticism have been raised:
- After reviewing the Old Norse sources used by Meyer, Ebel can not confirm his conclusions. In particular she offers the criticism that his citations had been taken out of context, distorting their meaning.
- According to Esmyol, the textual citations used by Meyer all relate either to concubinage or to dowered marriages, and do not lead to any conclusions about the existence of a freer form of marriage such as Friedelehe.
- In addition, most of the sources frequently employed by Meyer date from a times in which, even according to his own opinion, Friedelehe no longer existed.
That Meyers' theory was still able to prevail in this field of research for decades may be attributed to the specific context in which it developed. It was, on the one hand, a time in the 19th and early 20th century characterized by the search for historical models for freer choice in the amatory realm
Free love
The term free love has been used to describe a social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social bondage. The Free Love movement’s initial goal was to separate the state from sexual matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery...
; on the other hand, it was precisely during the time of the Nazi regime, which was careful to ensure that Meyer's theory was not overlooked, since it fit very well into the Nazi ideology emphasizing Germanic heritage and promoting a higher birthrate (cf. Lebensborn
Lebensborn
Lebensborn was a Nazi programme set up by SS leader Heinrich Himmler that provided maternity homes and financial assistance to the wives of SS members and to unmarried mothers, and also ran orphanages and relocation programmes for children.Initially set up in Germany in 1935, Lebensborn expanded...
).
Literature
- Meyer, Herbert. Friedelehe und Mutterrecht (Friedelehe and Maternal Rights). Weimar 1927 (In spite of the rather old publication date, this continues to be the central work for Friedelehe.)
- Ebel, Else. Der Konkubinat nach altwestnordischen Quellen: Philologische Studien zur sogenannten "Friedelehe." (Concubinage According to Old West Nordic Sources: Philological Studies on the So-Called "Friedelehe."). Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde 8, Berlin, Walter de Gruyter, 1993.
- Esmyol, Andrea. Geliebte oder Ehefrau? Konkubinen im frühen Mittelalter (Lover or Wife? Concubines in the early Middle Ages). Beihefte zum Archiv für Kulturgeschichte 52, Bohlau Verlag, Cologne 2002, ISBN 3-412-11901-6.
- Peuckert, Will-Erich. Ehe; Weiberzeit-Männerzeit-Saeterehe-Hofehe-Freie Ehe. Classen, Hamburg.