Mariage blanc
Encyclopedia
Mariage blanc is a marriage which is without consummation
. The persons may have married for a variety of reasons, for example, a marriage of convenience
is usually entered into in order to aid or rescue one of the principals of the marriage from persecution or harm; or for economic, social or visa advantage. Another example is a lavender marriage
, one undertaken to disguise the homosexuality of at least one partner.
al blood on the couple's (white) wedding-night bed-sheets, however the French word blanc also means blank in the sense of empty, e.g. cartouche à blanc = a blank cartridge, one lacking a bullet.
marrying a Jew to protect that person during times of extreme anti-Semitism such as the lead-up to World War II
in areas of Europe menaced by Nazism
: "Baron Federico von Berzeviczy-Pallavicini . . . [d]uring the thirties
. . . made a mariage blanc with the niece of Demel's Jewish owners, which allowed her to enter a convent under his name and survive the war." (Demel's is a luxurious Viennese
confectionery, still in business today.)
, impotence or frigidity, chronic
illness or disability
. The marriages of Thomas Carlyle
, Author Frank Harris claims that Carlyle had confessed his impotence to him personally, and records an account by Mrs Carlye's doctor, who had examined and found her to be a virgin after 25 years of marriage. Harris's information is doubted by several scholars, the editor John Gallagher noted in a footnote. John Ruskin
, and Max Beerbohm
are alleged to have not consummated through impotence. The brief marriage of Tchaikovsky might be described as a "lavender marriage".
Consummation
Consummation is the initial sexual act made within a marriage.Consummation can also refer to:* Consummation , 1970 recordingSee also:* Consummation of days, event predicted in Daniel Chapter 12, verses 1-4...
. The persons may have married for a variety of reasons, for example, a marriage of convenience
Marriage of convenience
A marriage of convenience is a marriage contracted for reasons other than the reasons of relationship, family, or love. Instead, such a marriage is orchestrated for personal gain or some other sort of strategic purpose, such as political marriage. The phrase is a calque of - a marriage of...
is usually entered into in order to aid or rescue one of the principals of the marriage from persecution or harm; or for economic, social or visa advantage. Another example is a lavender marriage
Lavender marriage
Lavender marriage is a type of male-female marriage of convenience in which the couple are not both heterosexual and conceal the homosexual or bisexual orientation of one or both spouses...
, one undertaken to disguise the homosexuality of at least one partner.
Etymology
The expression may derive from the absence of hymenHymen
The hymen is a membrane that surrounds or partially covers the external vaginal opening. It forms part of the vulva, or external genitalia. The size of the hymenal opening increases with age. Although an often practiced method, it is not possible to confirm with certainty that a girl or woman is a...
al blood on the couple's (white) wedding-night bed-sheets, however the French word blanc also means blank in the sense of empty, e.g. cartouche à blanc = a blank cartridge, one lacking a bullet.
Cases
An example is of a GentileGentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
marrying a Jew to protect that person during times of extreme anti-Semitism such as the lead-up to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in areas of Europe menaced by Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
: "Baron Federico von Berzeviczy-Pallavicini . . . [d]uring the thirties
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
. . . made a mariage blanc with the niece of Demel's Jewish owners, which allowed her to enter a convent under his name and survive the war." (Demel's is a luxurious Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
confectionery, still in business today.)
Other reasons
A mariage blanc may also result if one or both partners discover after their wedding that they are either incapable of, or unwilling to take part in, sexual intercourse, for example, due to asexualityAsexuality
Asexuality , in its broadest sense, is the lack of sexual attraction and, in some cases, the lack of interest in sex. Sometimes, it is considered a lack of a sexual orientation...
, impotence or frigidity, chronic
Chronic
Chronic may refer to:* Chronic , a disease that is long-lasting and reoccurring.* Chronic toxicity, a substance with toxic effects after continuous or repeated exposure* The Chronic, a 1992 album by Dr. Dre...
illness or disability
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
. The marriages of Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
, Author Frank Harris claims that Carlyle had confessed his impotence to him personally, and records an account by Mrs Carlye's doctor, who had examined and found her to be a virgin after 25 years of marriage. Harris's information is doubted by several scholars, the editor John Gallagher noted in a footnote. John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
, and Max Beerbohm
Max Beerbohm
Sir Henry Maximilian "Max" Beerbohm was an English essayist, parodist and caricaturist best known today for his 1911 novel Zuleika Dobson.-Early life:...
are alleged to have not consummated through impotence. The brief marriage of Tchaikovsky might be described as a "lavender marriage".