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Bride kidnapping, also known as marriage by abduction or marriage by capture, is a form of marriage practiced in a few traditional cultures, in countries spanning Central Asia, the Caucasus region, parts of Africa, and among the Hmong in southeast Asia. In most countries, bride kidnapping is considered a sex crime, rather than a valid form of marriage. However, some versions of it may also be seen as falling along the continuum between forced marriage and arranged marriage. Image File history File links Merge-arrows. ... Matrimony redirects here. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caucasus Mountains. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Language(s) Hmong/Mong Religion(s) Shamanism, Buddhism, Christianity, others The terms Hmong (pronounced ) and Mong () both refer to an Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southern China. ... Sex crimes are forms of human sexual behavior that are crimes. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with marriage. ... Forced marriage is a term used in the Occident to describe traditional arranged marriages in which one or more of the parties (usually the woman) is married without his/her consent or against his/her will. ... Marriage à-la-mode by William Hogarth: a satire on arranged marriages and prediction of ensuing disaster The purpose of an arranged marriage is to form a new family unit by marriage while respecting the chastity of all people involved. ...

Background and rationale

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In agricultural and patriarchal societies, where bride kidnapping is most common, children work for their family. A woman leaves her birth family, geographically and economically, when she marries, becoming instead a member of the groom's family. (See patrilocality for an anthropological explanation.) Due to this loss of labor, the women's families do not want their daughters to marry young, and demand economic compensation known as a bride price when they do leave them. This conflicts with the interests of men, who want to marry early, as marriage means an increase in social status, and the interests of the groom's family, who will gain another pair of hands for the family farm or business. Paradoxically, being "kidnapped" might also be in the interests of the woman in such societies, as her role in the society would preclude her from choosing a husband for herself, at the risk of being disowned or even killed. It may also be the only socially acceptable way for her to become a mother, a desirable and highly prized status for many women. Depending on the legal system under which they live, the consent of the woman may not be a factor in judging the validity of the marriage. Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ... A patriarch (from Greek: patria means father; arché means rule, beginning, origin) is a male head of an extended family exercising autocratic authority, or, by extension, a member of the ruling class or government of a society controlled by senior men. ... English A term used by social anthropologists describing a socially instituted practice whereupon a married couple lives with or near the family of the husband. ... Bride price also known as bride wealth or a dower is an amount of money or property paid to the parents of a woman for the right to marry their daughter. ... Social status is the honor or prestige attached to ones position in society (ones social position). ... A bagpiper in Scottish military clan-uniform. ... Honour killings are often perpetrated in Muslim-majority areas, especially in countries of the Middle East. ... Look up mother in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The mechanism of bride kidnappings varies depending on where it is taking place.

Africa

In Ethiopia and Rwanda it is quite brutal, where the man kidnaps the woman and rapes her. The family of the woman either then feels obliged to consent to the union, or is forced to when the kidnapper impregnates her, as no one else would marry a pregnant woman. Kidnapper redirects here. ...

Central Asia

In Central Asia the practice is different. Bride kidnapping exists in Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Karakalpakstan. The young man decides he wishes to marry and asks his parents to pick him out a suitable bride, or is told by his parents that it is time he settled down and that they have found someone of the right background and attributes. (In this sense, it is similar to an arranged marriage, although the arranging is all on one side.) The prospective groom and his male relatives or friends or both abduct the girl (in the old nomadic days, on horseback; now often by car) and take her to the family home, where the older women of the family try to get her to accept the marriage. They may do this by pointing out the advantages of the union, such as the wealth of their smallholding, to show her what she would gain by joining their family. Some families will keep the girl hostage for several days to break her will. Others will let her go if she remains defiant; she may, for example, refuse to sit down or to eat, as a sign that she is refusing the proffered hospitality. During this period, the groom typically does not see the bride until she has agreed to marry or at least has agreed to stay. The kidnapped woman's family may also become involved in the process, either urging the woman to stay (particularly if the marriage is believed socially acceptable or advantageous for the prospective bride and her family), or opposing the marriage on various grounds and helping to liberate the woman. Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to... Karakalpakstan (Uzbek: Qoraqalpogiston Respublikasi or Қорақалпоғистон Республикаси; Karakalpak: Қарақалпақстан Республикасы or Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikası) is an autonomous republic of Uzbekistan. ... Marriage à-la-mode by William Hogarth: a satire on arranged marriages and prediction of ensuing disaster The purpose of an arranged marriage is to form a new family unit by marriage while respecting the chastity of all people involved. ... For the 2006 historical epic set in Kazakhstan, see Nomad (2006 film). ... Look up Smallholding on Wiktionary, the free dictionary A smallholding is a piece of land smaller than 50 acres, which is rented for the purposes of cultivation. ... For other uses, see Hostage (disambiguation). ...

While less violent than that practiced elsewhere, the essence of the process, in the model above, is still the same and in some cases does result in sexual violence. Such social stigma is attached to a refusal that the kidnapped woman usually feels that she has no choice but to agree, and some of those who refuse even commit suicide after the kidnapping [1]. The matter is somewhat confused by the local use of the term bride kidnap to reflect practices along a continuum, from forcible abduction and rape (and then, almost unavoidably, marriage), to something akin to an elopement arranged between the two young people, to which both sets of parents have to consent after the fact. Although the practice is illegal in Kyrgyzstan, bride kidnappers are rarely prosecuted, because many villages are de facto ruled by councils of elders following traditional cultural practices, away from the eyes of the state legal system. It was the Russian and later USSR colonizing powers that made the ancient practice of the nomads illegal, and so with the fall of the Soviet Union and the subsequent liberation of the Central Asian nations, many have harked back to old customs as a way of asserting cultural identity. Social stigma is severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs that are against cultural norms. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... Continuum theories or models explain variation as involving a gradual quantitative transition without abrupt changes or discontinuities. ... To elope, most literally, merely means to run away. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Soviet republics Area  - Total  - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 km² Approx. ...

Ala kachuu

Despite its illegality, in many, primarily rural, areas bride kidnapping is still the accepted way of taking a wife. This act of ala kachuu (to take and flee) prevails to this day, despite modern social and moral standards. Women play an integral role in the process: the success of the kidnapping is dependent on her conduct while she is held hostage. If she truly does not wish to stay, she will not accept the family's advances. She may tell them that she has a boyfriend, or impart to them that she is not a virgin, which still carries a major social stigma. Many of these women have boyfriends and participate in dating, which can make the experience all the more traumatic. A couple may court for many months, but another suitor could still kidnap the young woman, as she is unmarried. The question, "What would you do if you were kidnapped?" is asked of many Kyrgyz women in their late teens and early twenties. While this may not be their preferred method of becoming engaged, a majority of them, consensual or nonconsensual, do end up married in this way. Ala kachuu is a tradition that has endured to the present day in Central Asia and is integral to their society and culture. In Roman times, Vestal Virgins were strictly celibate or they were punished by death. ... Young people interacting within an ethnically diverse society. ... For other uses, see Culture (disambiguation). ...

Role of the family

The families of both the bride and the groom play large roles in these arranged marriages. The groom's family, primarily the menfolk, decide who they want to kidnap and take as the bride. Often, rather than selecting a particular young woman to kidnap, they select a house; that way they can still kidnap one of the sisters if the woman they desire is not home ^[1]. Once at the home of the bride, they grab the woman and bring her back to the groom's house. The girl's family is usually also there, as they know about the kidnapping and encourage their loved one to accept the man as her husband and to stay with him. The woman can still leave the house, but her family usually does everything in their power to convince the girl to stay. The reason for this is that as women get older, the culture sees them as less desirable. Therefore, the family has no idea if she will still be able to find a husband if she does not accept this man. Since young women are obedient to their parents in Central Asia, they will stay with the husband. ^[2] Bride Bride in formal dress North America. ... See also: A groom is a type of officer-servant in the British royal household. ...

Catholic law

In Catholic canon law, the impediment of raptus specifically prohibits marriage between a woman abducted with intent to force her to marry, and her abductor, as long as the woman remains in the abductor's power. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Canon law is the term used for... Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. ... The Latin Raptus has some specific meanings not fully captured by its English equivalent rapture, which currently has accrued among certain Christian millennarian sects additional connotations of End Times transport of redeemed Christians, which are treated at Rapture. ...

In history

Marriage by capture was practiced in ancient cultures throughout the Mediterranean area. It is represented in mythology and history by the tribe of Benjamin in the Bible[2]; by the Greek hero Paris stealing the beautiful Helen of Troy from her husband Menelaus, thus triggering the Trojan War; and by The Rape of the Sabine Women by Romulus, the founder of Rome (parodied by English short-story writer Saki in The Schartz-Metterklume Method). The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... HIStory – Past, Present and Future, Book I is a double album by American singer Michael Jackson released in June 1995 and remains Jacksons most conflicting and controversial release. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... See List of King Priams children Statue of Paris in the British Museum This article is about the prince of Troy. ... Helen was the wife of Menelaus and reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, and her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... The fall of Troy, by Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769). ... Facsimile of the sculpture in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. ... This page describes the ancient heroes who founded the city of Rome. ... Saki (December 18, 1870 – November 14, 1916) was the pen name of British author Hector Hugh Munro, whose witty and sometimes macabre stories satirised Edwardian society and culture. ...

According to some sources, the honeymoon is a relic of marriage by capture, based on the practice of the husband going into hiding with his wife to avoid reprisals from her relatives, with the intention that the woman would be pregnant by the end of the month.^{[citation needed]} A honeymoon is the traditional holiday taken by newlyweds to celebrate their marriage in intimacy and seclusion. ...

In film

Features

Bride capture has been displayed somewhat humorously in Pedro Almodovar's 1990 film ¡Átame! (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!), starring Antonio Banderas and Victoria Abril. It is the underlying theme behind the Korean movie The Bow, as well as the Soviet comedy Kidnapping, Caucasian Style (Russian: Кавказская пленница, или Новые приключения Шурика). It featured in the Hollywood musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Bride capture also offers a honorable solution in the Italian comedy Seduced and Abandoned. Pedro Almodóvar (born September 24, 1949) is a Spanish filmmaker. ... This article is about the year. ... Poster for ¡Átame! Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (¡Átame!) is a 1990 film by Pedro Almodóvar, an offbeat Spanish drama starring Antonio Banderas and Victoria Abril. ... José Antonio Domínguez Banderas (born August 10, 1960), better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor and singer who has starred in high-profile Hollywood films including Assassins, Interview with the Vampire, Mariachi sequels, Philadelphia, The Mask of Zorro, and the Shrek sequels. ... Victoria Abril (born Victoria Merida Rojas, July 4, 1959) is a highly respected Spanish film actress. ... The Bow (Korean title: Hwal) is a 2005 film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk. ... Soviet redirects here. ... Prisoner of the Caucasus, or Shuriks New Adventures (Russian: Кавказская пленница, или Новые приключения Шурика, Kavkazskaya plennitsa, ili Novie priklucheniya Shurika) also known as Kidnapping, Caucasian Style - a famous Soviet-era Russian comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai, the last film featuring the famous trio Coward — Booby — Experienced (Vitsin — Nikulin — Morgunov). ... Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - Movie CD cover Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a musical film released in 1954. ... Seduced and Abandoned (or Sedotta e abbandonata) is a 1964 Italian language comedy film directed by Pietro Germi. ...

In the 2006 comedy Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, the eponymous fictional reporter Borat, played by British comedian/satirist Sacha Baron Cohen, attempts to kidnap actress Pamela Anderson in order to take her as his wife. He brings a "wedding sack" which he has made for the occasion, suggesting that such kidnappings are a tradition in his parody of Kazakhstan. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Sacha Baron Cohen character Borat. For the movie, see Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. ... This article is about the British comedian. ... Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian/American[1] actress, sex symbol, glamour model, producer, TV personality, and author. ...

Documentaries

In 2005, a documentary titled Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan made by Petr Lom was presented at the UNAFF 2005 festival, and subsequently on PBS in the United States. The film met controversy in Kyrgyzstan because of ethical concerns about the filming of real kidnappings. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ...

In television

In the BBC radio and television comedy series The League of Gentlemen, the character Papa Lazarou comes to the fictional town of Royston Vasey under the guise of a peg-seller to kidnap women by entering their homes, talking gibberish to them (Gippog) and persuading them to hand over their wedding rings. He 'names' them all 'Dave', and, after obtaining their rings, proclaims; "you're my wife now". The League of Gentlemen is a quartet of British comedy writer/performers, formed in 1995 by Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. ... Reece Shearsmith as Papa Lazarou. ... Royston Vasey is: the real name of Roy Chubby Brown the fictional setting of The League of Gentlemen (comedy) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... In the television series The League of Gentlemen, Gippog is the Gibberish language that Papa Lazarou speaks. ... A wedding ring or wedding band consists of a precious metal ring. ...

Bibliography

• Barnes, R. H. “Marriage by Capture.” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Vol. 5, No. 1. (March 1999), pp. 57-73.

• Bates, Daniel G. “Normative and Alternative Systems of Marriage among the Yörük of Southeastern Turkey.” Anthropological Quarterly, 47:3 (Jul., 1974), pp. 270-287.

• Handrahan, Lori. 2004. “Hunting for Women: Bride-Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan.” International Feminist Journal of Politics, 6:2 (June), 207–233.

• Herzfeld, Michael “Gender Pragmatics: Agency, Speech, and Bride Theft in a Cretan Mountain Village.” Anthropology 1985, Vol. IX: 25-44.

• Kleinbach, Russell. “Frequency of non-consensual bride kidnapping in the Kyrgyz Republic.” International Journal of Central Asian Studies. Vol 8, No 1, 2003, pp 108–128.

• Light, Nathan and Damira Imanalieva. “Performing Ala Kachuu: Marriage Strategies in the Kyrgyz Republic”.

• ——, Mehrigiul Ablezova and Medina Aitieva. “Kidnapping for marriage (ala kachuu) in a Kyrgyz village.” Central Asian Survey. (June 2005) 24(2), 191–202.

• Pusurmankulova, Burulai. "Bride Kidnapping. Benign Custom Or Savage Tradition?" [3] under the auspices of Freedom House

• Stross, Brian. “Tzeltal Marriage by Capture.” Anthropological Quarterly. 47:3 (July 1974), pp. 328-346.

• Werner, Cynthia, “Women, marriage, and the nation-state: the rise of nonconsensual bride kidnapping in post-Soviet Kazakhstan,” in The Transformation of Central Asia. Pauline Jones Luong, ed. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2004, pp. 59–89.

The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (RAI) (founded 1871) is the oldest anthropological society in the world. ... Anthropological Quarterly is a widely read peer-reviewed journal covering topics in social and cultural anthropology. ... International Feminist Journal of Politics is the only journal in the field of International Relations and International Political Economy to focus on gender issues in global politics. ... Freedom House is a United States-based international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights. ... Cornell University Press, established in 1869, was the first university publishing enterprise in the United States and is one of the countrys largest university presses. ...

See also

• Bride price
• Stockholm syndrome, when a captive grows to identify with their captor
• Honor killing
• Shotgun wedding
• Shivaree

Bride price also known as bride wealth or a dower is an amount of money or property paid to the parents of a woman for the right to marry their daughter. ... For other uses, see Stockholm syndrome (disambiguation). ... Honour killings are often perpetrated in Muslim-majority areas, especially in countries of the Middle East. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into forced marriage. ... Shivaree performing live in London on 21st April 2005 Shivaree is a three-person American band formed in 1999 consisting of Ambrosia Parsley (vocals), Danny McGough (keyboard), and Duke McVinnie (guitar). ...

References

External links

• The Kidnapped Bride: A documentary by Petr Lom
• Spotlight on: Violence Against Girls in Ethiopia -- Marriage by Abduction and Rape
• Rights-Rwanda: Marriage by Abduction Worries Women's Groups
• "Authorities: Parents drove away with bride", CNN.com, October 3, 2006