The history of marriage - Alex Gendler

Povijest braka - Alex Gendler

Prevoditelj: Irma Komljenović Recezent: Ivan Stamenković

There have been many different things

Puno je raznih stvari

written and said about marriage.

rečeno i napisano o braku.

From the sweetly inspirational

Od slatko inspirativnog

to the hilariously cynical.

do urnebesno ciničnog.

But what many of them have in common

Zajedničko im je

is that they sound like they express

što zvuče kao da iskazuju

a universal and timeless truth,

univerzalnu, bezvremensku istinu,

when in fact nearly everything about marriage,

dok je zapravo svaka stavka braka,

from its main purpose

od njegove glavne svrhe

to the kinds of relationships it covers

do vrsta veza koje obuhvaća

to the rights and responsibilities involved,

te prava i odgovornosti uključenih,

has varied greatly between different eras,

varirala kroz različite ere,

cultures and social classes.

kulture i društvene klase.

So, let's take a quick look at

Pa, pogledajmo onda

the evolution of marriage.

evoluciju braka.

Pair bonding and raising children

Veze između parova i odgajanje djece

is as old as humanity itself.

stari su kao samo čovječanstvo.

With the rise of sedentary agricultural societies

Rastom sjedilačkih poljoprivrednih društava,

about 10,000 years ago,

prije otprilike 10,000 godina,

marriage was also a way

brak je postao način

of securing rights to land and property

učvršćivanja prava na zemlju i posjede

by designating children born under certain circumstances

imenovanjem djece rođenim pod određenim okolnostima

as rightful heirs.

kao zakonitim nasljednicima.

As these societies became larger and more complex,

Kako su ta društva postala veća i složenija,

marriage became not just a matter

brak više nije postao stvar

between individuals and families,

individualaca i obitelji,

but also an official institution

već službena institucija

governed by religious and civil authorities.

upravljana vjerskim i građanskim vlastima.

And it was already well established by 2100 B.C.

Bio je učvršćen već 2100 god. pr. Kr.,

when the earliest surviving written laws

kad su najstariji sačuvani zakoni

in the Mesopotamian Code of Ur-Nammu

u mezopotamijskom Ur-Nammuovom zakoniku

provided many specifics governing marriage,

dali mnoga pravila koja se tiču braka,

from punishments for adultery

od kazni za preljub

to the legal status of children born to slaves.

do zakonskog statusa djece robova.

Many ancient civilizations allowed some form of

Mnoge antičke civilizacije dopuštale su

multiple simultaneous marriage.

neku vrstu poligamije

And even today, less than a quarter of the world's

Čak i danas, manje od četvrtine

hundreds of different cultures prohibit it.

stotina kultura na svijetu ju zabranjuju.

But just because something was allowed

No ako je nešto bilo dopušteno,

doesn't mean it was always possible.

ne znači da je uvijek bilo moguće.

Demographic realities,

Demografska stvarnost,

as well as the link between marriage and wealth,

kao i poveznica braka i bogatstva,

meant that even though rulers and elites

značilo je da su vladari i elita

in Ancient Mesopotamia,

stare Mezopotamije,

Egypt and Israel

Egipta i Izraela

had multiple concubines or wives,

imali više konkubina ili žena,

most commoners could only afford one or two

dok su pučani mogli priuštiti tek jednu ili dvije,

tending towards monogamy in practice.

naginjući se prema prakticiranju monogamije.

In other places, the tables were turned,

U drugim je mjestima bila drukčija priča,

and a woman could have multiple husbands

pa je žena mogla imati više muževa,

as in the Himalayan Mountains

kao na Himalaji

where all brothers in a family

gdje su sva braća u obitelji

marrying the same woman

udajom za istu ženu

kept the small amount of fertile land

sačuvali mali komad plodne zemlje

from being constantly divided into new households.

umjesto da su ju dijelili po novim kućanstvima.

Marriages could vary

Brakovi su varirali,

not only in the number of people they involved

ne samo po broju uključenih ljudi,

but the types of people as well.

nego i po vrsti ljudi.

Although the names and laws for such arrangements

Iako su se imena i zakoni

may have differed,

o takvim sporazumima razlikovali,

publicly recognized same-sex unions

istospolne zajednice javljale su se

have popped up

i priznavane su

in various civilizations throughout history.

u više civilizacija u povijesti.

Mesopotamian prayers included blessings for such couples,

Mezopotamske molitve sadržale su blagoslove za takve parove,

while Native American Two-Spirit individuals

dok su dvodušni pojedinci američkih domorodaca

had relationships with both sexes.

bili u vezama s oba spola.

The first instances of such arrangements

Prvi primjeri takvih dogovora,

actually being called "Marriage"

zvanih "brakovi",

come from Rome,

dolaze iz Rima,

where the Emperors Nero and Elagabalus

gdje su carevi Neron i Elagabal

both married men in public ceremonies

oženili muškarce u javnim ceremonijama,

with the practice being explictly banned

a sam je običaj eksplicitno zabranjen

in 342 A.D.

342. g. poslije Krista.

But similar traditions survived

No slične su tradicije opstale

well into the Christian era,

i u novo kršćanskojj eri,

such as Adelphopoiesis,

poput adelphopoiesisa

or "brother-making" in Orthodox churches,

ili "bratotvornje" u pravoslavnim crkvama,

and even an actual marriage between two men

a čak je i pravi brak između dvojice muškaraca

recorded in 1061 at a small chapel in Spain.

zabilježen 1061. u kapelici u Španjolskoj.

Nor was marriage even necessarily

Brak nije nužno morao biti

between two living people.

zajednica dvoje živih ljudi.

Ghost marriages,

Brakovi s duhom,

where either the bride or groom were deceased,

u kojem su mlada ili mladoženja preminuli,

were conducted in China

vođeni su u Kini

to continue family lineages

kako bi održali obiteljske loze

or appease restless spirits.

ili smirili nemirne duše.

And some tribes in Sudan maintain similar practices.

Neka plemena u Sudanu drže se sličnih običaja.

Despite all these differences,

Unatoč svim razlikama,

a lot of marriages throughout history

puno je brakova kroz povijest

did have one thing in common.

imalo zajedničku osobinu.

With crucial matters

Važne stvari

like property and reproduction at stake,

poput imovine i potomstva,

they were way too important

bile su previše značajne

to depend on young love.

da bi ovisile o ljubavi mladih.

Especially among the upperclasses,

Često su, pogotovo u višim staležima,

matches were often made by families or rulers.

obitelji ili vladari određivali parove.

But even for commoners, who had some degree of choice,

No čak i za pučane, iako su imali određenu razinu izbora,

the main concern was practicality.

glavna je briga bila praktičnost.

The modern idea of marriage

Moderna ideja braka

as being mainly about love and companionship

u kojem su najbitniji ljubav i prijateljstvo

only emerged in the last couple of centuries.

pojavila se tek u zadnjih par stoljeća.

With industrialization,

S industrijalizacijom,

urbanization

urbanizacijom

and the growth of the middle class

i rastom srednje klase,

more people became independent

više je ljudi postalo neovisno

from large extended families

o velikim produženim obiteljima,

and were able to support

pa su bili sposobni osnovati

a new household on their own.

novo kućanstvo samostalno.

Encouraged by new ideas

Ohrabreni novim idejama

from the Enlightenment,

iz prosvjetiteljstva,

people began to focus

ljudi su se počinjali fokusirati

on individual happiness and pursuits,

na individualnu sreću i težnje,

rather than familial duty or wealth and status,

a ne obiteljske dužnosti, bogatstvo ili status,

at least some of the time.

barem nekad.

And this focus on individual happiness

Fokusiranje na sreću individualca

soon led to other transformations,

dovelo je do drugih promjena,

such as easing restrictions on divorce

poput olakšavanja zabrane rastave

and more people marrying at a later age.

i više ljudi vjenčanih u starijoj dobi.

So, as we continue to debate the role and definition

Dok raspravljamo o ulozi i definiciji

of marriage in the modern world,

braka u modernom svijetu,

it might help to keep in mind

bitno je zapamtiti

that marriage has always been shaped by society,

da je brak uvijek bio oblikovan društvom,

and as a society's

i dok se društvena

structure, values and goals

struktura, načela i ciljevi

change over time,

mijenjaju kroz vrijeme,

its ideas of marriage will continue to change along with them.

i njegove će se ideje braka nastaviti mijenjati.