The concept and institution of marriage in ancient society largely shaped people's lifestyles and family relationships.
In that era, marriage was not only a private matter between two people, but also an important guarantee of social stability and family continuity. Especially for large families, marriage is more of a responsibility that is restricted by society and regulations. The age requirement is not simply to encourage early marriage, but takes into account physical development and social needs. The official age of early marriage, although it restricts individual freedom, is seen as part of social responsibility, and it is not advisable for the government to marry late. The emergence of forced marriage policies and fines has urged women to marry as soon as possible in order to maintain population reproduction and social order. However, the implementation of these policies is not limited to age, but also involves marriage matching, and although the principle of "no marriage with the same surname" is followed, there are no strict restrictions on marriages that are related to the maternal line.
In ancient societies, marriages between cousins were widely accepted and recognized. This kinship is seen as a harmonious choice within the family, as both parties have the same family background and are more familiar with each other, which is believed to guarantee a stronger marriage. Family continuity and inheritance are seen as another benefit of this type of marriage, especially in the royal family, where such marriages are more common. Even in the royal family, marriages between cousins were quite common, and were believed to help maintain the family's pure blood and serve as a political bond.
The phenomenon of ancient marriages reflected in literary works, especially consanguineous marriages, seems to ignore issues such as deformed children. This may be due to the fact that ancient people had a vague understanding of kinship and the marriage system, and failed to clearly regard the marriage of cousins and cousins as the marriage of close relatives.
The scientific point of view clearly states that whether it is a cousin or a cousin, there is a common blood relationship within three generations is considered consanguineous marriage. However, ancient people may not have understood the dangers of consanguineous marriages, and their lack of understanding of anomalies may have led to the frequent occurrence of these marriages in literature, but there are few records of deformed children.
The birth of a malformed child can lead to panic and helplessness among parents, especially in ancient times when medical care was limited, and this dilemma may have prompted parents to make extreme choices. Although the ancients did not deeply understand the risks posed by consanguineous marriage, this phenomenon cannot escape its inevitability. The incomprehension of anomalous phenomena in ancient society, as well as the excessive focus on family honor, may have contributed to this cruel reality.
