In the ancient tradition of marriage, the man was required to give a dowry to the woman, and the amount of the dowry has always attracted attention.
Nowadays, the man's financial strength plays a pivotal role in marriage, and in addition to the house and car, the payment of the bride price has also become an important consideration. While people lament that "it is difficult to bear the weight of marriage", we may also wish to review the dowry system in ancient marriage customs.
1. The dowry in ancient wedding customs
1. The dowry occupies a pivotal position in ancient wedding ceremonies. Although there are differences in various periods and regions in ancient wedding ceremonies, they basically include six stages: Nacai, Mingming, Naji, Nazheng, Invitation, and Greeting, which are collectively known as the "Six Rites". Among them, "recruitment" is the link where the man sends the dowry gift to the woman's home.
2. Dowry, that is, the property given by the man to the woman in order to express his sincerity and indicate the intention of possession, commonly known as "next hiring". It sends the message: "If you accept my family's dowry, you are my family." ”
3. The evolution of the bride price can be traced back to the ancient tribal period. In the beginning, hunting was the focus of life, and the bride price was mostly whole deer, which later evolved into deer skin. With the evolution of the times, birds and beasts have become the main ingredient of the dowry. In Cui Yan's "Wedding Text", there is a record of "commissioning birds and geese, with deerskin". After the rise of agriculture and textiles, cloth gradually replaced birds and beasts and became the protagonist of the dowry. As stated in "Weifeng Hooligans": "Hooligans, hugging cloth trade silk." Bandits come to trade silk, and I seek to come. This is an example of cloth as an example.
In the Warring States Period, money began to be used for dowry, and in the Han Dynasty, gold became the main part of the dowry, supplemented by other physical objects, and in the Sui and Tang dynasties, there were many kinds of dowry, including gold, silver, jewelry, satin cloth, and clothing and bedding. During the Song Dynasty, tea became almost an indispensable element in the dowry, and tea cakes were indispensable even if the family was poor. Therefore, the folk dowry is also known as "tea ceremony", "tea ceremony" or "tea ceremony". At the same time, gold and silver jewelry also became a symbol of status and wealth during this period. During the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, it inherited the dowry customs of the Song Dynasty and added clothing, jewelry, food, wine and other contents.
2. The amount of the dowry in ancient times
So, were there certain rules for the amount of dowry in ancient times? Is there a clear standard for the amount of dowry as it is today? In fact, the amount of dowry in ancient times was affected by multiple factors such as era, region, and family situation, so there were great differences. In practice, the amount of the bride price is agreed upon according to the approximate standards of the time, as well as the social status and economic conditions of the families of both parties. Even in families with limited financial means, the dowry is often given quite generously, as it is seen as a matter of face.
The amount of this bride price is usually negotiated by the parents of both men and women through matchmakers. When the parties disagree, the matchmaker needs to reconcile them to facilitate the smooth progress of the marriage. Of course, it is not uncommon for the bride price to vary too much and not get married. It can be seen that lamenting that "can't afford to marry" is not the patent of modern people, and the ancients also had their difficulties.