Polygamy was normal for me growing up.
There were several reasons why polygamy was accepted.
Many marriages were arranged and women were expected to stay in those marriages.
Polygamy also took place where the first wife did not have children and had a younger sister whom she introduces to her husband.
Marriages of this kind strengthened family and tribal ties and less jealousy involved.
Some people married second or third wives because they would prove to the village that they were still sexually attractive, but some were for show.
For example, the first wife was expected to take care of the whole family while the second wife would be travelling with the husband to various functions.
Chiefs and people in authority were expected to have more than one wife.
It was prestigious to do so.
I grew up in a polygamous home.
My father had two wives.
The first wife had ten children and my mother had twelve children of whom I am the first born.
As a child, I never understood a lot of things, but could not stop wondering why my mother and my siblings lived with my grandmother and my other mother lived ten miles away.
At about age seven, I could hear my father and grandmother talking about the jealousy that existed between my mother and her rival.
My mother lived with my other mother before she was married to my father.
In those days, there were very few good schools for girls.
It happened that my other mother was a school teacher and easily accommodated my mother during her schooling years.
I do not know all about the details, but I was told that my parents eloped for fear of the first wife's rage.
Nobody talked about it much because it was the custom and norm in the village.
My uncle had two wives.
The first wife had thirteen single children, and the second wife had twelve children with sets of triplets, and two sets of twins.
People who had only one wife was considered failures or rather believed that their wives ruled and control them.
Polygamy was practiced in the Old Testament and it was not discouraged.
One typical and a very dysfunctional family were Jacob and his two wives Leah and Rachel.
Briefly, Jacob was cheated by his future father in law to marry Leah whom he did not love and waited seven more years to marry the love of his life - Rachel.
(Genesis 29:12-35) "When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister" (Genesis 30: 1 - New International Version).
The jealousy that raged among the children of Jacob ended by the brothers selling their own brother Joseph as a slave to Ishmaelites for a few pennies.
Marriage in itself is touch, but it is twice as hard when a man has two or more wives.
Open polygamous marriages are easy to deal with than a man or woman having infidelity.
Seeking help with a marriage therapist is an option.
There were several reasons why polygamy was accepted.
Many marriages were arranged and women were expected to stay in those marriages.
Polygamy also took place where the first wife did not have children and had a younger sister whom she introduces to her husband.
Marriages of this kind strengthened family and tribal ties and less jealousy involved.
Some people married second or third wives because they would prove to the village that they were still sexually attractive, but some were for show.
For example, the first wife was expected to take care of the whole family while the second wife would be travelling with the husband to various functions.
Chiefs and people in authority were expected to have more than one wife.
It was prestigious to do so.
I grew up in a polygamous home.
My father had two wives.
The first wife had ten children and my mother had twelve children of whom I am the first born.
As a child, I never understood a lot of things, but could not stop wondering why my mother and my siblings lived with my grandmother and my other mother lived ten miles away.
At about age seven, I could hear my father and grandmother talking about the jealousy that existed between my mother and her rival.
My mother lived with my other mother before she was married to my father.
In those days, there were very few good schools for girls.
It happened that my other mother was a school teacher and easily accommodated my mother during her schooling years.
I do not know all about the details, but I was told that my parents eloped for fear of the first wife's rage.
Nobody talked about it much because it was the custom and norm in the village.
My uncle had two wives.
The first wife had thirteen single children, and the second wife had twelve children with sets of triplets, and two sets of twins.
People who had only one wife was considered failures or rather believed that their wives ruled and control them.
Polygamy was practiced in the Old Testament and it was not discouraged.
One typical and a very dysfunctional family were Jacob and his two wives Leah and Rachel.
Briefly, Jacob was cheated by his future father in law to marry Leah whom he did not love and waited seven more years to marry the love of his life - Rachel.
(Genesis 29:12-35) "When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister" (Genesis 30: 1 - New International Version).
The jealousy that raged among the children of Jacob ended by the brothers selling their own brother Joseph as a slave to Ishmaelites for a few pennies.
Marriage in itself is touch, but it is twice as hard when a man has two or more wives.
Open polygamous marriages are easy to deal with than a man or woman having infidelity.
Seeking help with a marriage therapist is an option.
Source...