Do you think the ancient Egyptians got it right?

The three rings of marriage...

The engagement ring, the wedding ring...and the suffer-ring.

+++++++

Ancient Egypt was a very advanced society in many ways. They had a deep bureaucracy, layered, complex. They had a middle class, some advanced math, advanced tools...all kinds of things.

So, any ideas they had seem worth investigating.

++++++

I don't think the institution of marriage that we have needs amending.

I think everything around it needs amending. We let our children jump into sexual relationships without meaning. People don't take the time to get to know each other before marriage. We do so many things wrong. If we did those things right, I don't think the divorce rate would be anything close to what it is.

Too much financial pressure on relationships. Both parents have to work. No time for the kids, no time for the relationship.

Top to bottom, many things need to change.
 
Not just the Ancient Egyptians. The Celts paired up with someone for just a year. At the end of the year, they then decided whether they wanted to continue together for another year, or split up. As a result, many women had children with different fathers. The fathers acknowledged their children and were responsible for their welfare. The boys were taught the skills they needed to be part of the community....using weapons, hunting etc....the girls were taught feminine skills. Older people were not discarded....they helped educate the children and continued to contribute to the community as long as they were able to.
This is a much more natural way of life for humans, and is still followed by 'primitive' societies.
 
JonSR77 said:
Yes, many of them left the Mid-East, slowly traveled to what is now Ireland, made the journey across the sea and settled in Appalachia. They introduced the banjo and harmonica to the New World, as well as the greeting card, "Happy Birthday, Uncle-Dad."
Click to expand...
I realize you meant this to be funny. But I would like to ask you to consider that this is the continuation of an insulting stereotype.
I also understand that it is still acceptable in the USA to insult and ridicule the people of Appalachia and the South but it sure gets old after awhile.
 
MountainRa said:
I realize you meant this to be funny. But I would like to ask you to consider that this is the continuation of an insulting stereotype.
I also understand that it is still acceptable in the USA to insult and ridicule the people of Appalachia and the South but it sure gets old after awhile.
Click to expand...
Nope. Not as a joke. I wondered if marriage was not such a huge production- a formal wedding, and a protracted, bitter divorce in the courts; than we may avoid a lot of emotional turmoil?????
I've known a few couples, who thought they wanted to marry, but had second opinions, but because of the looming planned formal wedding, they were forced into marriage. Of course the marriages lasted less than a year or two.
I believe that it was the royal family which practiced incest to ensure the blood was kept royal, as they were gods, I'm not sure this was a general practice.
 
MountainRa said:
I realize you meant this to be funny. But I would like to ask you to consider that this is the continuation of an insulting stereotype.
I also understand that it is still acceptable in the USA to insult and ridicule the people of Appalachia and the South but it sure gets old after awhile.
Click to expand...
well, to be honest, you are certainly correct about that.

I used to perform as a stand-up comedian, back in the 90s.

Pretty much, no matter what you say onstage, it will offend someone.


So, there is a general "agreement" between the performer and audience, what kinds of subjects are ok.


So, you don't go to West Virginia and tell hillbilly jokes.

But, it is such a generalized thing...like marriage jokes...that commonly, there is an understanding that it is just all in good fun and not any kind of real criticism of the people from that area.


Again, if you are performing that part of the country, you don't tell those jokes. But because it is generalized and "known" that it is all in good fun....hillbilly jokes are generally accepted as fair game.


If you think this is offensive, I was once taken to a gig. I had prepared a bunch of Mafia jokes. Sitting right in the front row, was the actual NJ Mafia.

Can't make that up.

Not a good show.

And, no, I didn't tell a single Mafia joke...just made up stuff on the fly and completely bombed.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Nope. Not as a joke. I wondered if marriage was not such a huge production- a formal wedding, and a protracted, bitter divorce in the courts; than we may avoid a lot of emotional turmoil?????
I've known a few couples, who thought they wanted to marry, but had second opinions, but because of the looming planned formal wedding, they were forced into marriage. Of course the marriages lasted less than a year or two.
I believe that it was the royal family which practiced incest to ensure the blood was kept royal, as they were gods, I'm not sure this was a general practice.
Click to expand...

I think it is about the entirety of the culture, not just marriage itself. If the entirety of the culture is balanced and healthy and supports the human spirit...it is good.

I think, generally, cultural concepts that developed (and were refined) over the course of thousands of years...tend to have a lot of merit, or, at least, some good merit.

So, I have great respect for the ancient Egyptian culture. And also, all the major ancient cultures....China, Indus Valley, Greek, Roman, etc. etc. So many of these ancient cultures achieved incredible things.

I took The Teaching Company's course on Egyptian History. Was wonderful. The professor that they got to teach it, does TV shows for the History Channel, National Geographic and on.

He got permission from the Egyptian government to take a cadaver and embalm the cadaver according to the ancient mummification rituals of Egyptian culture...was incredibly fascinating.
 
JonSR77 said:
Yes, many of them left the Mid-East, slowly traveled to what is now Ireland, made the journey across the sea and settled in Appalachia. They introduced the banjo and harmonica to the New World, as well as the greeting card, "Happy Birthday, Uncle-Dad."
Click to expand...
https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/exhibitions/the-banjo-from-africa-to-america-and-beyond/
http://www.banjohistory.com/article/detail/1_gourd_banjos_from_africa_to_the_appalachians
https://www.npr.org/2008/10/12/95607716/bringing-the-banjo-from-africa-to-appalachia
 
MountainRa said:
I realize you meant this to be funny. But I would like to ask you to consider that this is the continuation of an insulting stereotype.
I also understand that it is still acceptable in the USA to insult and ridicule the people of Appalachia and the South but it sure gets old after awhile.
Click to expand...
I agree, the fk'ing joke is old.
 
MountainRa said:
I realize you meant this to be funny. But I would like to ask you to consider that this is the continuation of an insulting stereotype.
I also understand that it is still acceptable in the USA to insult and ridicule the people of Appalachia and the South but it sure gets old after awhile.
Click to expand...
Several Southern boys- Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White performed as the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, and made pretty good money poking fun at the Southern stereotypes. They were hilarious, drew huge crowds of rednecks that just had a good time, and weren't offended.
 
I was unable to attend my niece's elaborate wedding, because I had a spinal condition and couldn't drive. My ex sister-in -law still detests me because I didn't come. That was 48 years ago. I just wonder if marriage and divorce wasn't such a big thing, maybe we wouldn't have all these emotions about it???????
 
fuzzybuddy said:
The ancient Egyptians didn't have a wedding ceremony. If you wanted to be a "couple ", you moved in. And if you wanted a divorce, you moved out Also, they weren't all that big on monogamy, either. Considering the trauma of divorces, today, do you think the Egyptians might have gotten it right?
Click to expand...
I'm with them - as long as the issues of parenthood are addressed. For couples without children and taking precautions to avoid "accidental pregnancy," I would prefer to see this arrangement. Divorces are devastating on so many levels. This arrangement seems more rational. As for monogamy, hmm - I'm not sure that is comes naturally. Two emotions that often seem stronger than that of love are greed (as in possessiveness) and jealousy. Hmm... am I describing a society where living is more communal and all people take care each other and all people take care of the children without regard to who biologically parented them? Am I having flashbacks to the early 70's, haha?
 
Last edited:
Nathan said:
Several Southern boys- Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White performed as the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, and made pretty good money poking fun at the Southern stereotypes. They were hilarious, drew huge crowds of rednecks that just had a good time, and weren't offended.
Click to expand...
Ah the good old days when people didn’t get offended at the drop of a hat, could laugh at themselves and give as good as they got.......
 
Em in Ohio said:
I'm with them - as long as the issues of parenthood are addressed. For couples without children and taking precautions to avoid "accidental pregnancy," I would prefer to see this arrangement. Divorces are devastating on so many levels. This arrangement seems more rational. As for monogamy, hmm - I'm not sure that is comes naturally.
Click to expand...
That makes sense, though the legal complexities of modern marriages go beyond child support. However, I think that is the most important one.

You also have the problems of equity distribution, and sometimes economic consideration for a partner who may have given up a career to raise children. We need some kind of legal structure to help with issues of this kind.

You maybe right about the naturalness of monogamy, for some people anyway...
 
Last edited:
Alligatorob said:
That makes sense, though the legal complexities of modern marriages go beyond child support. Though I think that is the most important one.

You also have the problems of equity distribution, and sometimes economic consideration for a partner who may have given up a career to raise children. We need some kind of legal structure to help with issues of this kind.

You maybe right about the naturalness of monogamy, for some people anyway...
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure I was just having a flashback! (And it was only that of an idealistic - and no-doubt unrealistic - young woman! I never lived the dream.)
 
I could be totally wrong on this and I'm not researching (so correct me if I'm wrong) but I remember reading once that marriages were contracts more to protect property and assets rather than as a romantic type bond. Even in ancient times. I don't know.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top