PATNA, India (Reuters) - Villagers at a wedding in eastern India decided the groom had arrived too drunk to get married, and so the bride married the groom's more sober brother instead, police said on Monday.
"The groom was drunk and had reportedly misbehaved with guests when the bride's family and local villagers chased him away," Madho Singh, a senior police officer told Reuters after Sunday's marriage in a village in Bihar state's Arwal district.
The younger brother readily agreed to take the groom's place beside the teenage bride at her family's invitation, witnesses said.
"The groom apologised for his behaviour, but has been crying that word will spread and he will never get a bride again," Singh said by phone.
Above is yet another example of a man taking his brother's place. It is interesting to know that in different cultures and times in history, a man takes his brother's place in marriage. I am of course referring to the first account of this type of "sacrifice", which is mentioned in the Holy Bible in Genesis 38: 8-9. This passage talks about Onan, who had to marry his brother's wife after the brother died. This is so that she can have a son, to be raised as his brother's heir. He did not want to give his brother an heir; so he spilled his seed on the ground, while making love to the woman ; and thereby giving root to the term "Onanism".
Thankfully this practice of marrying a brother's wife (should anything happen to him) is no longer prevalent in society today. However, is the principle of a brother taking over the responsibility of his brother's family still practiced widely in society today? And did it all begin with Onan? The Casual Philosopher ponders......
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