So, world building... Polygynous marriages are going to be the norm, but I think I've worked out a good reason for it, as well as a workable system...
While there are certainly various nations on this alternate version of our world, events have transpired that have enforced a certain societal model. There have been some very wild swings in the past, but enough time has passed that matters around the world have settled into this particular model in general.
Approximately five-thousand years ago, there had been a great mage who was spited by a faithless lover. To make certain that all women value their men, he made a powerful curse that effected all the world: all human and human-like beings have a low male/female ratio. The current ratio is approximately one male to every five females.
The curse is no longer active, but its aftereffects are still being felt after thousands of years. The curse killed all men that had a tendency to produce boys, as well as women that carried the tendency and passed them to their sons. This caused a nearly-complete collapse of society at the time, and a great deal of knowledge was lost, knocking all societies back into a sort of second Bronze Age.
After thousands of years, things have settled into a very workable pattern. Men are in a semi-protected status while women, for the most part, are in charge. While the society is matriarchal, it is patrilocal and polygynus.
Family groups traditionally have even numbers of matriarchs - 2, 4, 6, 8 and so on. This is to provide the patriarch a tie-breaking vote on family councils. To facilitate this, many girls will first pair off with each other as lovers and friends. Sometimes they are sisters, but not usually. It's not really frowned upon because it's not like there would be any danger of inbreeding. For these people, it's only incest if it's between a male and a female within a nuclear family (immediate family of brothers, sisters, mother and father).
Additionally, homosexuality among women is not only tolerated, but also encouraged to an extant due to the lack of men. When two girls pair off together and wed, it is considered ideal that at least one of them be bisexual. Afterwards, this pair of wives can, if they wish to, be wedded to a man. However, this does not mean that both wives in this triad must have sexual relations with their husband. In this way, a woman may have two mutually exclusive lovers - her husband and her wife.
This also goes a long way towards stemming jealousy between wives. It's hard to feel left out of something when you already have a partner of your own.
Heterosexuality among women is not exactly smiled upon, but it is tolerated. As an individual, they can wed a man, but on the same token they must be willing to share him with others should he choose to marry more wives.
It is actually quite common that rather than be lovers, two heterosexual women marry because they are very close to each other, like as though they were twins reunited after having been separated at birth. These couples are close enough that they have no qualms about sharing a husband between them.
Homosexuality among men is also tolerated, though somewhat less so because there are already so few available men. However, if two men marry women and produce children, then it is socially acceptable for these men to be lovers.
In fact, it is in this way that family alliances can be forged through a love connection without marriage being an issue, hence why this behavior is not entirely shunned.
While men are semi-protected, this does not mean they have it easy. In order to attract wives, they have to demonstrate that they are competent fathers above all else because seeing to the upbringing and education of their children is of paramount importance. It is acceptable that a man apply himself to a trade, but only so long as he is willing to teach this trade to his children.
Gender does not really factor in much in regards to child rearing. Both parents are expected to do their share, though it's considered important that fathers share a close bond with their daughters, and likewise mothers to their sons. It is felt that, in this way, children learn how to love as husbands and wives from their parents. Although there are certainly plenty of Daddy's Boys and Mommy's Girls out there.
Men also must demonstrate some degree of political acumen. While women are in primary control of the households, it is the men who go forward to represent their house and its interests.
The reason this society is patrilocal is because men are the primary land owners. Before a man is considered for marriage, it is usually expected that he own property so that he may raise his family there.
Conversely, women are typically the owners of livestock and goods. In this way, as a man provides land and a house for his family, the women provide all the other essentials as they marry into his house.
Women can own land as well, though this is typically reserved as inheritance for their children. In the meantime, a woman may administer this land and see to its development if she chooses to do so.
Young women, even after they've found their sister-wife, are considered to still be apart of their father's family until they find a husband. Although they're free to live on either family's property until then, and it's not uncommon to see the two women spending weeks or days at a time at each other's household.
Lineages are traced primarily by the male line - this was only to make tracing a geneological chart as simple as possible. However, surnames come in two parts: a patrileneal name and a matrilineal name, much like the system the Spaniards use. Children from a union will take on the patrilineal names from both of their parents to make their own surname. In this way, even though the patrilineal name is used, there is a clear and distinct relation to the mother revealed when the names of both mother and child are known.
Middle names exist, but these are reserved solely as a pet name used by family and close friends. As such, they are only officially recorded if the individual wishes it. Although there are times when some people prefer their middle name over their given name, as parents with a penchant for embarrassing names are still an issue.
Families are generally rated in political clout by the number of associated wives. The simple fact being that the more skilled a man is, the larger his family tends to be; and the larger the family is, the more influence it has.
Family rankings use polygons to denote their ranks as the polygonal shape directly references the number of wives.
Trine - First and Lowest Rank and a base unit within the household. Every two wives married to a man forms a Trine.
Triad - First Rank - A trine plus one woman, forming a Triad.
Quad(ralateral) - Second Ranking - Two Trines connected at their apexes.
Penta(gon) - Sedond Ranking - Two Trines plus one woman.
Hexa(gon) - Third Rank - Three Trines joined at their apexes.
Septa(gon) - Third Rank - Three Trines plus one woman.
Octo(gon) - Fourth Rank - Four Trines joined at their apexes.
Nona(gon) - Fourth Rank - Four Trines plus one woman.
Deca(gon) - Fifth and Highest Rank - Five Trines joined at their apexes.
No man, not even a king, is allowed more than ten wives for matters of practicality. It is not considered fair to the children in such an arrangement. These houses tend to produce many children and a man in such a house will be relegated mostly to educating his children.
These shapes also shape the lives within the house. For each Trine and Single Wife, a man must devote a single day and night out of the week catering specifically to that part of his family. This is part of why ten is considered the maximum allowed, as a man will spend five days out of the week focused solely on his family. In such a family, his free days are not truly free, as such will be his house's political power that he must devote those remaining days to dealing with inter-family affairs and politics.
While there are certainly various nations on this alternate version of our world, events have transpired that have enforced a certain societal model. There have been some very wild swings in the past, but enough time has passed that matters around the world have settled into this particular model in general.
Approximately five-thousand years ago, there had been a great mage who was spited by a faithless lover. To make certain that all women value their men, he made a powerful curse that effected all the world: all human and human-like beings have a low male/female ratio. The current ratio is approximately one male to every five females.
The curse is no longer active, but its aftereffects are still being felt after thousands of years. The curse killed all men that had a tendency to produce boys, as well as women that carried the tendency and passed them to their sons. This caused a nearly-complete collapse of society at the time, and a great deal of knowledge was lost, knocking all societies back into a sort of second Bronze Age.
After thousands of years, things have settled into a very workable pattern. Men are in a semi-protected status while women, for the most part, are in charge. While the society is matriarchal, it is patrilocal and polygynus.
Family groups traditionally have even numbers of matriarchs - 2, 4, 6, 8 and so on. This is to provide the patriarch a tie-breaking vote on family councils. To facilitate this, many girls will first pair off with each other as lovers and friends. Sometimes they are sisters, but not usually. It's not really frowned upon because it's not like there would be any danger of inbreeding. For these people, it's only incest if it's between a male and a female within a nuclear family (immediate family of brothers, sisters, mother and father).
Additionally, homosexuality among women is not only tolerated, but also encouraged to an extant due to the lack of men. When two girls pair off together and wed, it is considered ideal that at least one of them be bisexual. Afterwards, this pair of wives can, if they wish to, be wedded to a man. However, this does not mean that both wives in this triad must have sexual relations with their husband. In this way, a woman may have two mutually exclusive lovers - her husband and her wife.
This also goes a long way towards stemming jealousy between wives. It's hard to feel left out of something when you already have a partner of your own.
Heterosexuality among women is not exactly smiled upon, but it is tolerated. As an individual, they can wed a man, but on the same token they must be willing to share him with others should he choose to marry more wives.
It is actually quite common that rather than be lovers, two heterosexual women marry because they are very close to each other, like as though they were twins reunited after having been separated at birth. These couples are close enough that they have no qualms about sharing a husband between them.
Homosexuality among men is also tolerated, though somewhat less so because there are already so few available men. However, if two men marry women and produce children, then it is socially acceptable for these men to be lovers.
In fact, it is in this way that family alliances can be forged through a love connection without marriage being an issue, hence why this behavior is not entirely shunned.
While men are semi-protected, this does not mean they have it easy. In order to attract wives, they have to demonstrate that they are competent fathers above all else because seeing to the upbringing and education of their children is of paramount importance. It is acceptable that a man apply himself to a trade, but only so long as he is willing to teach this trade to his children.
Gender does not really factor in much in regards to child rearing. Both parents are expected to do their share, though it's considered important that fathers share a close bond with their daughters, and likewise mothers to their sons. It is felt that, in this way, children learn how to love as husbands and wives from their parents. Although there are certainly plenty of Daddy's Boys and Mommy's Girls out there.
Men also must demonstrate some degree of political acumen. While women are in primary control of the households, it is the men who go forward to represent their house and its interests.
The reason this society is patrilocal is because men are the primary land owners. Before a man is considered for marriage, it is usually expected that he own property so that he may raise his family there.
Conversely, women are typically the owners of livestock and goods. In this way, as a man provides land and a house for his family, the women provide all the other essentials as they marry into his house.
Women can own land as well, though this is typically reserved as inheritance for their children. In the meantime, a woman may administer this land and see to its development if she chooses to do so.
Young women, even after they've found their sister-wife, are considered to still be apart of their father's family until they find a husband. Although they're free to live on either family's property until then, and it's not uncommon to see the two women spending weeks or days at a time at each other's household.
Lineages are traced primarily by the male line - this was only to make tracing a geneological chart as simple as possible. However, surnames come in two parts: a patrileneal name and a matrilineal name, much like the system the Spaniards use. Children from a union will take on the patrilineal names from both of their parents to make their own surname. In this way, even though the patrilineal name is used, there is a clear and distinct relation to the mother revealed when the names of both mother and child are known.
Middle names exist, but these are reserved solely as a pet name used by family and close friends. As such, they are only officially recorded if the individual wishes it. Although there are times when some people prefer their middle name over their given name, as parents with a penchant for embarrassing names are still an issue.
Families are generally rated in political clout by the number of associated wives. The simple fact being that the more skilled a man is, the larger his family tends to be; and the larger the family is, the more influence it has.
Family rankings use polygons to denote their ranks as the polygonal shape directly references the number of wives.
Trine - First and Lowest Rank and a base unit within the household. Every two wives married to a man forms a Trine.
Triad - First Rank - A trine plus one woman, forming a Triad.
Quad(ralateral) - Second Ranking - Two Trines connected at their apexes.
Penta(gon) - Sedond Ranking - Two Trines plus one woman.
Hexa(gon) - Third Rank - Three Trines joined at their apexes.
Septa(gon) - Third Rank - Three Trines plus one woman.
Octo(gon) - Fourth Rank - Four Trines joined at their apexes.
Nona(gon) - Fourth Rank - Four Trines plus one woman.
Deca(gon) - Fifth and Highest Rank - Five Trines joined at their apexes.
No man, not even a king, is allowed more than ten wives for matters of practicality. It is not considered fair to the children in such an arrangement. These houses tend to produce many children and a man in such a house will be relegated mostly to educating his children.
These shapes also shape the lives within the house. For each Trine and Single Wife, a man must devote a single day and night out of the week catering specifically to that part of his family. This is part of why ten is considered the maximum allowed, as a man will spend five days out of the week focused solely on his family. In such a family, his free days are not truly free, as such will be his house's political power that he must devote those remaining days to dealing with inter-family affairs and politics.