Human–animal marriage

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Revision as of 07:29, 11 March 2017 by meta>Rysettles (added info on human animal marriage in the real world)
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Human–animal marriage is a marriage between an animal and a human. This topic has appeared in mythology and magical fiction.[1] In the 21st century there have been numerous reports from around the world of humans marrying their pets and other animals. Human-animal marriage is often seen in accordance with zoophilia, however they are not necessarily linked. Although animal-human marriage is not mentioned specifically in national laws, the act of engaging in sexual acts with an animal is illegal in many countries under animal abuse laws.

Animal-human marriage in mythology

The practice of animal-human marriage has made appearances in several mythological stories and folklore, and is often understood to mean a deity-human marriage involving gods or heroes.[2] The Chinese folktale 'The Goddess Of The Silkworm' is an example of a tale where a woman marries a horse.[2] A similar Irish legend tells of a king who marries a horse, symbolizing a divine union between the king and the goddess of the land.[3] Also the indigenous Cheyenne have a story of animal-human marriage in 'The Girl who Married a dog'.[4] In addition, there are many Native American stories about people who married animals. In these Native American myths, animal spirits frequently assume human form.[5] They are not seen as literal animals, but representatives from the animal kingdom.[5]

Animal-Human marriage in the real world

Although it is uncertain if there is a legal basis for marrying an animal, several individuals claim to have done so. The Sudanese goat marriage incident made big headlines in 2006 when a man was forced to marry a goat after being caught in a sexual interaction with the goat.[6] Other reports of marriage include animals such as dogs, cats, frogs and a dolphin.[7][8][9][10][11][12] Other incidents of human animal relations took place in 2010, when 18-year-old Balinese man Ngurah Alit was found having sexual intercourse with a cow, who he claimed flirted with him.[13] As part of a Pecaruan ritual, the man was forced to marry the animal.[13] The ceremony was thought to cleanse the village of the immoral act of bestiality.[13] The cow was drowned in the ocean, while Alit was symbolically drowned as well.[13]

See also

References

  1. Naithani, Sadhana (2014). Folklore Theory in Postwar Germany. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 48–52. ISBN 9781617039942.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Miller, Alan L. (1995-01-01). "The Woman Who Married a Horse: Five Ways of Looking at a Chinese Folktale". Asian Folklore Studies. 54 (2): 275–305. doi:10.2307/1178945.
  3. Freeman, Philip (2004-03-17). St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743267496.
  4. Stensland, Anna Lee (1977-01-01). "The Indian Presence in American Literature". The English Journal. 66 (3): 37–41. doi:10.2307/815804.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Native American Mythology - Myth Encyclopedia - god, story, legend, names, ancient, animal, snake, world, creation, life". www.mythencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  6. Staff, By Our Foreign. "'Man marries goat' captivates millions". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  7. "BBC NEWS | South Asia | Girl weds dog to break 'evil spell'". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  8. "Man in India Marries Dog to Atone for Stoning to Death Mating Canines". Fox News. 2007-11-13. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  9. "Sealed with a kiss: Man 'marries' his dog in sunset ceremony - but assures guests 'it's not sexual'". Mail Online. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  10. "BBC News - German man 'marries' his dying cat". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  11. Delhi, By Dean Nelson in. "Seven-year-old Indian girls 'marry' frogs". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  12. "British Woman Marries Dolphin". Fox News. 2006-01-03. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "Bali Teenager Passes Out Marrying Cow He Had Sex With | Jakarta Globe". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 2017-03-11.