As well African countries, where the father of the bride, has to
accept payment, this could be money, or live stocks mainly cows
and few items e.g. There is blanket to the girl mother etc.,
During this exchange of the items there is always a ceremony.
Most of the relatives they would gather to notice this.
The Literature reveals Similar, dower is the property settled on
the bride herself, by the groom at the time of marriage, and
which remains under her ownership and control.
Dowry is an ancient custom that is already mentioned in some of
the earliest writings, and its existence may well predate records
of it
Other old traditions related to the dowry are bride price and
dower, but these customs should not be confused with a dowry.
The bride price (bride service) is a payment by the groom or his
family to the bride's parents.
The Dowry of Mary is thus a title of England, established by a
Royal act and proclaimed by an Archbishop of Canterbury, a
title which has never been rescinded by either the Sovereign or
by Parliament. England, a land steeped in history and tradition,
bears a unique title: "Mary's Dowry."
The word "dowry" typically conjures images of gifts bestowed
upon a bride during marriage. However, in medieval English
law, the meaning was reversed. A husband would set aside a
portion of his estate, designated for the maintenance of his wife
should she become a widow This concept takes us back to a time
when England was deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin
By the middle of the fourteenth century, it had become
widespread, reflecting the deep devotion of the English people to
the mother of God during the Middle Ages.
Dowries continue to be expected and demanded as a condition to
accept marriage a proposal in some parts of the world, mainly in
parts of, Asia.
The custom of dowry is most common in strongly. Patrilineal
cultures that expect women to reside with or near their husband's
family Dowries have long histories South an article Asia, Africa,
and other parts of the world in Europe,
This fund may provide an element of financial security in
widowhood or against a negligent husband, and may eventually
go to provide for her children. Dowries may also go toward
establishing a marital household, and therefore might include
furnishings such as linens and furniture.
United States Fran Angelico's painting: The Story of St Nicholas
Giving Dowry to Three Poor Girls in those days a young
woman's father had to offer prospective husbands a dowry.
Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. Mysteriously,
on three occasions, so goes the story, a bag of gold appeared in
their home, for the dowries, courtesy of St Nicholas. Later, St
Nicholas came to be known as
The dowry was a custom brought to the United States by
colonists from England and elsewhere in Europe. John Hull, the
Master of the Mint in and a wealthy man, determined the dowry
for his daughter Hannah‟s marriage to Samuel Sewall. Hull is
said to have set his 18-year-old daughter onto one side of the
large scales in his warehouse. He piled shillings into the other
side of the scale until he reached her weight in silver, and that
was her dowry.
The daughters of wealthy 19th-century industrialists, who were
able to inherit large amounts of money and property, were given
"dowries" by their fathers to marry European aristocrats who
held a title but had little wealth. The mutual exchange of title and
wealth raised the status of both bride and groom.
The Duke obtained a large dowry by the marriage, and
reportedly told her just after the marriage that he married her in
order to "save Blenheim Palace" his ancestral home. Today, the
dowry has evolved into a more informal and casual custom
across most cultures, especially amongst members of the African
and South Asian diasporas. It is a way to keep traditions
Dowries. Are the Price a Groom Pays for His Bride
The South African concept of lobola recognizes women's labour
in society. It's a material and symbolic gift a husband gives his
wife in recognition of her reproductive labour and her labour in
the rural homestead, All that labour is highly valued in a an
African cultural context. The idea of lobola is to compensate for
the value of the loss of that contribution in the family home of
the bride. "Traditional, lobola has always been in the form of
livestock such as cattle" says Livermon, today it could be
money, a vehicle jewels or household goods"