A Guide to the Egyptian Collections in the British Museum by Unknown

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. MARRIAGE. POLYGAMY. HONOUR PAID TO THE MOTHER. THE CHILD AND ITS NAME. TOYS. EDUCATION. DRESS. FOOD. AMUSEMENTS. DWELLING HOUSES AND FURNITURE. AGRICULTURE AND CATTLE BREEDING. TRADE. HANDICRAFTS.

= Manners and Customs. = -The views of the Egyptians about = marriage = closely resemble those held by many African tribes, for they married their sisters and nieces, and sometimes indulged in = polygamy = . It is probable that the views as to marriage which obtained generally in Egypt were less rigid than those of Western nations. According to an ancient legend Osiris married his sister Isis, who became by him the mother of Horus, and he was also the father of Anubis by his other sister Nephthys. Generally speaking, the Egyptian was the husband of one wife, who was the mistress of his house and the mother of his children, whether she was his sister, or his niece, or a stranger. Kings and noblemen married several wives, and became fathers of children by many of the women of their households. The Ptolemies, curiously enough, seeing that they were Greeks, married their sisters and nieces, like the Egyptians. Marriage in Egypt was, no doubt, arranged in the way common to the East, _i.e._, it was practically a business transaction, great care being taken to provide for the maintenance of the woman in the event of misbehaviour either on her part or that of her husband. Whether any religious ceremony was performed at the marriage is unknown. Girls were married before they were fourteen years of age. The legitimate wife of a man is called "Nebt pa," 𓎟𓐰𓏏𓉐𓐰𓏤, _i.e._, "lady of the house,"[18] and she might of course, be "his beloved sister"; frequently, however, the latter title is a euphemism for "mistress," or "concubine. " To divorce or eject the "lady of the house" was a very difficult matter, and it was probably the fear of possible pecuniary complications which caused the Egyptian in so many cases to marry his sister or the woman whom he called by that name. Moreover, it was thus easier to keep the property in the husband's family.