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.<ref>[http://www.trivia-library.com/b/alternative-forms-of-marriage-polygyny-part-1.htm Polygyny in Europe and China]</ref>   

.<ref>[http://www.trivia-library.com/b/alternative-forms-of-marriage-polygyny-part-1.htm Polygyny in Europe and China]</ref>   

In the modern world polygyny is practiced to some extent in China,<ref>Lang and Smart.  “Migration and the Second Wife in South China: Toward cross-border polygyny” The International migration review  2002, vol. 36, no2, pp. 546-569 [http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13830800]</ref> among [[Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|certain sects of Mormons]]<ref>[http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2006-05-25/news/it-practices-what-they-preach/ News story on Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints]</ref> <ref>As polygamy is officially illegal everywhere in the United States, a person (usually the man) will legally only marry one spouse, but "marry" the others in a "religious ceremony" that has no legal standing.  The show '''''Sister Wives''''' features such an arrangement involving the Brown family, consisting of Kody (the male), his "legal" wife Robyn, and his "spiritual" wives Meri (who was his previous legal wife; he legally divorced Meri to legally marry Robyn so he could officially adopt Robyn's children), Janelle and Christine (the latter two have never been legally married to Kody).</ref>(the mainstream [[Mormon]] Church outlawed the practice in 1890<ref>[http://www.mormon.org/question/faq/category/answer/0,9777,1601-1-114-1,00.html LDS official position]</ref>) and in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>Brown, Judith E. “Polygyny and Family Planning in sub-Saharan Africa”  Studies in Family Planning, Vol. 12, No. 8/9 (Aug. - Sep., 1981), pp. 322-326.  Abstract.  [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0039-3665(198108%2F09)12%3A8%2F9%3C322%3APAFPIS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U]</ref>

In the modern world polygyny is practiced to some extent in China,<ref>Lang and Smart.  “Migration and the Second Wife in South China: Toward cross-border polygyny” The International migration review  2002, vol. 36, no2, pp. 546-569 [http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13830800]</ref> among [[Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|certain sects of Mormons]]<ref>[http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2006-05-25/news/it-practices-what-they-preach/ News story on Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints]</ref> <ref>As polygamy is officially illegal everywhere in the United States, a person (usually the man) will legally only marry one spouse, but "marry" the others in a "religious ceremony" that has no legal standing.  The show '''''Sister Wives''''' featured such an arrangement involving the Brown family, consisting of Kody (the male), his "legal" wife Robyn, and his "spiritual" wives Meri (who was his previous legal wife; he legally divorced Meri to legally marry Robyn so he could officially adopt Robyn's children), Janelle and Christine (the latter two have never been legally married to Kody).</ref>(the mainstream [[Mormon]] Church outlawed the practice in 1890<ref>[http://www.mormon.org/question/faq/category/answer/0,9777,1601-1-114-1,00.html LDS official position]</ref>) and in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>Brown, Judith E. “Polygyny and Family Planning in sub-Saharan Africa”  Studies in Family Planning, Vol. 12, No. 8/9 (Aug. - Sep., 1981), pp. 322-326.  Abstract.  [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0039-3665(198108%2F09)12%3A8%2F9%3C322%3APAFPIS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U]</ref>

Polyandry is and has been less common around the world, but it has been practiced.  Polyandry is part of traditional Tibetan culture<ref>[http://www.case.edu/affil/tibet/tibetanSociety/marriage.htm List of references]</ref> and is practiced by some [[Native American]] tribes.<ref>Polyandry among the [[Inuit]] [http://www.snowwowl.com/peopleinuit5.html]</ref>

Polyandry is and has been less common around the world, but it has been practiced.  Polyandry is part of traditional Tibetan culture<ref>[http://www.case.edu/affil/tibet/tibetanSociety/marriage.htm List of references]</ref> and is practiced by some [[Native American]] tribes.<ref>Polyandry among the [[Inuit]] [http://www.snowwowl.com/peopleinuit5.html]</ref>

== British opposition ==

== British opposition ==

British law has opposed and punished polygamy far more severely than other cultures, even imposing [[capital punishment]] for it.  Reasons why could include:

British law has opposed and punished polygamy far more severely than other cultures, even imposing [[capital punishment]] for it.  Under [[common law]] in Britain subsequent marriages were invalid if the first marriage remained in effect.

 

Reasons for the intense British laws against polygamy could include:

*polygamy is incompatible with [[nobility]], which has traditionally been foundational to Britain;

*polygamy is incompatible with [[nobility]], which has traditionally been foundational to Britain;

*polygamy creates nightmarish problems of [[private property]] under the [[common law]];

*polygamy creates nightmarish problems of [[private property]] under the [[common law]];

*polygamy makes inheritance, burial, and end-of-life health issues legal unmanageable; and

*polygamy makes inheritance, burial, and end-of-life health issues legally unmanageable; and

*Englishmen would be [[deceit]]ful and lie to their second wife about not being married, which was unfair to the second wife.

*polygamy allowed [[deceit]] whereby Englishmen lied to their second wife about marital status, which was unfair to many.

==References==

==References==

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