The ancients often said that three wives and four concubines. Where are three wives and four concubines?

According to the research of modern sociologists, there is no prohibition between men and women. Since then, the society has gradually become organized and divided according to the ages of young people and old people. At this time, men and women of the same generation can get married, but men of different generations can't. Further, it is limited to relatives. It was originally given to half-brothers and sisters. Later, it gradually expanded to the point that brothers and sisters of the same matriarchal line were not allowed to get married, and it became the so-called clan.

At this time, between different clans, men and women are still in groups, and every man in this group can be the husband of the daughter of another group; He is a group of daughters, and everyone can be the wife of a group of men; There are absolutely no individual couples. After that, the more complicated the ban, the less people are allowed to get married. So men have wives; Women have husbands. However, in addition, it is not forbidden to have sex with other men and women. And couples don't have to live together; The relationship is still extremely loose In addition, husband and wife must live together, monogamous or polygamous. The relationship is more permanent and gradually becomes a family for future generations.

Three wives and four concubines mean "many wives and concubines". For example, in Zhuangzi, it is recorded that "a spirit has three wives, and they all bathe in disorder". In anthropological concept, monogamy does not include the so-called "monogamy and polygamy", and these two languages actually belong to different categories. The former "monogamy" only refers to the uniqueness of female spouse, while the general "monogamy and polygamy" belong to the anthropological concept of "polygamy".

So, what exactly do three wives and four concubines mean?

Three wives and four concubines? It originated from the novel Jin Ping Mei in the Ming Dynasty. Just like three wives and four concubines, it's another matter to buy laughter and pursue happiness. .

This word was also mentioned in Li Yu's drama Kite Mistake in Qing Dynasty. Since then, the term "three wives and four concubines" has been familiar and used by everyone. It can be seen that the saying of three wives and four concubines comes from Ming and Qing dynasties, not from ancient times. As for the specific meaning of three wives and four concubines, it is not clear.

The third wife includes the first wife, the partial wife and the second wife, but the partial wife and the second wife only exist? Wife? In name only.

According to the ancient marriage system in China, it was generally monogamous. The so-called first wife is the first wife that a man is legally going to marry, which can also be called a wife. The first wife has the highest status, generally only one. Only when brothers of the same blood become orphans and one of them adopts his only son, can the only son marry two ex-wives to continue the incense of both sides. As for the partial wife and the next wife, although there are? Wife? The name is actually Yu Ji. In folk parlance, partial wives are also called concubines. Yu's "Sister-in-law Draft" in Qing Dynasty bluntly called his wife a concubine.

There are different opinions about the concept of concubines, and the most popular one is the idea of marrying a servant girl.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, when the master got married, he was usually accompanied by a close-fitting maid or clan sister. These married women are called concubines. Until the late feudal society, this custom of dowry still existed. If a man marries three wives, he must take the maid of the third wife as a concubine, and the other concubine is given by his parents. This statement seems reasonable, but it is also doubtful. Personal servant girls are not allowed to take concubines, and men's concubines are not allowed to stop at four.

The saying of three wives and four concubines is more like a virtual reference. The ancients in China used numbers to express empty fingers for a long time.

In idioms, there are countless uses of several function words to refer to the majority. In addition, because the ancients liked Yang, the odd number of Yang was used more. For example, there are nine Niu Yi hairs in Sima Qian's Letter to Ren An, and these nine hairs only represent a large number. In poetry, there are also many uses of numbers to refer to function words. For example, there are other ladies and 3,000 rare beauties in his court. From this perspective, the meaning that three wives and four concubines are empty is more accurate.

Of course, not all ancient people can? Three wives and four concubines? Most people in Shu Ren can only have one wife in their lifetime.

In the Han Dynasty, only those with special achievements could have eight concubines, ordinary officials could only have three concubines, and Shu Ren could only not take concubines. In the Yuan Dynasty, ordinary people could take concubinage, and it was over forty years old and there was no heir. If you take a concubine at will, you will be whipped forty times. In this case, most powerful families have more than three wives and four concubines, while most ordinary people only have one wife. The term "three wives and four concubines" only refers to the situation of wives and concubines in powerful families.

As a phenomenon in traditional society, three wives and four concubines also reflected the respect for order in ancient times. In fact, the order of princes, ministers, wives and concubines in the former dynasty is in the same strain, which is the embodiment of ancient people's respect for rank.