Keith Mack
Marriage laws vary across the world and have changed over time. In some countries, marriages between biological relatives are prohibited by law, while in others, they are legal and common, though now far less common. One such type of marriage is an avunculate marriage, which is a marriage between an uncle and niece or nephew, or a parent's sibling or sibling's child. In some societies, avunculate marriages were preferred, such as in Ancient Egypt among royalty, and in pre-modern societies. In England, the list of forbidden marriages was drawn up by the Church of England in 1560 and remained unchanged until the 20th century. Today, a man may not marry his niece or niece-in-law under any circumstances.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Marrying your niece in the UK | Illegal |
| Marrying your niece in other countries | Legal in some countries |
| Genetic relationship between uncle and niece | 25% of their genes are shared |
| Coefficient of inbreeding (F) for uncle-niece couples | 0.125 |
| Historical examples of avunculate marriages | Common in Ancient Egypt, Charles II of Spain, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, and more |
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What You'll Learn
Marrying your niece is illegal in many countries
Marrying one's niece is illegal in many countries. In the United Kingdom, a man may not marry his niece, as nieces are among the blood relatives with whom marriage is forbidden under any circumstances. This prohibition has been in place since the Church of England drew up its list of forbidden marriages in 1560, and it remains legally binding today.
In Australia, however, the laws are different. According to the Marriage Act 1961, it is legal for an uncle to marry his niece. This has been a surprising revelation for many Australians, especially given that same-sex marriage was only legalised recently. Nevertheless, it is important to note that if individuals were adopted and lived in the same house at the same time, they cannot marry, even if they are not related by blood.
In the United States, laws prohibiting marriage are based on genetics and vary from state to state. While I could not find specific information on whether an individual can marry their niece, it is likely that such marriages are prohibited due to the close genetic relationship.
It is worth noting that the laws and social norms surrounding marriage have evolved over time. For example, in the UK, the 1907 Marriage Act removed a widow's sister from the list of prohibited marriages, and the 1931 Marriage Act removed aunts-in-law and uncles-in-law if the relevant aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew had died. These changes reflect a gradual shift towards more modern perspectives on marriage.
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Avunculate marriages were common in pre-modern societies
Marrying one's niece is illegal in many countries. In the UK, for instance, a man may not marry his niece, niece-in-law, aunt, aunt-in-law, or any other blood relative listed in the Marriage Act. However, avunculate marriages, or marriages between an uncle and niece, were common in pre-modern societies.
Avunculate marriages were a preferred type of union in some pre-modern societies. Marriages between such close relatives were frequent in ancient Egypt among royalty. For example, the parents of Adolf Hitler, Alois and Klara Hitler, were uncle and niece. Avunculate marriage was also common among South India's Hindus, and it is still practised in some parts of India today, especially in rural areas and small to medium-sized cities. The most common form is when the elder daughter is married to her youngest maternal uncle.
The term "avunculate" comes from the Latin "avunculus", meaning "maternal uncle". It refers to a special relationship between a man and his sister's children, particularly her sons, that prevails in many societies. In some societies, boys leave their homes during adolescence and join the household of one of their mother's brothers. Girls, on the other hand, generally remain in their mother's home until they marry and move to their husband's household.
Avunculate marriages were also common in ancient Rome. For example, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus married his niece, Tullia Minor. Herod the Great also married his niece, and Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, married his half-niece Herodias.
In an avunculate marriage, the couple is assumed to have inherited 1/4 of their genes from a common ancestor. This means that their children will be expected to have inherited identical gene copies at 1/8 of all their loci, resulting in a higher risk of malformations.
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The genetic implications of avunculate marriages
Marrying one's niece-in-law is prohibited by law in many countries. An avunculate marriage is a union between an uncle or aunt and their niece or nephew. If the partners in an avunculate marriage are biologically related, they share approximately 25% of their genetic material, which is more than partners in a marriage between first cousins, who share 12.5% of their genetic makeup.
Avunculate marriages were common in ancient times, especially among royalty in Ancient Egypt and medieval Christians. They were also prominent in the House of Habsburg, with Charles II of Spain being the son of an uncle-niece marriage. Currently, avunculate marriages are permitted in several countries, including Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Finland, and Russia. In the United States, it is allowed in some circumstances in two states: New York and Rhode Island.
However, avunculate marriages are prohibited by law in many other countries, including New Zealand, Brazil, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the United Kingdom. In Islam, marriage between an uncle and his niece is forbidden if they are blood relatives. Judaism also forbids marriage between an aunt and her nephew.
Consanguineous marriages, or marriages between close relatives, have genetic implications. While all humans share between 99.6% and 99.9% of their genome, consanguinity can increase the probability of inheriting harmful recessive genes. This is because the child of two siblings will have only two grandparents instead of four, increasing the likelihood of receiving two copies of a harmful recessive gene. Consanguineous marriages are more common in some parts of the world, such as the Middle East, West Asia, and North Africa, with the most common form being between first cousins.
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In-laws and step-relatives
On the other hand, step-relationships refer to situations where a person has children with one individual and then marries someone else. In such cases, the new spouse becomes the step-parent, and their children become step-siblings. For instance, if your parent remarries, their new spouse is your step-parent, and their children from a previous relationship become your step-siblings.
Historically, marriage laws prohibited unions with certain in-laws and step-relatives. In England, the Church of England drew up a list of forbidden marriages in 1560, which remained unchanged until the 20th century. For example, until 1907, a man was forbidden to marry his deceased wife's sister. The 1907 Marriage Act removed this prohibition, provided the first spouse had died. The 1931 Marriage Act further relaxed restrictions, allowing marriages with aunts-in-law and uncles-in-law if the relevant aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew had died.
Today, marrying one's niece-in-law remains prohibited. The 1949 Marriage Act confirmed previous acts and specifically included half-blood relatives. Under current law, a man may not marry his niece or half-niece.
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Historical examples of avunculate marriages
Avunculate marriages, or marriages between an uncle and niece, have occurred throughout history. While prohibited by law in some countries, avunculate marriages are legal in others, including Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Finland, Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Cuba, Russia, and some US states.
Avunculate marriages were prominent in the House of Habsburg. For example, Charles II of Spain was the son of an avunculate marriage between Philip IV and Mariana of Austria. Both of Philip's parents were also the children of avunculate marriages, as were Mariana's maternal grandparents. Another example is Herod the Great, who married an unnamed niece.
In the Bible, there are at least six personalities who married their nieces, including Abraham and Nahor. According to Rabbinic tradition, there are Biblical precedents for allowing such marriages, but the circumstances are limited. The Sadducees, on the other hand, attribute a prohibition of avunculate marriages to the Bible.
In some pre-modern societies, avunculate marriages were preferred. For example, marriages between close relatives were frequent among royalty in Ancient Egypt. Similarly, avunculate marriages were common among South India's Hindus and continue to be practised in rural and small to medium-sized cities. The most common form is where the elder daughter marries her youngest maternal uncle, known as Maman Kalyanam.
Anthropological research has identified the concept of "avunculocal residence" in about 4% of the world's societies, where a married couple traditionally lives with the man's mother's eldest brother. This is particularly prevalent in matrilineal societies, where descent is traced through the female line.
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Frequently asked questions
No, a man may not marry his niece-in-law.
An avunculate marriage is a marriage between an uncle or aunt and their niece or nephew.
In some countries, avunculate marriages are prohibited by law, while in others, they are legal and even common, especially in rural areas.
Yes, avunculate marriages were prominent in the House of Habsburg. For example, Charles II of Spain was the son of an uncle-niece marriage.
In an uncle-niece marriage, the couple is assumed to have inherited 25% of their genes from a common ancestor, which is a closer genetic relationship than that of first cousins. A 1990 study in South India found a slightly higher incidence of malformations in the progeny of uncle-niece marriages compared to first cousin marriages.
