Polygamy, where one person has multiple spouses, is quite common worldwide. But what about its lesser-known counterpart, polyandry, where a woman has multiple husbands? It’s a rarity these days, with only a few tribes still following this tradition....CONTINUE READING
Kenya
Northern, central, and southern Kenya, as well as northern Tanzania, are home to the Maasai, a Nilotic ethnic group. Several polyandry cases have been documented in the past. However, this is no longer a common practice.
India
Polyandry was practiced in Uttarakhand’s Jaunsar-Bawar. It was also common in the Kinnaur region of India, which is part of Himachal Pradesh. Polyandry was practiced outside of Kinnaur among the Todas tribes of the Nilgiris and the Nanjanad Vellala of Travancore.
Although polyandrous unions are no longer practiced by many groups and tribes, they are still practiced by some Paharis, particularly in northern India’s Jaunsar-Bawar region.
China
Polyandry was practiced by the Tibetan people in the Nepalese parts of China until 1960, when they were annexed by the People’s Republic of China. They practiced “fraternal polyandry,” in which brothers from the same family married each other.
5. South America
The Bororos are a Brazilian indigenous people who practiced polyandry and lived in the state of Mato Grosso. The Bororo associate body odor with the person’s life force, and breath odor with the person’s soul. Before colonization, the Tupi people, who also practiced polyandry, were one of Brazil’s most populous indigenous groups…CONTINUE READING>>
