Page 71 - The Circle of Life

concerned. To ensure this another legal provision for widowhood was jointure.

Here the property (land most often) would be held in joint tenancy so that it
would automatically go to the widow on her husband's death.

Now we all know that love is blind and that the god of love shoots its arrows to
people who don't fit together well or so the saying goes. Consequently it

happened that a noble man (or woman) married a commoner and that is called a
morganatic marriage in case your teacher failed you. A recent example (I guess)

would be the latest English royal couple where the woman was apparently
acknowledged as a commoner. This type of wedding is known as a "left handed

marriage" since the groom traditionally (non-morganatic) held his bride's right
hand with his left hand instead of his right. This reverses the process. Here he

will hold her left hand with his right hand. Thus he is on the wrong side of where
he should be in a "normal" marriage. Honestly I never saw this with my own

eyes before but perhaps you have.

By now you would have gathered that I am sincerely not interested in anything
to do with royals and make a point not to read about them and to switch

channels if I see them. We rejected these individuals officially back in 1961
(before I was born) when we became a Republic and so did most of Africa

though some may pay lip service for third world aid. Truth to be told we
(meaning the Afrikaner) never liked them before that and fought wars to get

them out of our lives. I wonder nonetheless if one of my readers knows on which
side the groom was during that marriage. It would be interesting to see if they

followed this tradition or not and if they did we now know why.

I can tell you I am very sure where I stood with my American Patriot. Most

definitely not on the wrong side for I see that as a grave insult to the bride. No

way can I accept a fellow is superior just because mommy and daddy is rich or
titled or whatever. It is unnatural and plain disrespectful. And why should the
husband be treated as more important than the wife? This really does not make

sense to me though I do believe the man is the head of the family. Leadership is

expected from a man. It his birth right and comes naturally to him!

Traditionally, neither the bride nor any children born from such a marriage had a

claim on the bridegroom's succession rights, titles or property when married

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