Friedelehe
Sign in to saveFriedelehe meaning "lover marriage" is a term for a postulated form of Germanic marriage said to have existed during the Early Middle Ages. The concept was introduced into mediaeval historiography in the 1920s by Herbert Meyer. There is some controversy as to whether such a marriage form, a quasi-marriage, existed but historians who have identified it agree that it was not accepted by the Church.
~5 min read
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Defining characteristics of ''Friedelehe'' according to Meyer
- Criticism of Meyer's definition
- Literature
- References
- External links
Friedelehe meaning "lover marriage" is a term for a postulated form of Germanic marriage said to have existed during the Early Middle Ages. The concept was introduced into mediaeval historiography in the 1920s by Herbert Meyer. There is some controversy as to whether such a marriage form, a quasi-marriage, existed but historians who have identified it agree that it was not accepted by the Church.
== Etymology == The term Friedelehe means approximately "lover marriage". The modern German word Friedel is derived from the Old High German friudil, which meant "lover", or "sweetheart"; this is in turn derived from frijōn "to love". The OHG friudil was parallel to the Old Norse fridl, frilla, modern Danish and Norwegian frille "lover".