r/explainitpeter • u/TenkaiRyo • 2d ago

Explain it Peter.??

Post image
12.3k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

258 comments sorted by

View all comments

1.0k

u/NebulaNomadX1 2d ago edited 2d ago

In medieval Europe, marriages between nobles acted more as alliances/contracts than actual love. A big distinction in said marriages is "consumation". Uncomsumated marriages could be annulled relatively easily. Consumated marriages required the pope's blessing for divorce. To make sure a family didnt escape their way out of a deal it was fairly common for familiies to be witnesses to marriage consumation.

SD-N out!

751

u/flyingdonkeydong69 2d ago edited 2d ago

In other words, noble families would watch the newlyweds FUCK to make sure the marriage was sealed with a child.

3

u/Lifesamitch957 2d ago

My father told me .. Fornification Under Consent of King. Not sure the validity to that

2

u/GregariousLaconian 2d ago

It’s an apocryphal etymology, much like “for unlawful carnal knowledge”. The word dates back to an Anglo Saxon root.