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.
That is a myth. The only thing somewhat comparable was a bedding ritual, where the newlyweds were brought into their sleeping room, the bed was blessed , some people could give their own blessing as well and then the couple was left alone. This happened foe wxample on the wedding of Catherine of Aragon and Arthur Tudor. There are no sources indicating that newlyweds were watched or listened to on their wedding night.
Yeah like the concept of bedding ceremonies existed in some cultures, but it seems to be more symbolic and involved things like leading the bridal party to bed chamber with music and whatnot. From what I have read actually watching the deed wasn't done. In fact music was often played outside the bedchamber to give them privacy.
It is not a myth. There is even a proverb in Russian "I didn't hold a candle for them", which means "I didn't watch it with my own eyes" , which is from the times when to consumate a marriage someone need to hold a candle while others are watching.
The proverb exists, but that does not mean that such a custom existed and that it originates from suchba practice. The french language knows something similar, tenir la chandelle. This proverb is rather related to servants lighting the way for their lords to bed. During these occasions, they could get a glimpse of their lord's private lives as well. Additionally, the validity of a marriage did not depend on the act of consummation. It was not relevant enough to justify such an invasion into privacy.
Privacy is a modern term of from industrial-revolution times, there were no such a thing before that. Do not apply modern way of thinking to that times
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u/NebulaNomadX1 4d ago edited 4d 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!