Great Wife
Great Wife, otherwise appearing in
History
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh's principal consort was known as the great royal wife. She presided over her husband's harem and served a variety of priestly functions in the kingdom.[3][4]
In Kush and other African states of the pre-colonial period, the chief royal consorts often functioned in much the same fashion.[5][6]
Today
The practice of creating great wives, with the most senior polygynous spouses of contemporary African royals and aristocrats often being referred to as their Great Wives, has continued to the present.
When regarded as more of a generic term for a principal spouse in a polygynous household, traditions pertaining to great wives vary; In Nigerian customary law, a subordinate wife disrespecting her superior in his household has been used as a grounds for the husband divorcing her,[8] while in Southern African customary law, the recognized superior is the one through whom inheritance is reckoned.[9]
List
Dynasty | Name | Husband | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
House of Dlamini | LaMatsebula | Mswati III | Queen of eSwatini (1986 - present)
|
House of Zulu
|
Mantfombi Dlamini | Goodwill Zwelithini | Queen of the Zulus (1977 - 2021) |
House of Oranyan
|
Abibat Adeyemi | Lamidi Adeyemi III | Queen of Oyo (1970 - 2022)
|
See also
- Queen mothers in Africa
- Great Royal Wife
References
- ^ "Veranda post of enthroned king and senior wife". artsandculture.google.com. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "King Zwelithini: Who is Mantfombi MaDlamini Zulu?". thesouthafrican.com. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Shaw, Garry J. The Pharaoh, Life at Court and on Campaign, Thames and Hudson, 2012, p. 48, 91-94.
- ISBN 0-415-09095-4
- ^ Schiller, L. D. (1990). The Royal Women of Buganda. The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 23(3), 455–473. https://doi.org/10.2307/219599
- ^ "The Queen Mother in the Kingdom of Kush: Status, Power and Cultic Role (PDF)". academia.edu. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "The Big Question: What is the history of polygamy and how serious a problem is it in Africa?". independent.co.uk. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "Arabic teacher drags wife to court for disrespecting senior wife". tribuneonlineng.com. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ Isabel Moodley. "The Customary Law of Intestate Succession" (PDF). Retrieved June 16, 2023.