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In Northern Europe? Just took the girl’s word for it. There were actual incentives often granted for marrying known-not-virgins often as well- most of the high Middle Ages had an indulgence for marrying a prostitute, for example.
There was a custom of high status weddings having witnesses to their consummation. That might be what you’re thinking of. But in Northern Europe girls left the house to work as servants in early adolescence. The Mediterranean(even Christian parts) kept girls at home until marriage in their teens; this was not a Northern European custom.
I appreciate this post. Too many people view the past as something like Saudi Arabia and don't realize how much freedom and independence women had in Northern Europe historically or how late the marriage ages were there. Settling down in your 30s was just what sensible middle class people did to have a good life. Just like going to university or putting money into a 401k today. At least in Northern Europe it wasn't girls getting married at 15 to much older men.
Thé average marriage age for urban women inside the Hajnal line in Northern Europe was much younger than today; it was also not in the teens. Early-mid twenties as opposed to late twenties.
Now marriage in the teens also does not seem to have been seen as sharply negatively as it is today, either- the average age at marriage drops in American colonists, for example, and those were fine, upstanding citizens who happened to have much better economic opportunities much sooner. And while not Saudi Arabia women faced substantial legal disabilities; they worked but there was restrictions on profession, pay might be legally required to be less than male employees, they didn’t have full control of their finances, etc.
Yes I agree with all that. I probably should have been more specific. I just meant that a lot of the talk of teenage brides is not actually trad for Northern Europe.
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