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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Contrarian" data-source="post: 3615427" data-attributes="member: 40585">Are we talking "real world" historical polygyny, or modern "made up a new word" polyamory? Because in the real world, polygamy usually appeared in societies where economic productivity and social status were connected, and even then it was somewhat rare in those societies.That is, it usually takes a fair amount of personal ambition and/or wealth to get multiple wives, but once a man has them, they can be used to increase household productivity and increase the household's economic output even more.  A polygynous family is like a little pre-industrial corporations -- it takes wealth to get bigger, then makes more wealth because it's bigger than other families.(That usually works better in societies where "women's work" can have a significant economic impact, usually sedentary societies that have some agricultural basis.  Polygyny isn't usually adaptive in nomadic societies.)Even in societies that endorse polygyny, polygynists are usually a statistical minority, because the majority of men can't afford to be polygynous.Where was I?  Oh yeah -- polygyny will make the most sense in societies where you've decided normal males are status-seeking -- interested in seeking wealth and influence -- and that women stay at home.  It's somewhat incongruous with egalitarian societies.Other factors that can tip the scale in favor of polygyny:An excess of male violence -- If you've got societies where all the males are expected to go off to war, but the females aren't, all those men getting killed at war can encourage a male/female imbalance that makes polygyny more common.  (Think about all those orcs getting slaughtered by adventurers, leaving all those female orcs at home looking for husbands!)  In fact, in some societies, men don't have a choice about polygyny, because tradition demands they marry their brother's widows.(There's a whacky adventure hook for you -- "Your brother is dead!  Time to get married!")Alliance building -- If you've got societies where political alliances are made by marriage, it might encourage polygyny, but only for the "important" people who make alliances.  You could have a society where polygyny is traditional for the upper classes, but not commoners.Polyandry (multiple husbands) is so rare that anthropologists are still figuring it out. Polyandrous societies usually have a severe shortage of females (caused by infanticide).  The husbands are usually brothers -- a woman isn't so much marrying a man as she is marrying a family.</blockquote>

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