Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c6.102.2

v1.c6.102.2

and it is reported of certain Koryaks that they were wont to get the Russian postman as a stud-bull (Hartland, ii, 181). Childless Bantu bring their brother to their wife; and among the Wakamba in Africa rich men who have no offspring give one of their wives to a friend, that there may be offspring (Hartland, ii, 214, 196). The best-known case is Sparta, where a law ordered the elderly owner of a young wife to mate a young and lusty likely father with her (Hartland, i, 322; ii, 134). On this and on begetting by proxy among the Greeks in general, and among others of the older peoples, cp. Engels, *Ursprung d. Familie*, 49; Henne am Rhyn, *Die Frau in der Kulturgesch.*, 193 ff.; Starcke, loc. cit., 124; O. Schrader, *Die Indogermanen*, p. 93; Ed. Meyer, *Gesch. d. Altertums*, i, 3³, pp. 28–30, and what is there said. It is on very good grounds that Hartland can say that the examples are “innumerable” where the husband, to get children, brings in another man in his stead (ii, 247).—Now proper men above all others are the priest, the chief, the ruler. Above and beyond this, as already said, he confers an honour on the commonalty thereby. So among the Eskimos a man and his wife look on themselves as lucky when a shaman takes pity in this way on the family. They believe that the son of a holy man with such power over the spirits will outstrip other mortals in excellence and good fortune. The Greenlanders even paid the Angekoks for such services (Starcke, 123; *Westermarck* 3, 80;