If today one child in the family is a widespread phenomenon, then in ancient times everything was quite different in Russia. The families were large, there were many relatives, and the person was constantly surrounded by brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers and other close people. And after the marriage, this circle widened even more: the father-in-law and mother-in-law, mother-in-law and father-in-law, brother-in-law and brother-in-law appeared. Who it is, not everyone knows. If anecdotes about mother-in-law are available in the arsenal of any married man, then say, for example, about who the sister-in-law is, many find it difficult. Today we try to understand the intricate family ties.
The brother-in-law - who is it? The answer to this question should know the girl who is going to get married. After all, if her future husband has a brother-in-law, he will be a relative to her. The woman, in turn, for her husband's brother will be considered a daughter-in-law, as, indeed, for the other senior members of his family.
By the way, brother-in-law is not just her husband's brother. This man used to have great authority for a young family, and he was given an important role in the wedding ceremony. For example, when matchmaking, when the parties agreed on the wedding (and this was called "hand-knitting"), it was the brother-in-law (who we already knew) was a witness from the groom's side. In the case if the young man did not have a sibling, his role was performed by another relative, necessarily married. Then it was called a "hand-held brother-in-law". Whoever it was, it was the responsibility of this family member to accompany the bride to her parents for their blessing. By the way, if the groom asked the relative to be his brother, he had no right to refuse.
After the wedding, the bride was surrounded by new relatives. In relation to them, she became a daughter-in-law or daughter-in-law. The father and mother of the husband became a father-in-law and mother-in-law, the brothers, as we have already said, are gamblers. And if her husband had sisters, they became sister-in-law of a young wife. The wife of the brother-in-law was also called a sister-in-law here and there. This name is associated with an interesting ritual of "gilding", which consisted of sprinkling the bride with ashes from her native stove. With what only did not rhyme the sister-in-law in the old Russian songs and proverbs! "Zolovka - viper head", "sister-in-law cunning at tricks", and just "sister-in-law" ... Apparently, often the relationship with her at the newlyweds were not friendly at all. But with the brother, as a rule, on the contrary. No wonder many peoples in ancient times had a custom according to which a woman in the event of her husband's death should have married his own brother.
And what about the youngest husband? He also had new relatives, too. And a strict father-in-law, and mother-in-law who does not descend from the language of folk jokes. But his wife 's brothers and sisters became newly married brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Who is the brother-in-law and brother-in-law? It turns out that the first is the brother of the wife, and the second is the husband. As you can see, it's quite easy to understand family relationships. It is much more difficult to live in peace and harmony in such a large family. But some of this is still possible. And then the relatives replace a loving mother, a caring father, brothers and sisters.