When the New England missionaries, Hiram Bingham, arrived in Hawaii in 1820, he was very concerned to see the natives worship the idol, dancing hula, and incest among the members of the ruling royal family. Hawaii residents do not surprise as Bingham had witnessed the behavior of the nobility. Incest in society, according to historian Joanne Carando, "not only acceptable, but even recommended" in Hawaii as the exclusive rights of the royal family.
In fact, while almost all cultures in the annals consider incest brother and sister or parent-child taboo, the royal family are exempt in many societies, including ancient Egypt, Inca Peru, and occasionally in Central Africa, Mexico, and Thailand. And while the royal family in Europe to avoid incest brother and sister, much to marry their cousins, among others, family Hohenzollerns in Prussia, the French Bourbon family, and the British royal family. Habsburg family in Spain, which ruled for nearly 200 years, often married to each other close relatives. Their dynasty ended in 1700 with the death of Charles II, a king who was so frail health and has many problems in physical development that can only speak at the age of four years and walked at the age of eight. He also had difficulty chewing food and can not have kids.
Physical health problems faced by the Charles and the pharaoh Tutankhamun, children whose parents siblings, suggests one possible explanation, of the incest taboo which is almost universal: the overlapping genes could be a boomerang. Siblings had an average of half the same genes, as well as owned by the parents and offspring. Genome cousin of 12.5 per cent overlap. Marriage between close relatives can increase the threat of harmful recessive genes, especially when combined repeated from generation to generation, which is the offspring pairs in the gene, resulting in the widest possible range of health problems or developmental disabilities may include cleft lip and congenital foot defects suffered by Tut or small stature and impotence experienced by Charles.
Even if the royal family was aware of the possibility of this disability, they choose to ignore it. According to professor of classics at Stanford University, Walter Scheidel, one reason was that "incest makes them different." Incest in society especially the case in which the rulers of society have tremendous power and has no environmentally equivalent, except the gods. Because the gods married to fellow gods, so also the supposed nobility.
Incest also protect the assets of the kingdom. Married to fellow family members to ensure that a king would share the wealth, honor, and power only with people who are relatives. In a dominant, centralized society, like ancient Egypt or the Inca of Peru, this may mean limiting the circle of marriage only among close family. In a society that cultural overlap, as in Europe in the second millennium, it could mean big family member married to another of the regime to retain power at the same time forming alliances among relatives.
Physical health problems faced by the Charles and the pharaoh Tutankhamun, children whose parents siblings, suggests one possible explanation, of the incest taboo which is almost universal: the overlapping genes could be a boomerang. Siblings had an average of half the same genes, as well as owned by the parents and offspring. Genome cousin of 12.5 per cent overlap. Marriage between close relatives can increase the threat of harmful recessive genes, especially when combined repeated from generation to generation, which is the offspring pairs in the gene, resulting in the widest possible range of health problems or developmental disabilities may include cleft lip and congenital foot defects suffered by Tut or small stature and impotence experienced by Charles.
Even if the royal family was aware of the possibility of this disability, they choose to ignore it. According to professor of classics at Stanford University, Walter Scheidel, one reason was that "incest makes them different." Incest in society especially the case in which the rulers of society have tremendous power and has no environmentally equivalent, except the gods. Because the gods married to fellow gods, so also the supposed nobility.
Incest also protect the assets of the kingdom. Married to fellow family members to ensure that a king would share the wealth, honor, and power only with people who are relatives. In a dominant, centralized society, like ancient Egypt or the Inca of Peru, this may mean limiting the circle of marriage only among close family. In a society that cultural overlap, as in Europe in the second millennium, it could mean big family member married to another of the regime to retain power at the same time forming alliances among relatives.
by : David Dobbs Foto oleh Baron/Getty Images, Museum Bishop
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