Spousal kidnap in YN

[The Land of the Ephyral]

Bride kidnapping, or bridenapping, is the act in which a man abducts a woman he wishes to marry, and is usually distinguished from raptio as the occurrence of mass abduction of women in war for the purposes of marriage or enslavement. In the interest of accounting for the social dynamics of various nations, or cases in which the female half of the population possesses greater physical strength or aggression in tandem with a superior social position, or a more egalitarian society, I propose the more neutral term 'spousal kidnap' to refer to any such abduction of a man or a woman by a man or a woman with the intent of marriage.

Many cultures and civilisations in the real world, if one looks back far enough, will have a high frequency of spousal kidnap, especially bride kidnapping. This is hypothetically how marriage initially began, and was in many places a completely legitimate and normal way of acquiring a wife, albeit with added dangers. In some countries, this practice remains common, although usually in violation of the nation's laws. In other countries, consensual marriage rituals and customs may evoke an element of kidnap.

What is the history of spousal kidnap in your nation, if any? Were there any particular manners in which it was done? Does it remain common or has it died out? Do your modern marriage rituals continue to have symbolism that is reminiscent of kidnap? Any other information surrounding the legality, morality, frequency, or execution of this practice?

Edit 1: Typo corrections

[The Land of the Ephyral]

SPOUSAL KIDNAP IN EPHYRA

---

Spousal kidnap, exclusively bride kidnap, has a long and traditional history in Ephyra. Historically and in the present day, it is considered a sign of strength and masculinity to steal a woman from the protection of her family. This is due to the fierce protectiveness of Ephyral families over their women, which is in part precisely due to the threat of kidnap. In Ephyra's honour culture, it is important for families and especially men to cultivate reputations of fear, in order to dissuade attack. This reputation can be gained from a successful attack however. In the past, bride kidnapping was common, often by men who were unable to afford or participate in the necessary gift exchanges, or who were simply dismissed as suitors by the fathers of eligible maidens. An abduction of a maiden jeopardised belief in her chastity, regardless of whether she had in fact been assaulted in the course of the abduction, and damaged her future prospects for marriage. This incentives families to quietly resolve a case of abduction by agreeing to marriage. If the abduction goes wrong, in the sense that the abductor is caught or news of the attempt breaks out in the community, the family may be forced to retaliate and kill the offender, and in some cases, the maiden.

In the modern era, kidnapping a woman to make her your wife remains a legitimate practice, due to traditional Ephyral beliefs and customs. It is however much rarer due to the greater ability for men to access the marital arena. So prevalent is the symbol of kidnap however, being present in much of Ephyral mythology and carried out by gods and heroes alike, that it remains a vital part of a properly arranged marriage. The show of strength for a man is indispensable in his relationship with a woman, who he ceremonially kidnaps on the wedding day. Further, by the image of the bride being taken by force, her honour and chastity is jeopardised by a foreign actor, rather than by her own wishes, such as in the case of adultery. Among the Ephyral, it is deemed far better for a woman to be raped than to be seduced, as in the former, she is not culpable. The Ephyral bride herself will expect to be forced to go with her new husband, and will resist him to ensure he completes his role. A man who cannot carry away his wife is not seen as a man fit enough to protect her, or even as a man at all.

Due to the severe danger surrounding elopement, especially on the part of the woman, abductions may be staged in order to persuade the family of her involuntary dishonouring, and to persuade them to accept her preferred suitor as a husband. For Ephyral women, the romantic fantasy of being swept off of one's feet is a far more literal idea, and even decades into a marriage, a man will still consider his wife as his spoils, and a woman will consider her husband her captor.

[The Greater Russian Domain]

Bridal Kidnap, both literal and ceremonial, has been a historical tradition among the minority populations of Russian Central Asia, especially the Kyrgyz and Mongols, though many other cultures of similar traditions as well.

As The Modern Era Culture of Russia considered literal bridal kidnap (where the woman is taken unexpectedly and forced to marry a man she has no interest in) barbaric, illegal, and possibly even grounds for execution at some points, the ceremonial practice has changed among these people to more clearly distinguish it. It now is an act undertaken after engagement, and just a few days before the wedding, and may be slower paced, and her resistance more clearly token.

The issuance of marriage licenses requires each party to be questioned privately as to their consent to the marriage, so literal bridal kidnap has been largely stamped out.

[Countesia]

Illegal. Carries the same charge as kidnapping normally would.

Unless its consensual... I suppose someone out there has a kidnapping kink.

[The Confederate States of America]

Kidnapping is kidnapping. They go to the salt mines.

[TURTLESHROOM II]

The practice has been sparsely recorded to exist during the time that Altaic peoples arrived in and enslaved the non-human population, but it did not seem to be a major action. The non-human Khanates, which were established after the defeat of their former masters and mirrored their culture, language, and society, did not have this absent a dowry being paid first.

Rather, bride kidnapping, in the rare circumstances it occurred, was done after the approval of the union. It was the custom was that if a man and a woman loved another, the man would have to show his worthiness to his family by sneaking in and literally extracting his spouse from the watchful eye (and arms) of the bride's family.

Except, this wasn't a human thing. It was a turtle thing. Khanate-era female turtles, being vastly larger and stronger than males, formed a matriarchal society. A female turtle had the dominant dynamic and the smaller, far weaker males were submissive. Female turtles would slowly attempt to abduct their desired male suitor.

Most of the time, however, turtles preferred to assert dominance by participating in neck-stretching competitions, with the longer turtle being clearly stronger and more powerful than the other. Male turtles did this in the presence of dominant females when they were competing for a mate. Even today, sapient turtles that get into fights will stretch their necks as high as they can while they yell at the opponent. The social structure of the matriarchal turtles, even today, has some connections with the past, and even with non-sapient turtles as well.

---

Under TS law, inherited in part from the non-human Khanates, it is illegal for a husband or wife to kidnap their spouse unless they are already married and the union is consensual.

All kidnapping is punishable by either death or life in prison.

[The Union of British North America]

Spousal kidnap is illegal in all 50 provinces and 4 Autonomous Indigenous Nations of the NAU. All marriages in the NAU must have consenting parties.

The practice of kidnapping children, teenagers, and women from neighbouring tribes and adopting them into the new tribe was common among Native Americans throughout the Americas. The kidnappings were a way of introducing new blood into the group. Captured European women sometimes settled down as adopted members of the tribe and at least one woman, Mary Jemison, refused rescue when it was offered.

Mary Jemison (Deh-he-wä-nis) (1743 – September 19, 1833) was a Scots-Irish colonial frontierswoman in Pennsylvania and New York, who became known as the "White Woman of the Genesee." As a young girl she was captured and adopted into a Seneca family, assimilating to their culture, marrying two Native American men in succession, and having children with them. In 1824 she published a memoir of her life, a form of captivity narrative. On April 5, 1758, during the French and Indian War, Jemison at age 12 was captured with most of her family in a Shawnee mourning raid in what is now known as West York County, Pennsylvania. The others of her family were killed. She and an unrelated young boy were adopted by Seneca families. She became fully assimilated, marrying a Delaware (Lenape), and, after his death, a Seneca man. She chose to remain a Seneca rather than return to American colonial culture. Jemison told her story late in life to an American minister, who wrote it for her. He published it as Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison (1824). It was reprinted in the late 20th century. In 1874 her remains were reinterred near a historic Seneca council house on a private estate, in what is now Skagadee Park, a public AIN park operated by the Six Nations.

[Tangatarehua]

Spousal kidnap is extremely illegal in modern Tangatarehua but it has happened not uncommonly throughout history.

The most famous example was in 1393 when Kaiwhakarite o te Raki kidnapped Crown Princess Ngahuia, dragged her north to the city of Rakipa and forced her to marry to him so that he could declare himself Ariki (Emperor/Paramount Chief) once she ascended to the throne - which happened in 1402.

However his authority was widely disputed (in traditional Tangatarehua, women outrank men and the Empress always outranks her husband) which led to the Ariki Wars and over a century of instability and civil war.

[Estumis]

There was never a similar cultural tradition here. Kidnapping and false imprisonment are considered criminal offenses.

[The Imagination Animals]

Spousal kidnapping was a normal thing in Crossoveria during the monarchic years. In fact, it was culturally and socially accepted by the royal crown. Dating back to the 5th Century during the Ad Tempus Antequam Homines era, it skyrocketed in the Middle Ages and early Renaissance period and was one of the highest in the world. Much of the bridenappings happened in the modern-day province of Gurmanshyr.

Spousal kidnapping became improper after the Crossoverian Revolution, and was decreed illegal by Crossoverian Supreme Leader Farrokh Daikutt in 1976. Today, spousal kidnappings warrant a $500 fine or a two-year prison term at maximum.

[The Turkmen Emirate]

What is the history of spousal kidnap in your nation, if any?:
Used to be fairly common.
Were there any particular manners in which it was done?:
Women being abducted as an alternative to marriages arranged by parents or matchmakers.

Does it remain common or has it died out?:
Rare now.
Do your modern marriage rituals continue to have symbolism that is reminiscent of kidnap?:
Yes but they also require the bride (and witnesses) being given a chance to object. Women’s spoken consent, or at least, acquiescence was required even when bride-kidnapping was accepted for some reason.
Any other information surrounding the legality, morality, frequency, or execution of this practice?:
It is illegal. Non-consensual marriage is classified as slavery and, if it is consummated, also rape.
Slavery and rape carry life imprisonment and the death penalty respectively.

When it happens now the perpetrators always allege consent and usually have good lawyers.

[The Grand World Order]

Spousal kidnapping was once common in the time between WWIV and the Foundings, along with slavers. Eradicating them and ending practices such as this was one of the first tasks of the post-WWIV UN, which eventually became the GWO.

It's illegal, but happens. However, a common phenomenon consists of men blasting the Rocky theme as they do pushups and shadowbox outside of domestic violence shelters.

[Victorious Decepticons]

This has never been a natural part of our culture since we're robots, and robots don't marry or have sex.

However, since immigration became a thing - a quite recent development, considering that getting here requires a space ship - we have occasionally seen people try this. Immigrants, who are converted into robots just before the granting of citizenship, are supposed to act in a non-sexualized manner. However, other immigrants can sometimes determine the original gender of such a person, and this occasionally gives them ideas that are - if acted upon - incompatible with their continued life.

While it's legal to TRY pretty much anything other than overthrowing the government, this is the perfect example of a Very Bad Idea and a Thing You Shouldn't Actually Do Around Here. Those who are even vaguely considering it should keep two things firmly in mind:

1. Every Decepticon body must, by law, have two Standard [energy] Blasters or one Double-Strength Blaster, or greater, permanently attached. Since immigrants are mind-transferred to Decepticon bodies upon acceptance of their immigration petition, that means that any potential targets on Cybertron are always very well-armed.

2. Every would-be immigrant must also pass a psychological test, prior to roboticization, in order to be granted citizenship. This is to make sure the person is completely compatible with our culture, among other things. The relevant part here is that this ensures that the person has the mindset needed to actually USE those blasters. In fact, the person must be decently eager to use them, otherwise, they don't get in.

Because of the above two factors, there has never been a SUCCESSFUL spousal kidnap in this nation. Instead, there are rare, sporadic records of idiots getting themselves killed by their targets while trying this particular stunt.

[-Terrapacis-]

This concept has never existed in Terrapacisian history.

[Great Britain eke Northern Ireland]

What is the history of spousal kidnap in your nation, if any?

Spousal kidnap has never been a custom within the United Kingdom or any of its ancestral polities. The only encounters with it have been observations by Britons in Central Asia and other regions were it has historically occurred.

Were there any particular manners in which it was done?

N/A

Does it remain common or has it died out?

N/A

Do your modern marriage rituals continue to have symbolism that is reminiscent of kidnap?

No. Modern marriage is considered by a commitment between two persons to love and care for one another and any children whom the couple bear or adopt.

Any other information surrounding the legality, morality, frequency, or execution of this practice?

Spousal kidnap is considered a barbaric practice that has no place within the United Kingdom and anything resembling it is dealt with harshly by the country’s policing and judicial authorities.

[Lamrac]

Spousal kidnap was made illegal through some court case.

[Dyrrhonian Isles]

Illegal

[Free Lyaria]

What is the history of spousal kidnap in your nation, if any?
Not spousal but kidnap for breeding. Ancient Lyarians would take male captives and give them the option of fathering children.

Were there any particular manners in which it was done?
The captives came from wars so it was done violently. This is however less violent than simply chasing down and killing broken armies. Capturing them was always preferred. If they did not wish to be used as breeders, they could potentially be ransomed.

Does it remain common or has it died out?
It has long since died out. It had earlier, but by the advent of fertility treatments and artificial insemination it certainly would not have continued.

Do your modern marriage rituals continue to have symbolism that is reminiscent of kidnap?
Marriage between a man and a woman is very rare in Lyaria, but some traditions do speak back to the practice of capturing men for breeding. The woman is generally seen as the owner of the man, and so it is her name that is used to refer to them both socially and legally. Traditional vows also include requirement that the man obeys and provides the woman with however many children she wishes, as well as including an acknowledgement that failure to be capable of fathering children is a violation of the marriage contract.

[Luziyca]

It is illegal in the Kingdom of Rwizikuru, although given that the government does not have full control over the peripheral regions of the country, it is not that well enforced.

[The Holy Solar Empire]

Firmly illegal and punishable by castration or death.

[Gandoor]

Spousal kidnapping has never been practiced in Gandoorese culture and the practice is considered illegal in our nation.

[Dragonrealm]

Dragons don't have monogamous relationships, unlike humans or birds. For them, the sole purpose of finding a partner is to mate and then fly off, so "marriage" is a concept that's completely alien to Dragon culture. That said, trying to forcibly violate somebody is an extremely bad idea. Dragons have sharp claws and fangs, and won't hesitate to use them, if they're not receptive to your advances.

[Glevenschester]

What is the history of spousal kidnap in your nation, if any?:
No known history as a legal practice, it was relatively common (though illegal) in the 18th century.
Were there any particular manners in which it was done?:
Usually they’d kidnap a wealthy woman for financial gain.
Does it remain common or has it died out?:
It is rare but is pracisted in the Roma community from time to time.

Do your modern marriage rituals continue to have symbolism that is reminiscent of kidnap?:
No.
Any other information surrounding the legality, morality, frequency, or execution of this practice?:
It’s illegal and widely denounced. Parliament has started debating life sentences and will continue to debate these after the easter holidays.

[Thamesholm and Wallborough]

What is the history of spousal kidnap in your nation, if any?:
It was condoned by some Thamesholmian Normans until the 1460s when Renaissance humanism, increased law and order and increased history in chivalric codes, at least towards noblewomen in one’s own country, combined to turn attitudes against the practice
(though it was always forbidden by the church and common law).
Were there any particular manners in which it was done?:
Brutally, by armed noblemen.
Does it remain common or has it died out?:
Has died out.
Do your modern marriage rituals continue to have symbolism that is reminiscent of kidnap?:
No.
Any other information surrounding the legality, morality, frequency, or execution of this practice?:
It is punishable by death; those accused of it are not given a fair trial.

[Wochaystein]

Spousal kidnap nowadays is a horrid idea, but it was something that received a cult following in the distant past.

There was once a swordsman cult in the region, providing a variety of thefts and was an overall nuisance to society. However, it did not last long as the Holy Empire sent its inquisitors to eliminate all cells (they primarily live in forests) and its members.