Jus Primae Noctis

 

I first heard about the law of Prima Noctis when watching a BBC television program in Manchester, UK around 1970. The TV presenter explained that it meant that the members of the house of lords had the legal right to commandeer any newly married woman in their respective realms and spend the first night after her marriage with her as they wished. He claimed that the law was, until then, on the English statute books.

Wikipedia has a lengthy article on the subject with 56 references that suggest the law had existed and been practiced in Europe and elsewhere from as early as the third century BC until abolished in certain countries as late as the 18^th century CE and made covert or voluntarily abandoned in other places.

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droit_du_seigneur.s

Recently, I came across the following passage from the King James version of the holy Bible:

Luke 1

 1.26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto

a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

1.27 to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house

of David ; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

1.28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly

favored, the Lord is with thee : blessed art thou among women.

1.29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in

her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

1.30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary : for thou hast found

favor with God.

1.31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a

son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

1.32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ; and

the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David :

1.33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever ; and of his

kingdom there shall be no end.

1.34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know

not a man ?

1.35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall

come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow

thee : therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee

shall be called the Son of God.

 The passage must have been read millions of times by as many devout Christians who found nothing amiss in it. However, someone devoid of reverence for the Bible might see it differently. He might observe the Holy Ghost trying to seduce a married woman who is still a virgin offering the unlimited kingdom of the world – something that could be termed the divine exercise of Jus Primae Noctis.

Could it be that the incident was phrased by the scribes of King James intentionally in this way to provide religious justification for a practice that would seem immoral in the light of commonly understood Christian values?