It is the practice of marrying decreased husband’s brother.
Features
- It’s a kind of secondary m’age
- need for a legal heir for the decreased if the primary concern
- A man’s exercise with his levirate duties establishes his claim on his deceased brother’s property.
- It often coincides with polygyny.
- Ensures
- Permanent relations & alliance
- Stops return of bride price
- Question of children upbringing
- Right over decreased bro’s property
- Widow ; socio-Economic support
- Continuity of line if man dies childless.
Examples –
- Very much common in Middle East
- e.g Santhal, ho Saora, Bhuiya, Manda
Junior Levirate -Special type of Levirate when the m’age of the deceased brother’s wife is restricted to younger brother.
