List of coupled siblings

This article gives a list of individuals who have been romantically or maritally coupled with a sibling. This list does not include coupled siblings in fiction, although ones from mythology and religion are included.

A coin depicting Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his sister-wife Arsinoe II[1]

Terminology

There are many terms used to describe a romantic bond between siblings, including formal nomenclature such as adelphogamy, specific hyponyms such twincest, or slang terms like sibcest.[2][3] In a heterosexual context, a female partner in such a relationship may be referred as a sister-wife.[4] A similar incestuous arrangement which is non-monogamous can be referred as sister-swapping or brother-swapping,[5] although this should not be confused with berdel, which describes the situation in which families exchange brides or bridegrooms.[6]

History

While cousin marriage is legal in most countries, and avunculate marriage is legal in several, sexual relations between siblings are considered incestuous[ambiguous] almost universally, regardless of legality. Still, sibling marriage is legally prohibited in most countries worldwide[citation needed], with exceptions being Sweden, where marriages between half-siblings are legally permitted. Sibling marriage was historically practiced in ancient Egypt and Inca tribes.

Innate sexual aversion between siblings forms due to close association in childhood, in what is known as the Westermarck effect. Children who grow up together do not normally develop sexual attraction, even if they are unrelated, and conversely, siblings who were separated at a young age may develop sexual attraction. Thus, many cases of sibling incest, including accidental incest, concern siblings who were separated at birth or at a very young age.

List of coupled siblings

Religion and mythology

In Egyptian mythology

In Japanese mythology

In Greek mythology

Monarchs

In Ancient Egypt

In classical antiquity

In Inca Peru

In East Asia

In Japan

In the Hawaiian Islands

In medieval and early modern Europe

Suspected/disputed

Other

See also

References

Bibliography