Dating and Love Through Time

Romantic Love and Dating Through Time

 

What is Romance? Mystery, Excitement and Pleasure associated with Love. Romance and love has changed since the caveman day’s of women being clubbed over the head and taken as a mate. In the Medieval days women were seen as properties and I feel that concept lasted until the mid twentieth century. Chivalry and romance did begin in Medieval times and has been modified over time. Online dating gives dater’s freedoms to seek romance by categories and internationally.

Romantic Love and Dating Through Time

In prehistoric times the leader of the pack was the alpha male. He was the strongest, loudest and leader of the pack. The caveman’s method of romance or wooing a woman was clubbing the woman and dragging her to his cave. In the cave the alpha-cave man would do what ever he wished with the cavewomen. There are no records of the woman’s feelings about wooing or romance. This kind of behavior was common and probably expected. You must realize prehistoric time was more than 10,000 years ago and women and men did not have the advantages or options they have today. Caveman and women tended to monogamous. The reason for monogamy was survival. Prehistoric men and women had to hunt for their food and food (meat, chicken, birds, vegetables, fruits, birds eggs, roots and seeds) were eaten raw. Caveman and women living conditions were dependent on seasons and were continually roam looking for food and shelter. Mating in prehistoric times provided security for the woman and increased production for the male. Prehistoric people roamed in small groups. Monogamy strengthens the society.

Medieval Times

In Medieval times romance was not what we see in the movie with Russell Crowe or Liam Nielson. In the country marriages could result from love. Noble classes viewed love and marriage as business transactions. Wives brought dowries and some instances alliances of two countries. Women were usually viewed as the male’s property. Moralist in the 11^th and 12^th century considered passion as sinful. Medieval romance idealized the noble knight and his noble deeds. Romance idealized High Adventure which was usually knights and nobles participating in religious crusades or wars.

Romance in Early Modern Europe

From the 15^th century to 18^th century was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Events from 15^th to 18^th century invention of printing press, Christopher Columbus, beginning of Protestant Reform, discovery of the Americas, European colonization of the Americas, American Revolution and French Revolution. Elizabeth I reign (1558-1603) height of English literature and poetry. During Elizabethan Era William Shakespeare composed plays and poetry. Three themes for Shakespearean writings comedy, romance and history. Age of Reason or Age of Enlightenment in European philosophy. Romance differed by class. People in the villages had to be strongly approved by both parents. Villages could marry for love but considering very low living habits the male was seeking a hard working mate and someone that could bear children. In noble quarters marriages were arranged to enhance fortunes. The Church had a very strong influence and virginity was seen as the highest mortal award for any single woman.

Romance Today

America is considered a young country but the leading country in the world. 1928 was the beginning of the Great Depression. The 19^th amendment was passed in 1920 giving women the right to vote. During WWII women were allowed in the work force. Franklin D. Roosevelt introduces Social Security and the Veterans Bill. In the 1950’s in American economy was booming. In 1960 the birth control pill was approved for contraception.

All of these events have changed the roles of men and women in the society or have things really changes. Women have to freedom of having a career and being a wife and mother. It is now acceptable that women are the bread winners the husbands as stay at home dads raising the children. Be what about romance. Novels, plays and movies have influenced the concept of what romance should be. In long term affairs that are a mountains of information on keeping the romance alive. In the past mates met through family members, in school, socially or at the work place. Date seeking is still social (in bars, churches, etc) but in this age of computers online dating is an acceptable practice. One in Five couples is finding their mates on line. Online dating is tailored in to categories ( single, single parents, senior dating, executive dating, big beautiful women dating, Christian dating, Jew dating, Black Dating, Asian dating, Latin dating, local, national, international dating and more. Romance is the same through out time man needs woman and woman need man.