A medieval ban on bride kidnappingSourced
A 1323 regional agreement explicitly outlawed abducting brides.
The Statutes of Upstalsboom, ratified among Frisian regions in 1323, covered public order, courts and currency. Their fourteenth clause prohibited bride kidnapping, specifying a fine and compensation for violence. A particular medieval harm survives in the text of the law.
Old laws also record the problems people faced.
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Upstalsboom · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-01