Widow
Alternate uses: see widow (typesetting). For the British TV drama see Widows
.A
widow is a woman whose
husband has died. A man whose wife has died is a
widower. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed
widowhood or
viduity.
Widowhood has been an important social issue, particularly in the past. In families in which the husband was the sole provider, widowhood could plunge the family into
poverty, and many
charities had as a goal the aid of widows and
orphans. This was aggravated by women's longer life spans, and that men generally married women younger than themselves.
However, in some
patriarchal societies, widows were among the most independent women. A widow sometimes carried on her late husband's business and consequently accorded certain rights, such as the right to enter
guilds.
There were implications for sexual freedom as well; although some
wills contained
dum casta provisions (requiring widows to remain unmarried in order to receive inheritance), in societies preventing
divorce, widowhood permitted women to remarry and have a greater range of sexual experiences. The
Wife of Bath in
Geoffrey Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales refers to having been widowed five times, permitting her greater sexual experience.
In some other cultures, widows are treated differently. For instance, in
India there is often an elaborate ceremony during the
funeral of a widow's husband, including smashing the bangles, removing the
bindi as well as any colorful attire and making the woman wear white clothes. Earlier it was compulsory to wear all whites after the husband was dead, and even
Widow burning was practiced sometimes. However in modern day culture this has gradually given way to regular colors.
*
bereavement*
black widow*
orphan*
The Merry Widow*
Free Bench*
Saint Paula*
Widownet - a self-help bulletin board resource*
Gay and Lesbian Widow Support Site*
Grief's Journey (focuses on spousal loss)*
Widowed Hearts - the Internet's premier widow and widower
online dating service
