# droit du seigneur

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/droit-du-seigneur/684216>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 21, 2014, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/droit-du-seigneur/684216 "2014-03-21T09:35:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/droit-du-seigneur/684216/21 "2014-04-23T08:58:57Z")

</div>

> [@Powers](#):
>
> Calling the reliability of the Bible “extraordinary”, particularly in regards to “countless” instances, is itself extraordinary. I should think it would be a struggle to identify 10 such instances.  
> Powers &8^]

“Countless” was hyperbole. For lay accounts of some previous and current research, flip through Biblical Archaeological Review.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/droit-du-seigneur/684216/22 "2014-07-27T19:39:48Z")

</div>

On the fictional front… just read the graphic novel of George R.R. Martin’s _The Sworn Sword_, a prequel to _Game of Thrones_, in which Egg (squire to Ser Duncan the Tall) mentions in passing that Queen Allysanne convinced King Jaehaerys to abolish first night.

> **[First night](http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/First_night)**
>
> The first night is a mostly extinct marriage tradition in Westeros.\[1\] The custom states that when smallfolk marry, their lord or king has the privilege to bed the bride on the first night.\[2\]

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/droit-du-seigneur/684216.md?page=1)