ABSTRACT
In Fulbe marriage, as in other societies, there are certain structural constants despite individual variation—differences of temperament, personal habits, and so forth When a young man marries for the first time he does not, unless his father is old or infirm, immediately establish a separate household. In her pregnancy, a woman feels shyer than her husband and she endeavours to keep her condition a secret as long as possible although her husband is likely soon to learn that she has ceased menstruating. Receiving her danki brings an advance in status to a wife which is paralleled by a similar advance in the status of her husband. The return of the wife to the home of her husband with her child marks a crucial stage in household development. The prospect of a secure and relatively care-free old age under the care of their sons will often restrain young women from deserting or divorcing their husbands.
