<p>Given that the author is an enthusiast for the area (as can be seen in the extras of volumes), it is unlikely that everything is fictious. So I googled and stumbled below. This may not fully answer your question, but hopefully will be a starter.</p>
<p>There was a custom called ハーハル・ハーンデ (in romanization from JP to Latin alphabet: hahal hande) in up-to-19th-century Persia, on which 姉妹妻 (apparently translated to <em>avowed sisters</em> from your question) is based. The custom is described in <a href="https://iss.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I023052341-00" rel="noreferrer">ペルシア民俗誌</a>, whose original title is <em>Aqayid al-nisā</em>, googling which leads to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362454760_The_book_of_women%27s_rituals_the_Central_Asian_adaptation_of_the_Aqaid_al-nisa" rel="noreferrer">this article</a>, which cites <a href="https://archive.org/details/b29287157/page/88/mode/2up" rel="noreferrer"><em>Customs and manners of the women of Persia, and their domestic superstitions</em></a> as an English translation.</p>
<p>On the page I linked, there is the following passage:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>if [the woman who receives a puppet] has little or no regard for the party, the puppet is dressed in black and returned.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>which seems to match the description in the manga. I haven't read the whole thing, but it seems there did exist the custom of <em>avowed sisters</em>.</p>
<hr />
<p>Note: The above is a result of searching in Japanese first then in English. Some Japanese sites mention the custom in connection with the manga, but I cannot really find anything about the custom in English.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-03T08:40:57.837Z
That puppet excerpt is mostly identical to what appears in the manga. Kudos to you for digging up these sources. I will find time to read the whole thing.
Gao
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-04T12:31:37.507Z
Most of the customers depicted in the series are likely derived from pre-Muslim Persian traditions of Zoroastrianism, in this case were likely due to mutual aid and redistribution of wealth after the husband dies. While I'm not sure what what customs is being referred to, but Zoroastrianism has a tradition of a [proxy marriage](https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Law/family_law.htm) called stûrîh or "badal" in Arabic.
кяαzєя
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-03T02:21:48.097Z
2023-11-03T03:35:02.283Z
2023-11-03T03:35:02.283Z
sundowner
<p>In volume 7 is the story of Anis and Sherine and them becoming &quot;avowed sisters&quot;, which the author describes in the omake as a (Persian) custom around the 17-19 century, where two wives would have a marriage ceremony, go on a honeymoon, and be buried together, which is no different from an ordinary marriage between a man and a woman.</p>
<p>Of course I heavily doubt the authenticity of the author's words, as I can't find any information on the internet and find the idea implausible that I think it's just an excuse to draw boobs and yuri. What is the truth?</p>

<culture><a-brides-story>
Are "avowed sisters" pseudohistory or a real/semi-real Persian custom in the past?
# Are "avowed sisters" pseudohistory or a real/semi-real Persian custom in the past?
Posted by: username_0 on 2023-11-02
In volume 7 is the story of Anis and Sherine and them becoming "avowed sisters", which the author describes in the omake as a (Persian) custom around the 17-19 century, where two wives would have a marriage ceremony, go on a honeymoon, and be buried together, which is no different from an ordinary marriage between a man and a woman.

Of course I heavily doubt the authenticity of the author's words, as I can't find any information on the internet and find the idea implausible that I think it's just an excuse to draw boobs and yuri. What is the truth?
**Tags:** culture a-brides-story
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## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2023-11-03. Score: 6
Given that the author is an enthusiast for the area (as can be seen in the extras of volumes), it is unlikely that everything is fictious. So I googled and stumbled below. This may not fully answer your question, but hopefully will be a starter.

There was a custom called ハーハル・ハーンデ (in romanization from JP to Latin alphabet: hahal hande) in up-to-19th-century Persia, on which 姉妹妻 (apparently translated to *avowed sisters* from your question) is based. The custom is described in [ペルシア民俗誌](https://iss.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I023052341-00), whose original title is *Aqayid al-nisā*, googling which leads to [this article](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362454760_The_book_of_women%27s_rituals_the_Central_Asian_adaptation_of_the_Aqaid_al-nisa), which cites [*Customs and manners of the women of Persia, and their domestic superstitions*](https://archive.org/details/b29287157/page/88/mode/2up) as an English translation.

On the page I linked, there is the following passage:

> if [the woman who receives a puppet] has little or no regard for the party, the puppet is dressed in black and returned.

which seems to match the description in the manga. I haven't read the whole thing, but it seems there did exist the custom of *avowed sisters*.

---

Note: The above is a result of searching in Japanese first then in English. Some Japanese sites mention the custom in connection with the manga, but I cannot really find anything about the custom in English.
> **Comments:**
> **username_0** (2023-11-03): That puppet excerpt is mostly identical to what appears in the manga. Kudos to you for digging up these sources. I will find time to read the whole thing.  
> **username_2** (2023-11-04): Most of the customers depicted in the series are likely derived from pre-Muslim Persian traditions of Zoroastrianism, in this case were likely due to mutual aid and redistribution of wealth after the husband dies. While I'm not sure what what customs is being referred to, but Zoroastrianism has a tradition of a [proxy marriage](https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Law/family_law.htm) called stûrîh or "badal" in Arabic.  
---
