How did the phrase "tie the knot" come to mean getting married? And what other terms do we use?

I can think of a few:

"get hitched"
"jump the broom" - this from Roots by Alex Haley
"say I do"

Isn't there an aspect of some wedding ceremony in which a strip of fabric (silk?) is lightly draped around the wrists of the bride and groom as they hold hands as a symbol of their vow to stay together forever or until that time when he decides personal hygiene is no longer a priority and/or her voice developes into a piercing shriek similar to that made by a dental drill in the hands of a drunken and masochistic dentist?

(My! Where did that come from?!)

Terms like "to tie the knot" and "the ol' ball and chain" can't help but reflect, in varying degrees, the speaker's (or, possibly more significantly, the culture's) negative view of the state of marital bliss.

For example, the word in Spanish for wives is esposas.
The word in Spanish for handcuffs is esposas.

I always thought that was odd...

In looking for some help in a Latin dictionary just now, I stumbled upon the phrase
Viri sunt viri which they translate as "Men are scum."

I suppose the ancient Romans had to have had a word for "scum" but I find it hard to believe that it was the same word for "men." Then again, "viri" is just a step away from both "virulent" and "virile" so maybe there is a connection. One for the Latin scholars, maybe?

I hope it's not too off-point here to mention the custom of announcing, at a wedding, "If anyone present knows of any reason why these too should not be joined together, let him speak now or forever hold his peace." In Hollywood usage it means, "Is she really in love with someone else?"

But that's not the origin. In past days parentage might be unclear, and an extramarital indiscretion could often lead to a half-brother who, when grown, unknowingly married his half-sister. The wedding announcement was a call to speak up, if you know that the bride and groom were in fact half-siblings.

From the same purpose came our custom of publishing impending marriage ("publishing the banns). It goes back to Charlemagne, who issued an edict requiring that all marriages be publically proclaimed at least seven days before the ceremony.

The Latin word virus can be translated as "slimy liquid , slime; poison, esp. of snakes, venom; any harsh taste or smell". "Scum" would certainly pass as a translation. Our word "virus" comes from this root, of course.

The latin word vir, "man", has the plural viri, so viri sunt viri can certainly be translated as "men are scum".

I knew it!

Morgan asked, "How did the phrase 'tie the knot' come to mean getting married?"

A source explains, "Bed frames used to be sprung with rope. To make a marriage bed you needed to 'tie the knot'." Personally, I find this pretty darn unconvincing.

Stockmen of old had trouble handling large, male animals. Bulls were particularly difficult to control. Early attempts to control these animals consisted of slipping a rope around the animal's neck. The animal was so strong that this was ineffective. Several men, each with a rope around the animal's neck, might subdue the animal, but only after a fierce struggle. Someone eventually discovered that the bull's nose was extremely sensitive, and a rope fastened to a ring inserted through the septum of the nose enabled one man to control the animal, to literally "lead it by the nose". It was important to tie a secure knot in the rope. If the knot failed, the stockman would be in extreme danger.

Stockmen's wives saw how easily the animals were led and wondered if it would work with their errant husbands. They tried it and, lo and behold, it worked! Contankerous old stockmen who were prone to drinking too much, chasing women, and generally ignoring their wives, were brought under control by the "ring in the nose". Such a man could even be housebroken and taught the rudiments of manners. Again, a secure knot was crucial. As long as it held the man could be made to act half-way civil, but if it failed, the woman was apt to lose her husband. But the wives exacted a punishment. A man who was able to slip his rope and be free was required to pay for his transgression, often for the rest of his life.

Eventually the wedding ceremony became known as "tying the knot". Failure of the knot was called "divorce", and the payment came to be known as "alimony".

Some discount my version of the truth and insist there is another explanation for the phrase "tie the knot". Below are some alternative explanations.
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The term "tie the knot" also goes back to ancient tribal days a girl was wrapped in a sheet with a knot tied in the front, signifying to the groom and his family that she was a virgin.
In Roman times, the bride would wear a girdle that was tied in many knots which the groom had the "duty" of untying.

http://www.findyourdj.com/traditions.htm
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Some marriage ceremonies actually tie together the wrists of the bride and groom.

http://www.princessleia.com/Idioms.html
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Handfasting is an ancient commitment ceremony. It is the predecessor to the modern wedding ceremony. The ritual itself usually includes a binding together of the hands of the couple with a ritual cord of some kind, hence the name, which means “hand fastening.” It is also the origin of the slang phrase “to tie the knot.” Handfasting is a symbolic ceremony to honor a couple’s desire for commitment to each other; to acknowledge that their lives and their fates are now bound together.

http://www.morbidoutlook.com/lifestyle/spirituality/2002_02_handfasting.html
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Ever wonder where the phrase "tie the knot" comes from? Supposedly this also goes back to early Roman times. The bride would wear a girdle that was tied in many knots, which the groom had the "duty" to untie. As a side note, this can also refer to the tying of the knot in Handfasting Ceremonies, which were usually done without the benefit of clergy.

https://wordcraft.infopop.cc/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=441607094&f=932607094&m=9736051002
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"Tying The Knot" is a phrase used for decades in our modern world is more than a mere statement or gesture, it is in reality a fact. The origin of "Tying the Knot": The "Betrothal Knot" as it was known preceded the Betrothal Ring. It was from the knot that the first rings of marriage were first designed. These were cast of metal in the shape of the "Betrothal Knot" and dates back to the middle ages.

http://www.weddingsforless.com/novelty3.htm
(Be aware that this site is attempting to sell you something, which makes their information suspect)
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I can't vouch for the veracity of any of these sites. I'm sticking to my story.

Tinman