In ancient times, men who had decided upon a wife often had to forcefully take or kidnap her if her family did not approve of the man. While it may seem barbaric in today's society, the groom-to-be would sometimes face resistance from her male family members or from competing suitors who would challenge him. The groom would therefore bring along his "best men" to help him fight for the woman. Another story is that during ancient times when women were in short supply, the groom captured his bride-to-be from a nearby town. The groom, accompanied by a male companion, seized any young girl who had strayed from the safety of her parental home. Our custom of a "best man" is a relic of that two-man, strong-armed tactic; and for such an important task, only the best man would do.
According to German folklore, a best man around AD 200 carried more than a ring. Since there remained the real threat of the bride's family attempting to forcibly gain her return, the best man stayed by the groom's side throughout the marriage ceremony, alert and armed. He also might serve as a sentry outside the newlyweds' home. Despite this being folklore, it is not without written documentation and physical artifacts. In fact, the threat of recapture by the bride's family was perceived as so genuine that beneath the church altars of many early peoples - including the Huns, the Goths, the Visigoths, and the Vandals - lay an arsenal of clubs, knives, and spears.
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