History Main / Polyamory

* ''Literature/RebornAsASpaceMercenaryIWokeUpPilotingTheStrongestStarship'': Hiro's BridgeBunnies Mimi, Elma, and Mei are all in love with him. They get along pretty well outside of the bedroom and aren't averse to [[ThreeWaySex sharing him between them]] on occasion, but most of the time they take turns.

* The [[{{Hentai}} h-manga]], ''Mating with Oni'', a young man named Soichiro moved back into his grandparents' hometown after his parents died, and when playing with Momiji, a young red-oni girl, she invites him to her house to play another game. When Momiji's mother, Kaede, another red-oni woman, returns home after she scared off some wild boars that were eating the town's crops she finds Sochiro asking Momiji to untie him and play something else becuase his hands are getting numb. Kade assumes that Momiji wants to kill and eat Socichiro, and although she's willing to cook him she still disapproves because they could be run out of town. However, Momiji explains that she brought Soichiro over because she likes him, and when Soichiro says he likes her too, Kaede becomes excited and explains that oni tradition states that when an oni falls in love with a human, [[AbductionIsLove then that human is to be abducted and forced into marriage]]. Soichiro tries to resist being forced to get married, but accepts his fate and marries Momiji, and even takes Kaede as a wife as well since Momiji is willing to share him. When Soichiro gets kidnapped by Ruri and Hari, members of the rival blue-oni clan, so he can be their husband instead, he tries going home explaining he's already married, only to be hypnotized into loving them. Soichiro's soon freed, and the hypnotism is undone, and months later a pregnant Momiji stills has to keep an eye on him so he won't be kidnapped again. Sometime after Momiji gives birth to a daughter, Soichiro takes her and Kaede to the city to clean his old apartment, and finds that Ruri and Hari broke in and after a passionate night, [[UnwantedHarem Soichiro ends up with a harem of four oni women that are more than happy to share him]].

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' has Brock [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0prR9li4_Q sing a song]] about how much he wants this with Jenny and Joy.

* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': The three most prominent [[FantasyPantheon dwarfen Ancestor Gods]] are in a polyamorous relationship -- Valaya, Goddess of Hearth and Home, is married to both the UltimateBlacksmith Grungni and his brother Grimnir, the [[GodOfWar Slayer God]].

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': After Lestat openly flirts with and then seduces Antoinette while Louis watches and they sleep together off-screen, he (hesitantly) grants Louis permission to have sex with other people. However, once Louis does, Lestat reacts with [[{{Hypocrite}} deep jealousy]].

* Implied, perhaps unintentionally, in the porn video where the "Right in front of my salad?!" meme comes from. In the full video, the woman's husband hires a personal chef...who works naked. Hubby can't keep his hands off him and the two have sex right there in the kitchen after he makes a bowl of salad. The wife walks in and starts eating the salad, then slowly realizes what they're doing behind the counter. But she doesn't seem the least bit surprised or betrayed that her husband is having sex with someone else (and another man at that); her only reaction is disgust that they're doing it while she's in the room eating.[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Phantasmagoria 2}}'' has bisexual hero Curtis wishing he could run off and live with his girlfriend Jocilyn and his [[spoiler:doomed]] gay coworker Trevor, both of whom are in love with him. At one point Curtis was dating both Jocilyn and his BSDM loving coworker Therese, but only Therese was okay with the idea of their having an open relationship.

* Her Royal Majesty Iono from ''Manga/IonoTheFanatics'' somehow manages to be in a romantic relationship with ''an entire kingdom worth of lesbians''. And satisfy them all. Unless, of course, she is traveling abroad, in which case her paramours start a civil war, with one fraction believing in her eventual return and the other striving to bring her back by force.

* The [[{{Hentai}} h-manga]], ''Mating with Oni'', a young man named Soichiro muved back into his grandparents' hometown after his parents died, and when playing with Momiji, a young red-oni girl, she invites him to her house to play another game. When Momiji's mother, Kaede, another red-oni woman, returns home after she scared off some wild boars that were eating the town's crops she finds Sochiro asking Momiji to untie him and play something else becuase his hands are getting numb. Kade assumes that Momiji wants to kill and eat Socichiro, and although she's willing to cook him she still disapproves because they could be run out of town. However, Momiji explains that she brought Soichiro over because she likes him, and when Soichiro says he likes her too, Kaede becomes excited and explains that oni tradition states that when an oni falls in love with a human, [[AbductionIsLove then that human is to be abducted and forced into marriage]]. Soichiro tries to resist being forced to get married, but accepts his fate and marries Momiji, and even takes Kaede as a wife as well since Momiji is willing to share him. When Soichiro gets kidnapped by Ruri and Hari, members of the rival blue-oni clan, so he can be their husband instead, he tries going home explaining he's already married, only to be hypnotized into loving them. Soichiro's soon freed, and the hypnotism is undone, and months later a pregnant Momiji stills has to keep an eye on him so he won't be kidnapped again. Sometime after Momiji gives birth to a daughter, Soichiro takes her and Kaede to the city to clean his old apartment, and finds that Ruri and Hari broke in and after a passionate night, [[UnwantedHarem Soichiro ends up with a harem of four oni women that are more than happy to share him]].

* Rokujo Chikage, ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'''s resident EthicalSlut and ChivalrousPervert, is happy to be with any girl that doesn't mind sharing. The series introduces him dating ''eight'' girls at once.

* ''LightNovel/{{Kanokon}}'':

* In ''LightNovel/{{Maoyu}}'', while it's not flat out stated that the three are romantically involved together, the fact that the Light Novels end with The Hero, The Demon Queen and Lady Knight deciding to retire and leave together, with no one else in tow, to live in some faraway place in peace, sure says something, especially since both girls had previously come into terms that they love The Hero.

* In ''LightNovel/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'' Cuuko proposes one between her, Mahiro and Nyarko, after she warms up to Mahiro, suggesting [[HomosexualReproduction "I bear Nyarko's child]], [[MisterSeahorse the boy bears mine."]] Unsurprisingly, neither Nyarko nor Mahiro are really down with this idea.

* The [[{{Hentai}} h-manga]], ''Mating with Oni'', a young man named Soichiro muved back into his grandparents' hometown after his parents died, and when playing with Momiji, a young red-oni girl, she invites him to her house to play another game. When Momiji's mother, Kaede, another red-oni woman, returns home after she scared off some wild boars that were eating the town's crops she finds Sochiro asking Momiji to untie him and play something else becuase his hands are getting numb. Kade assumes that Momiji wants to kill and eat Socichiro, and although she's willing to cook him she still disapproves because they could be run out of town. However, Momiji explains that she brought Soichiro over because she likes him, and when Soichiro says he likes her too, Kaede becomes excited and explains that oni tradition states that when an oni falls in love with a human, [[AbductionIsLove then that human is to be abducted and forced into marriage]]. Soichiro tries to resist being forced to get married, but accepts his faith and marries Momiji, and even takes Kaede as a wife as well since Momiji is willing to share him. When Soichiro gets kidnapped by Ruri and Hari, members of the rival blue-oni clan, so he can be their husband instead, he tries going home explaining he's already married, only to be hypnotized into loving them. Soichiro's soon freed, and the hypnotism is undone, and months later a pregnant Momiji stills has to keep an eye on him so he won't be kidnapped again. Sometime after Momiji gives birth to a daughter, Soichiro takes her and Kaede to the city to clean his old apartment, and finds that Ruri and Hari broke in and after a passionate night, [[UnwantedHarem Soichiro ends up with a harem of four oni women that are more than happy to share him]].

* "Can't Help But Fly (The Poly Song)" by Climbing Poetrees

[[folder:Real Life]]
* The Netherlands' first married [[http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/301 trio]]. The guy was married to a wife and they both registered a partnership with the second woman, who is a partner, but not legally a wife.
* Thai antiques dealer Thao Wichai [[http://news.asiantown.net/r/14012/lucky-thai-man-marries-pretty-twin-sisters married]] the [[TwinThreesomeFantasy identical twin]] [[ChildhoodFriendRomance girls-next-door]] from his childhood hometown.
* Creator/MishaCollins (Castiel on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'') had a threesome relationship with his wife and another woman for some time, as [[http://www.amazon.com/Threesome-Handbook-Practical-Guide-Sleeping/dp/B0027NUX0A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315510414&sr=8-1 explained in her book]]. She describes how a night of cosmos with a friend led to them all in bed together, which led to her later realizing that she had fallen in love with her friend, while still remaining in love with her husband, and that both of them loved each other and her. [[ThePowerOfLove It all worked out in the end.]]
* Creator/WilliamMoultonMarston (creator of the lie detector and, as "Charles Moulton", Franchise/WonderWoman) lived this with his wife Elizabeth and Olive Byrne… the relationship was so stable that the two women continued it after his death and until Olive's death about forty years later.
* In September 2012, three people were married to each other [[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/09/three-way-civil-union-in-brazil-sparks-controversy/1#.UHNvP449igw in Brazil.]]
* As stated elsewhere on the wiki, [[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/the-big-question-whats-the-history-of-polygamy-and-how-serious-a-problem-is-it-in-africa-1858858.html it has been reported by]] the news-magazine ''The Independent'', "polygamy is a right enshrined in South Africa's constitution." South African leader Jacob Zuma is a prominent example. In 2010, he married his fifth wife in a traditional ceremony at his remote homestead. In terms of history, the news-magazine also stated, "In 1998, the University of Wisconsin surveyed more than a thousand societies. Of these just 186 were monogamous. Some 453 had occasional polygyny and in 588 more it was quite common. Just four featured polyandry. Some anthropologists believe that polygamy has been the norm through human history. In 2003, New Scientist magazine suggested that, until 10,000 years ago, most children had been sired by comparatively few men. Variations in DNA, it said, showed that the distribution of X chromosomes suggested that a few men seem to have had greater input into the gene pool than the rest. By contrast most women seemed to get to pass on their genes. Humans, like their primate forefathers, it said, were at least "mildly polygynous"."
* The Creator/{{HBO}} documentary ''Cat Dancers'' examines the tragic lives of Ron Holiday, Joy Holiday and Chuck Lizza, a trio of big-cat performers who preceded Siegfried and Roy and were a romantic threesome. Their partnership ended after a tiger mauled and killed both Holiday and Lizza.
* In 2011, Creator/CharlieSheen was living with a porn actress named Bree Olson and a model named Natalie Kenly.
* [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames Olympic skier]] Suzy Chaffee (never married but) explains that if she were to marry, it would have to be an open marriage:
-->"Marriage is only possible for me if it's an open marriage. A building situation where each helps the other grow. I've been dating younger men because they still have that spontaneity and creativity. But I haven't found anyone to have an open marriage with."
* British actor Sir Creator/MichaelRedgrave, father of Creator/VanessaRedgrave, was known for this. Both Sir Michael and his wife, Lady Redgrave, kept lovers with each other's knowledge and consent. Some of these lovers ended up living with the family for some time. Sir Michael and his wife remained HappilyMarried until his death.
* In the aftermath of the UsefulNotes/ThirtyYearsWar, 1/3 of the population of the UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire (the precursor to Modern Germany) died either by war, disease or famine with most of them being men. As a result, some of the German states temporarily legalized polygamy where any surviving men were allowed to have up to ten wives to not only take care of any unmarried women or widows caused by the war but also help repopulate the German population.
* Joe Exotic of Series/TigerKing fame was known to be in a polyamorous marriage between two men, John Finlay and Travis Maldonado. However, unlike most cases here, it was far from a healthy relationship. Most people close to them knew that unlike Joe, John and Travis were not really gay and were having affairs with women behind his back, and in fact only stayed with him because he was showering them with gifts of guns and trucks, and most likely meth and other drugs too. Travis himself mentioned that Joe made a lousy husband, who really only wanted him superficially, and whenever he did try to connect with him, he would blow him off. Eventually, John left Joe after he ran off with a zoo employee, and Travis' story ended tragically after he shot himself.
[[/folder]]

Polygamy is a subtype of polyamory, as it means more than one ''spouse'', while with polyamory, marriage and dating ''both'' count. In RealLife, it's often subject to InsistentTerminology, with polyamorists and polygamists trying to disassociate the two. The actual difference, though, is basically just [[TheHorseshoeEffect the cultural trappings and whether the practice is considered traditional or modern]].

* In an episode of ''Series/BostonLegal'', two women come to Denise and ask her to defend their husband. He married each of them in a different state, and the three now live together and have children. They seem to be a sincerely happy family; one wife and the husband work, while the other wife stays home and takes care of the house and kids. Their children are well-adjusted and the spouses are all mutually affectionate and supportive. Unfortunately, someone found out and reported him for polygamy. The women argue that, while they did break the law, the law itself ought to be struck down; after all, it's a consensual relationship between three adults, and they're not hurting anyone. Denise agrees, but unfortunately loses; whether the law is fair or not, it's still the law. The DA agrees to drop the charges when the husband offers to divorce his wives, a situation none are really happy with, but it beats their children's father being in jail.

** In the ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation]]'' episode "Data's Day", Data mentions that four-person marriage groups are the norm among Andorians. It should be noted, according to [[Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse expanded works]], that Andorians have [[BizarreAlienSexes four sexes]], though canon entries have suggested otherwise.

*** Fanon regularly extrapolates to include all major characters who work on the station (except for Sisko and the children) as part of one big polycule.

* ''Series/IrmaVep'': {{Discussed}} as Mira claims she and Laurie had an open relationship, though this only allowed her to see other people while they were together.

** The ability to be polyamorous is considered a defining character trait of Series 1 companion Captain Jack Harkness, who is shown as equally attracted to Rose Tyler and the Ninth Doctor. Although the series never follows this very far, when it is referenced neither Rose nor the Doctor appear too disturbed by it.

** The Doctor unambiguously falls in love with Clara Oswald over the course of her time on the show, leading to an ActOfTrueLove scenario covering ''billions'' of years leading to an AnchoredShip at the end of Series 9. In the very next episode (the aforementioned "Husbands of River Song"), we learn this all happened while he was still married to River Song. Due to the Doctor having undergone a self-inflicted [[spoiler:MindRape that caused him to lose the memory of being in love with Clara, however]], it is unclear whether River is ever made aware of his relationship for Clara.
*** Given the TimeyWimeyBall nature of the show, it's difficult to say when, exactly, the Doctor was married to any of his wives (which include but are not limited to River Song, Queen Elizabeth, and Marilyn Monroe). And, of course, that doesn't cover any of the relationships he had which didn't result in marriage. Considering that he often crosses paths with his various love interests out of order, he could be said to be in all the relationships at the same time.

* Subverted in ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryAsylum'' with Kit, Alma and Grace. [[spoiler:They set up housekeeping together but it does not end well, especially for Grace.]]

** Dr. Phlox of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' comes from a polyamorous culture. He has three wives, each of whom has three husbands, who themselves have three wives each. In a way you can say that all the Denobulan are part of one giant marriage group. There's also an indication that three ISN'T the limit, since Feezal, who had three husbands, attempted to seduce Trip. Phlox felt that Trip should have gone for it, complimenting both Trip and Feezal [[FreeLoveFuture by suggesting that it would be a very good time]].

** On ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]]'', there's a throwaway reference to a Bolian officer having a wife ''and'' a co-husband. Keiko and Miles also add Kira to their family as a co-parent, after she serves as surrogate for their second child, and discuss taking it further.

** In the ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation]]'' episode "Data's Day", Data mentions that four-person relationship are the norm among Andorians. It should be noted, according to [[Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse expanded works]], that Andorians have [[BizarreAlienSexes four sexes]].
* ''Series/SWAT2017'': Starting in Season 2, Chris becomes "third" to a man and woman. It doesn't work out in the end though, as despite their reassurances she feels like she's never as important to them as they are to each other, which Chris dislikes. Plus she's also more into the woman.

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime2021'': Alanna and her two Warders have a trio relationship together.

* In ''Series/Sense8'', Kala is in a LoveTriangle with her husband Rajan and fellow Sensate Wolfgang for most of the series. In series finale 'Amor Vincit Omnia,' [[spoiler: this resolves and ends in a threesome.]]

** Fillory allows non-monogamous marriages for its rulers; they may take one husband and one wife.