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Three people were getting married to each other,
   Though polygamous they were not.

All men they were in the marriage,
   Though homosexuality was not in their minds.

They three share two parents,
   Though they detested the notion of inbreeding. (And this was not, in fact, a consanguineous marriage)

Who are these men?

Hint 1:

The first line makes you assume more than has been said. The "people" referred to "are" not what you assume "them" to be.

Hint 2:

45 chromosomes are identical (Not a single difference, even on the atomic level) between the "three men".

Hint 3:

Hint 2 does not say that the 46th was different. And two of the "three men" were the same person all along.

Hint 4:

Two of the men are the same person. This is a different hint from hint 3.

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    $\begingroup$ [lateral-thinking] Technically, they could be just three human males getting married. You're not polygamous until after you're married and, at this moment, they're only getting married. Homosexuality was not on their minds at this moment because they were all thinking about the three wedding cakes. The detested the notion on inbreeding but that doesn't mean they wouldn't do it. Maybe they were being forced into the marriage by an evil alien overlord. $\endgroup$
    – Engineer Toast
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 17:18
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    $\begingroup$ @EngineerToast You might as well post that as an answer. Three homosexual brothers wouldn't even be able to inbreed with each other. $\endgroup$
    – pacoverflow
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 17:23
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    $\begingroup$ more clues please $\endgroup$
    – JLee
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 17:39
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    $\begingroup$ Just to confirm: that should really be 45, not 46? $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 18:14
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    $\begingroup$ @randal'thor I didn't say anything about the 46th. I meant 45. $\endgroup$
    – user10203
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 18:20

11 Answers 11

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Are they

A man's past, present, and future

Three people were getting married to each other

They are getting married (as in joined/linked) all the time. The future self joins the present, and the present joins the past.

All men they were in the marriage

Check (baring any gender identity changes)

They three share two parents

Check, every person has the same parents as themselves

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  • $\begingroup$ Yes, this is the correct answer! Well done. $\endgroup$
    – user10203
    Commented Apr 30, 2015 at 15:51
  • $\begingroup$ Nice! So hint 2 is a red herring? $\endgroup$
    – DaveBensonPhillips
    Commented Apr 30, 2015 at 18:56
  • $\begingroup$ @Humphreythehater Hint 2 is a little misleading, less so with Hint 3 clarifying it. Though there have been cases of them changing with extreme age, so maybe it's really just well thought out? $\endgroup$
    – SLuck49
    Commented Apr 30, 2015 at 20:21
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Somewhat fitting (but probably wrong):

Proton, Neutron and Electron. They are all being 'bonded' to form an element, but do not have the a conscious to think or detest. Their parents are mass and charge.

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  • $\begingroup$ Incorrect, but I like how many clues it fits. $\endgroup$
    – user10203
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 17:32
  • $\begingroup$ I though of something like a chemical bond but I couldn't think of what their parents would be or how they were male. This makes some sense. $\endgroup$
    – Engineer Toast
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 17:32
  • $\begingroup$ I was thinking along these lines too, drats $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 19:54
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Are they

Canadians?

The 3 people are

The French, the English and the native American

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Kellogg's "Snap, Crackle and Pop!" embodying tetraploid rice that happens to have 45/48 identical chromosomes, and 3/48 that for whatever reason of meiosis or varietal development are different. Though I guess tetraploid varietals would be inbred by definition.

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[lateral-thinking]

This has been invalidated by an edit to the riddle stating explicitly that it is not a consanguineous marriage.

Technically, they could be just three human males getting married. You're not polygamous until after you're married and, at this moment, they're only getting married. Homosexuality was not on their minds at this moment because they were all thinking about the three wedding cakes. The detested the notion of inbreeding (or marrying within the family) but that doesn't mean they wouldn't do it. Maybe they were being forced into the marriage by an evil alien overlord.

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  • $\begingroup$ Great answer, but I'm afraid it is not correct. You're thinking too deep and are going for some red herrings. I am telling you that you're premise is wrong and your assuming an incorrect postulate. $\endgroup$
    – user10203
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 17:28
  • $\begingroup$ @Reticality Hence the [lateral-thinking] tag at the beginning. I know this is not the answer you seek and doesn't fit the [riddle] tag but I felt the need to express it. $\endgroup$
    – Engineer Toast
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 17:29
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Hilarious lateral-thinking answer: it's a marriage between

Three People Were (a woman), who together with her siblings formed a gang called They Three.

and

Each Other, nicknamed All Men They (a man).

Three people were getting married to each other,

Well, obviously!

Though polygamous they were not.

Polygamy has nothing to do with it!

All men they were in the marriage,

Indeed.

Though homosexuality was not in their minds.

No homosexuality here.

They three share two parents,

Siblings share two parents.

Though they detested the notion of inbreeding.

Nothing to do with inbreeding either!

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    $\begingroup$ This is not correct. I think you went waaay to lateral and fell off the grid. $\endgroup$
    – user10203
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 18:05
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    $\begingroup$ @Reticality I didn't seriously think it was what you intended, but hopefully people will find it funny! $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 18:06
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    $\begingroup$ @Reticality lol @ "...and fell off the grid" and the answer is funny too $\endgroup$
    – JLee
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 19:56
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Partial Answer! Could it be something in the form of:

An alliance? With three leaders that are all male, of three countries that all originated from one original country?

Nothing comming to my mind, but someone may be better at history than I am if this is the correct path.

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    $\begingroup$ One thought might be Canada, U.S. and Australia, who are very often allies, all have male leaders (Harper, Obama, Abbott) and are all children of the British Empire. Though the riddle mentions two parents, not one. Also, substitute India (and Modi) for the U.S. if you want a country that still considers itself a member of the Commonwealth. $\endgroup$
    – Cubicon
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 20:16
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One thought is:

The holy trinity in Christianity. The father, the son and the holy spirit. All "married" or bonded as one. Nothing in the relationship is sexual. Can be assumed to be male (the holy ghost being somewhat ambiguous). Who the two parents are, I can't be sure.

Another thought, though a bit further out in left field:

Me, myself and I.

Edit:
As an elaboration, I would say this is regarding someone with multiple personalities. The personalities themselves could be being married, or indeed if the person is being "cured" somehow and the personalities merged into one, this could constitute marriage or bond (whether such a thing is possible, I have no idea). The person is, of course, male.

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  • $\begingroup$ I've attempted to elaborate. I'm not sure if my thinking goes along with what your intent was, especially regarding the chromosome hint, which is really throwing me off, as humans have 46 chromosomes. I can't think of a situation where only 45 of these chromosomes could be identical. $\endgroup$
    – Cubicon
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 20:44
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Is it

Male triplets in the womb, perhaps conjoined?


They are married to each other in the sense of "any close or intimate association or union". It is an asexual relationship and they would share the same two parents. It appears to meet all the requirements. However, conjoined triplets are incredibly rare.

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My best guess :

A man with multiple personality disorder had a sex change and married his adopted brother. The "marriage" is a genuine marriage, but is between a man, a (newly-made) woman with the same parents but no blood relation, and the male alter-ago of the transexual. No clue about the chromosome part, maybe part of the surgery involved cutting one off.

Just in case this is somehow not the correct answer (though I wrote this before reading the 3rd hint...),

I do think two of the 'men' are the same person, somehow. I think in fact 46 of their chromosomes are identical and the 45 reference is a red herring. If they're identical to the atomic level surely it's impossible for them to be two different people?

Also,

Pretty sure sex change is involved somehow. The question even says at marriage they were men, which is ambiguous as to when they were men.

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  • $\begingroup$ I think you mean 'multiple personality disorder', not schizophrenic $\endgroup$
    – BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 21:32
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Brilliant riddles get desperate answers.

Knight and Bishop Check Mate. > They are all drawn from White or Black stock. > It all plays out on 8 X 8 coloured (chromo-) square ?bodies. N B K. >

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