temple prostitution
- Thread starter tleilaxu
- Start date
IMC, there is a temple that practises temple prostitution. The reasons (or benefits) are numerous.
First, each act in the temple strengthens the goddess.
Second, for each act there is a donation, which means the temple makes quite some money from the practise. (We do not have set the price, just supposed that the bigger the donation, the more attention is paid to the worshipper donating.)
Third, that kind of services gains the temple more influence with nobles and other temples alike, both individually (with many influential people getting targetted by their "own" priestess, but also on a grander scale. The leadership of the army, f.e., is glad for some relatively safe recreational opportunities for the soldiers, where disease and enemy spies do not run rampant. In the same vein the city officials are glad that there is a controlled enviroment for those practises, both because it prevents diseases but also because the alternative would probably be a chain of brothels run by thieves and the like.
Fourth, pillow talk sells. Not only do the priestess, acolytes and slaves overhear whatever the worshippers in the temple may let slip, but the priestesses and the other temple personel have numerous occasions to gather information at receptions, parties etc. of all social classes. The information they gather gives them even more influence.
All in all there are a lot of good reasons for that temple to practise prostitution - although they do not call it like that.
First, each act in the temple strengthens the goddess.
Second, for each act there is a donation, which means the temple makes quite some money from the practise. (We do not have set the price, just supposed that the bigger the donation, the more attention is paid to the worshipper donating.)
Third, that kind of services gains the temple more influence with nobles and other temples alike, both individually (with many influential people getting targetted by their "own" priestess, but also on a grander scale. The leadership of the army, f.e., is glad for some relatively safe recreational opportunities for the soldiers, where disease and enemy spies do not run rampant. In the same vein the city officials are glad that there is a controlled enviroment for those practises, both because it prevents diseases but also because the alternative would probably be a chain of brothels run by thieves and the like.
Fourth, pillow talk sells. Not only do the priestess, acolytes and slaves overhear whatever the worshippers in the temple may let slip, but the priestesses and the other temple personel have numerous occasions to gather information at receptions, parties etc. of all social classes. The information they gather gives them even more influence.
All in all there are a lot of good reasons for that temple to practise prostitution - although they do not call it like that.
Dr. Strangemonkey
First Post
Man I miss Firefly. I was just going to suggest the Companion character. Isn't there something similar in the Dorsai books?
Not too raise a dead horse...
...but there are existant matrileneal societies. I believe some of the Puebloes of New Mexico have or had some matrilineal traditions, and some jewish communities trace descent through the mother's line. There are probably others. Societies that respect elders tend to acquire powerful matriarchs fairly naturally. I don't think there were any recorded or observed problems in the father/son relationships in North American matrilineal societies. There have also been plenty of patriarchal cultures in which fathers had very little to nothing to do with the vast majority of child rearing, that's a very distinct issue in most societies.
Just to demonstrate the presence of variety in our contemporary context.
Also, ritual prostitution does tend toward societies that are different from many fantasy societies, but...
...a cult that originated in a different society could move into a campaign's current one, acquire protections as a recognized religion and then provide the society with a regulated and legal venue for prostitution. Even if the cult still kept its ritual low prices this would still provide benefits for the society at large by keeping things 'regular' and providing an option for supporting women and men who didn't have many other recourses that is largely tax free.
And finally, the distinction between sex and gender is made for the sake of theory. At this point the term gender is properly only used in a discussion that presumes the presence of societally constructed divisions of behavior based off of sex. If the conversation assumes that all sexually divisible behaviors are inherent to the sex than you don't really need the distiction that using the different terms suggests.
That's a distinction that's older than Butler. Who's work is very useful in a variety of contexts, even if not necessarily made with those contexts in mind.
Not too raise a dead horse...
...but there are existant matrileneal societies. I believe some of the Puebloes of New Mexico have or had some matrilineal traditions, and some jewish communities trace descent through the mother's line. There are probably others. Societies that respect elders tend to acquire powerful matriarchs fairly naturally. I don't think there were any recorded or observed problems in the father/son relationships in North American matrilineal societies. There have also been plenty of patriarchal cultures in which fathers had very little to nothing to do with the vast majority of child rearing, that's a very distinct issue in most societies.
Just to demonstrate the presence of variety in our contemporary context.
Also, ritual prostitution does tend toward societies that are different from many fantasy societies, but...
...a cult that originated in a different society could move into a campaign's current one, acquire protections as a recognized religion and then provide the society with a regulated and legal venue for prostitution. Even if the cult still kept its ritual low prices this would still provide benefits for the society at large by keeping things 'regular' and providing an option for supporting women and men who didn't have many other recourses that is largely tax free.
And finally, the distinction between sex and gender is made for the sake of theory. At this point the term gender is properly only used in a discussion that presumes the presence of societally constructed divisions of behavior based off of sex. If the conversation assumes that all sexually divisible behaviors are inherent to the sex than you don't really need the distiction that using the different terms suggests.
That's a distinction that's older than Butler. Who's work is very useful in a variety of contexts, even if not necessarily made with those contexts in mind.
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AngelTears
First Post
Wayside said:
Does this mean I should drag in Michel Foucault?
And about sex = power?
-Angel Tears
mythago
Hero
No Foucault allowed!
This would be good in a very strict society where women did not otherwise have Dionysian outlets--i.e. women have to be devout and moral EXCEPT on Goddessday, when they cover their faces and go out and party. Most societies have some kind of Saturnalia or Beltane where you get to cut loose without the usual repercussions.
Children born to temple prostitutes (of any kind) would likely be dedicated to the temple.
This would be good in a very strict society where women did not otherwise have Dionysian outlets--i.e. women have to be devout and moral EXCEPT on Goddessday, when they cover their faces and go out and party. Most societies have some kind of Saturnalia or Beltane where you get to cut loose without the usual repercussions.
Children born to temple prostitutes (of any kind) would likely be dedicated to the temple.
Henry
Autoexreginated
To all concerned: You don't know HOW glad I am to see that some problems resolve themselves. That's one of the many reasons I love this board so much. 
Voadam: YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF FIREFLY????
Small to no wonder, though. It was a nascently-great sci-fi series by Buffy creator Joss Whedon on Fox Network, and was canceled after 10 episodes. I don't want to derail this thread, so all I will say is that more details are found here: www.savefirefly.com You can also do a web search for fan sites and other material.
Voadam: YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF FIREFLY????
Small to no wonder, though. It was a nascently-great sci-fi series by Buffy creator Joss Whedon on Fox Network, and was canceled after 10 episodes. I don't want to derail this thread, so all I will say is that more details are found here: www.savefirefly.com You can also do a web search for fan sites and other material.
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officeronin
First Post
In a fantasy world, the initial act could be inexpensive, but the cure disease is double-priced!
In any case, temple prostitution was a ritualized enactment of the mating of the gods. Special requests would usually not be available.
As for price, one of the goals is to get more worshippers, so it would be much cheaper for congregation members...
OfficeRonin
In any case, temple prostitution was a ritualized enactment of the mating of the gods. Special requests would usually not be available.
As for price, one of the goals is to get more worshippers, so it would be much cheaper for congregation members...
OfficeRonin
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