What is the role of a courtesan in a late medieval setting?

[Trainz]

Interesting to note is the source of the word Courtesan.

In french (late medieval) it meant "Courtisans", meaning the general body of people that hung in the King's entourage (the Court in Courtesan). It was meant for all genders. The singular male name was "Courtisan" and female was "Courtisane".

So "Courtisane" was basically any lady in the King's entourage, few of them who actually displayed behaviours of low-virtue i.e. using sexual favours to get what they wanted. Most where simply the wives of nobles and such.

As the decades passed-on, it might be that the word "Courtisane" eventually meant a high-class whore, but not in the beginning. "Faire la court" means to court someone, or to flirt someone, so that would indicate that the definition of Courtesan changed...

I'm saying all this from memory so... YMMV

 

[S'mon]

Probable stupid question alert: Who is Pamela Bordes and what's an MP?

Pamela Bordes was a London-based courtesan in the 1990s who had Members of Parliament (MPs). Newspaper editors and such members of the London political class as clients.

 

[S'mon]

Interesting to note is the source of the word Courtesan.

In french (late medieval) it meant "Courtisans", meaning the general body of people that hung in the King's entourage (the Court in Courtesan). It was meant for all genders. The singular male name was "Courtisan" and female was "Courtisane".

So "Courtisane" was basically any lady in the King's entourage, few of them who actually displayed behaviours of low-virtue i.e. using sexual favours to get what they wanted. Most where simply the wives of nobles and such.

As the decades passed-on, it might be that the word "Courtisane" eventually meant a high-class whore, but not in the beginning. "Faire la court" means to court someone, or to flirt someone, so that would indicate that the definition of Courtesan changed...

I'm saying all this from memory so... YMMV

Thanks Trainz, useful info.

 

[Steverooo]

Thanks Morbidity - interesting link. The definition there seems to be 'high class prostitute catering to the wealthy' - somewhat like Pamela Bordes, say (a modern courtesan of the 1990s who had MPs as clients). It seems more a bourgeois/upper-middle-class profession as defined there though, I was thinking more of the very highest tier of society, among the royal courts and nobility.

I think you're thinking more of the Oriental Courtesan than the Medieval European one... See if you can find Diary of a Japanese Concubine (if I recall the title correctly) at the University library. They were "entertainers" of high-ranking visitors, etc. Their job was basically "pleasing the men in power... and their guests".

 

[takyris]

Well, they don't usually have a high enough Con to work well as a tank, and their low Strength puts them at a melee disadvantage. However, with Weapon Finesse available and the multitude of light throwing weapons, they can serve well as a back-rank ranged specialist. You'd probably do well with levels in bard or rogue, and...

Oh.. HISTORICAL role. Nevermind.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Re: Re: Re: What is the role of a courtesan in a late medieval setting?

Interesting that you should mention temple prostitution as something different from the other kinds. . . . my (admittedly sketchy) understanding of ancient middle-eastern and Greek culture doesn't really differentiate a whole lot between temple prostitution and the other kind.

Again, I'm talking archetypes, not history. I have heard of some religions where women were expected to be temple prostitutes once before marrying - it didn't count against their virginity in a social sense and any child concieved belonged to the temple...

In an RPG or other story, temple prostitute is a seperate and useful archetype. IMHO of course.

Kahuna burger