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Prostitution In The Middle Ages

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Surprisingly, the women of the early middle ages had more freedom than contemporary women may have. For example, Germanic women that were living in this period were allowed to fight in wars with men, and they had equally important roles within their families. However, as Anglo Saxon tribes evolved into more stable communities such as the English kingdom, women’s role in society began to dwindle and become suppressed over time. Leading into the High Middle Ages, women became much more inferior to men. This new culture limited the economic opportunities that females could choose from, therefore leading many into the humiliating role of being a prostitute, and they would later also be publicly shamed. Due to the English Kingdom’s conversion …show more content…

Women would be paid money to sleep with men — married or not. This was viewed as illegal fornication by the church, and was thus considered a sin to the religion. However, the church later corrected their words to a paradoxical lesser sin, or necessary sin. In 1458, the Grand Council of Venice declared that prostitution was absolutely indispensable to the world.” Although the medieval society was vehemently against men having sexual encounters with other women than their significant others, most acknowledged that prostitution served as a protection to prevent respectable townswomen (middle, upper class women) from getting sexually harassed, abused, or raped. The church emphasized on the fact that prostitution was morally wrong, therefore, to reinforce the law, prostitutes were require to wear a type of distinctive clothing to set them apart from ‘decent’ women and to avoid confusion if one got mixed up. For example, in Milan, the garment of choice was a black cloak, while in Florence, prostitutes wore gloves and bells on their hats. According to Prostitution in the Later Middle Ages by historian Vern Bullough, a citizen who found a prostitute clothed in anything other than the official dress had the right to strip them on the spot. Although this ordeal was a very humiliating thing for women to do, because of the very limited places for jobs, concubinage was the easiest and quickest way of making money and supporting herself or her family if she was a widow. Occasionally, prostitution could lead to

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In American civil war was triggered by many different reasons, but mainly because of the enslavement of African Americans. The northerners were anti-slavery, while the southerners were pro-slavery. It is known to be the deadliest war known, the war started in 1861 and ended in 1865, won by the North and president Lincoln abolished slavery after the war. The north outnumbered the south in many different ways; like men, guns, technology, and money. The ratio was about 4:1, but the south had one great advantage.

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in society. Donvain asserts that women weren’t held back by their roles within society, but by the men who assigned them. The author also pointed out that “Anglo-Saxon women within the seventh and eighth century spent their whole lives under the protection of their menfolk” (Donvain 13). As children, these young girls lived with their father’s in halls and were under their protection. When “they came of age and got married, Anglo-Saxon women would then be sent to their husbands household,” since her first loyalty was to her husband, whom she’d obey and respect.

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England conversely placed the principle amount of blame on women compared to men. Higher church officials held a negative view towards concubines, as one stated that " I speak to you, o charmers of the clergy, appetizing flesh of the devil, that castaway from paradise, you, poison of the minds, death of souls, venom of wind and of eating, companions of the very stuff of sin, the cause of our ruin." In this account, women were equated with being spawns of the devil sent to soil the souls of priests. In England, however, this viewpoint distorts even further to women in general. It was thought that " The polluting, sexual presence of women 'defiled the lips and hands ' of priests and, therefore, the sacraments.

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For women of the nineteenth century, the soiled dove of the frontier represented one of the few ‘whole’ women of the time. She was seen as inherently bad by definition, but at the same time was imagined as kind, warm and independent. The ideal of the successful western prostitute was appealing to many women.1 Here was a woman who achieved what seemed like true financial independence in an age where few women could support themselves. Most of the criteria used to assess class in America had no bearing on the west or the prostitute; Family, education, and religion simply did not matter. Prostitution was the only profession in America where women could choose their own destiny, regardless of where they were from.

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Firstly, what was the women, in particular, in the eyes of husbands and fathers in the family? In early modern Europe, many people believe in that, the most appropriate place for women was the family which gives them certain responsibilities like obedient daughters, wives, and widows. Many books and theories included that women should marry and constitute their own family. These kinds of thoughts were strengthened by medical assessment about '' the biological nature of women, who were thought to be at risk of severe physical and mental illness if they did not engage in regular sexual relations.'' General belief in that time was that women were sexually more greedy, which came in sight in ribald

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But the prostitute is more than this – she is the housewife who performs her marital duties in order to keep her family together,, the pool boy, the widow, the other woman or man. Here,, the prostitute will most often be referred to as “she,” but it should be noted that men employ women and men, as women employ men and women. In the past, prostitution was acceptable in pagan societies. But the Christians, who inherited the Hebrew ideals about the perpetuation of the family, deemed all sex outside of marriage, for the purpose of procreation, deviant. As a result, the pagan philosophy of free sexuality was crushed and replaced with the fear of a vengeful God.

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According to the FBI: Uniform Crime Report, prostitution is “the unlawful promotion of or participation in sexual activities for profit, including attempts” (U.S Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation). Prostitution is one of the world’s oldest profession, and it has been common since the Roman times (Barken, 2012). Prostitution was also very common in the United States; throughout the nineteenth century and in ancient Rome. In the Old Testament, it was “accepted as a more or less necessary fact of life and it was more or less expected that many men would turn to prostitutes” (Barken, 2012). There are different type of prostitution; call girls, escorts, brothel workers, massage parlor workers, and bar and casino workers.

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The beginning. Prostitution is nothing new to the world, it has been around throughout history. The first signs of prostitution were in 2400 B.C. among the Sumerian people. The Touro Law Review argues that prostitution started between the Sumerian people, Sumerians believed that women are inferior to men and the powerful gods were all males; therefore, prostitutes were looked down upon and held a lower status than slaves (Carrasquillo 2014). Another source states prostitution has always been part of everyday life in Ancient Greece and claims that is where pornography originated (Capaul 2013).

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Introduction Women in the Middle ages were treated as the second class members within their social class. They were taught to be obedient to their husbands and were expected to run the household and raise children. Their role in the society, however, was much more complex, while some medieval women achieved a high level of equality with men. In the Middle Ages women had a secondary role, coming second after men.

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During medieval times, women were expected to be mothers, wives, and peace weavers, none other than that. They were required to be pure, good, and attractive in order to be portrayed as the “greatest gift to mankind.” Otherwise they would be looked upon as evil, witch-like, and monstrous. Women were expected to be adorned in jewels, well-liked, and respected by all. They shall cause no conflicts and should bow to their male authorities.

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A Forbidden Necessity: Prostitution A queen is a queen and a jack is a jack, but a whore is still a lady. When people think of the word prostitute, images of a dirty and sick lifestyle race through their head, well that is just a stereotype. Prostitution is known as the world’s oldest profession and today it takes many forms, from dangerous street walking to luxury brothels. In summary, women, and men, prostitute themselves when they grant sexual access for money, gifts, or other payment and in doing so use their body in commodity.

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