Archaeologica.org

I've had this crazy theory for a while now. Call me sick-minded if you like, but....

What is all these so-called "fertility figurines", or many of them, were simply early man's way of stimulating himself visually when he couldn't find or didn't have a female counterpart? Does anyone else think like me?

Also, there's all them "phallic" things too - do I have to go there?

Call me crazy.... but knowing the popularity of porn and sex toys these days, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if what was found was for getting off, not for worshipping...!

Cant wait to hear the replies on this one

-L.P.

Definitely a possibility - but most of those sculptures would make me run the other way! But then again - after havin' a few kegs - who knows!

One mans porn is another mans (or women’s, I suppose) fertility worship.

What?

Thing is Lane, ancient man didn't think sex was bad, so there was no such thing as porn.

It's like alcohol can only be sold by gangsters in a prohibition. No-one interested in buying it off them if it's sold widely, openly and legally.

Same thing with porn. Porn only works in a society that tries to banish sex, to put some sort of prohibition on it.

But we only learned to regard sex in a puritanical way in last few thousand years.

Think about it, who was it that decided that having sex five times in a day would be excessive? Who set these standards? And why?

Those objects you're referring to were used in sacred rituals, which sometimes included sexual activities - and nobody raised an eyebrow about it then.

It wasn't eyebrows that were intended to be raised

hing is Lane, ancient man didn't think sex was bad,

Neither do I.

There you are, Lane ... I rest my case. An ancient man who doesn't think sex is bad.

Look - you know all those energy drinks you're still high on? Well, I'm sure you could put all that young energy to a more exciting use than just hanging around with a bunch of boring old fogies like us ... know what I mean?

Ishtar wrote: a bunch of boring old fogies like us ...

Ish, bite your tongue!

<-----(old fogie, but in denial)

Ishtar wrote:There you are, Lane ... I rest my case. An ancient man who doesn't think sex is bad.

Look - you know all those energy drinks you're still high on? Well, I'm sure you could put all that young energy to a more exciting use than just hanging around with a bunch of boring old fogies like us ... know what I mean?

Here you go, Ish.

http://moondance.org/1997/summer97/nonf ... sacred.htm

Ishtar, the Great Whore of Babylon, was sometimes called the Goddess Har since she was the mother of the Harlots. These Harlots were not prostitutes as we know them, but priestesses, sorceresses, prophets, and healers. Sacred Whores were known sometimes as the Holy Virgins of Goddesses such as Ishtar, Asherah, or Aphrodite. The famous Vestal Virgins were thought to have practiced secret sex magical rites in honor of the Roman Goddess Vesta, the same as the Greek goddess Hestia -- Goddess of the Hearth, or "center of the world."

Now THIS kind of religion has an appeal.

Hmmm...


[looks at watch]


Daybrown's a bit late isn't he?

Thinking about this, most societies seem to develop taboos quite early on, usually something to do with sex (particularly with regards to members of own gender or immediate family) so I guess the questions might be what is commonly the first taboo?
Do different people tend to develop different taboos?
Which comes first - the taboo or the pseudo religious edict which perpetuates it?
Is porn (ignore dictionary definition for a moment) exclusively the product of a taboo?

I must admit I can't imagine cracking one off to the Venus of Wollendorf (if that's the paleolithic stunna I'm thinking of) but, you know, whatever floats your boat* I suppose.

*: Boat reference used purely in context of figure of speech.

Glad you think so, Min.

War Arrow wrote:
I must admit I can't imagine cracking one off to the Venus of Wollendorf

I can't believe you said that!

Welcome to Daybrown Mark 2 folks!

Ishtar wrote:

War Arrow wrote:
I must admit I can't imagine cracking one off to the Venus of Wollendorf

I can't believe you said that!

Welcome to Daybrown Mark 2 folks!

Well, it's dirty job but someone's gotta do it! The king is away but the flaming torch of ancient red hot amazon-on-amazon action must burn on!

I can't believe I just typed that.

You're only getting away with this because our American friends don't know what 'crack one off' means!