Sex life in Pompeii.photo.
Of course, there are many in the world erotic quarters, entertainment venues for adults and places where there are no restrictions. But there are also attractions that will be of interest not only to sex tourists, but also to ordinary travelers.
Temples of Khajuraho, India
The birthplace of the Kama Sutra can surprise even the most experienced traveler. After all, Hindus could talk about the art of love not only on paper, but also in stone. Evidence of this are temples located far from large settlements. According to the legend, temple complex, which included 85 buildings (only 20 have survived to this day), was created at the behest of a god who fell in love with a beautiful princess. It is the love story, not only of this couple, but of all living things, that is reflected on the walls of temples. People, animals, birds and even plants carved on the walls of Khajuraho indulge in passion.
In the 19th century, the complex was almost demolished. After all, when, after for long years desolation, British explorers discovered in the middle of the jungle, many of them insisted on the destruction of such an obscene sanctuary.
Land of Love Park, South Korea
For many years, the Korean island of Jeju was known only to fans beautiful nature. But ten years ago everything changed, because in the very center of the island a group of enthusiasts decided to open a park, and not an ordinary one, but an erotic one. Sculptures for the Land of Love park began to be collected in 2002, and their number is continuously growing to this day, reaching one and a half hundred.
However, there is also a cafe in the park that serves stimulating dishes, attractions, a 3D cinema and several sex shops, so visiting the park is worth visiting only for those who are calm about sex and will not blush at the sight of unusual door handles on buildings in the park .
Penis Valley, Türkiye
The Penis Valley, whose name is usually modestly translated as “valley of love,” is located in. Local residents consider these rocks to be a gift from the gods, the eighth wonder of the world, and they clearly hint that in all the surrounding villages there are no problems with love. Scientists explain this joke of nature as the play of the wind with a soft stone. However, whatever one may say, the spectacle is impressive, and if you agree to the offers of local barkers and look at all this with hot air balloon- truly stunning. In addition, there are almost no tourists here, because from the nearest settlement can only be reached on foot, which is 10 kilometers over rough terrain.
Erotica in Thailand
Red light district, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam's world-famous red light districts attract even the most prim and proper tourists, because those who live by a strict code of ethics at all times want to get out and look at them at least once a year. free life and easy morals. By the way, the lanterns in the largest quarter of De Wallen are actually ordinary yellow, but the shop windows with girls are illuminated in red. It is customary to go here after dark, because during the day it is an ordinary shopping street, where there are many artists, tourists and young people.
There are similar neighborhoods in other countries, so those who vacation in or Brussels will also have something to see.
Kabuki-Cho area, Tokyo, Japan
Anime became known to the world only recently, but it found its fans very quickly. Hundreds of thousands of people admire Japanese cartoons and dream of being in such a reality even for a day. This is exactly what entrepreneurs in Tokyo's Kabuki-Te district are counting on.
From dozens of shining shop windows, immodest anime characters smile invitingly, inviting you to visit a cinema, a massage session or an unusual cafe. And although officially in Japan similar kind activities are prohibited, you can find among these big-eyed dolls and professionals who fulfill any client’s requirements.
Musee de l'erotisme, Paris, France
Special attention should be paid to one of the largest in the world. Founded in Paris in 1997 by two enthusiasts, it now occupies five floors with seven halls. Three of them are filled with ancient exhibits erotic art. Here you can find clay tablets with the commandments of carnal love from the ancient Aztecs, Japanese bone miniatures, african paintings and many other treasures. Well, in the other four halls the exhibitions are more modern and constantly changing. Scandalous photo exhibitions and presentations of works by unrecognized artists take place here.
The main condition that must be met for your creation to be in the museum is its erotic nature and the approval of the owners of the Musee de l'erotisme.
Temple of the Giant Phallus, Bangkok, Thailand
The temple of the fertility goddess Chao Mae Tubtim is located in the capital of Thailand. Today, the ancient temple is located in the courtyard of the Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel. However, this Bangkok temple is active, and the hotel administration does not restrict access to its territory. The modest temple is more like a small park, where Thai women bring numerous images of phalluses to ask the goddess for the gift of female happiness, to thank for a successful birth or newfound love.
A few more erotic attractions of the world:
- - O. Koh Samui, Thailand
- - Prague, Czech Republic
Photo: thinkstockphotos.com, flickr.com
The temples in Khajuraho are the second most visited temple in India after the Taj Mahal.
The place has become so famous thanks to the unique erotic sculptures that decorate the temples.
What we saw in Khajuraho is incredible.
The entire surface of the temples is decorated with various sculptures.
I have never seen such extremely delicate and realistic stone work before.
It is not for nothing that bas-reliefs are considered one of the best sculptures in India.
Khajuraho was once the capital of the Chandela state, whose rajas ruled central India from the 9th to the 13th centuries.
In the 9th-11th centuries, 85 temples were built. Arab travelers described Big city and temples with a mass of idols that offended the views of devout Muslims.
In the 13th century, Muslims conquered these lands and the capital was swallowed up by forests.
Only in 1838, the British military engineer D.S. Bart accidentally discovered in the jungle - “a wonderful place called Khajuraho.”
TO today out of 85, only 25 temples have survived. But what has survived is unique.
This is a must see!
According to one version, the sculptures depict the wedding of the Hindu god Shiva and his wife Parvati.
The Kama Sutra was once precisely a reflection of the scenes of the divine wedding.
One of the theories of Indian philosophy says: “Sensual gratification leads to the liberation of the soul much earlier than a ban on it.”
Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is the pinnacle of art of the Chandela dynasty. It is dedicated to Shiva. His sanctuary, the embodiment of Mount Meru - a symbol of the Earth and the Universe, is decorated with about 900 sculptures.
Despite the fact that Khajuraho owes its super-popularity to erotic sculptures, they make up no more than 10% of the sculptures decorating the temples.
There are many images of apsaras or celestial dancers, in whose veins the sunlight flowed.
Or just everyday scenes
The sculptures depict the love games of the gods
Such visitors are present in almost every temple :)
Temples are conventionally divided according to their location into three groups: Western, Eastern, and Southern Group of Temples.
They belong to different religious movements in Hinduism. Some of them are dedicated to Shiva, some to Vishnu, some to Jain Tirtankaras.
These pictures Western group temples. It is the best preserved and the most famous.
We arrived as soon as the sun rose and enjoyed visiting the temples almost alone for a couple of hours.
Erotic sculptures are only on the outer walls of the temple. There are none inside.
They explain this by saying that only by fully knowing your sexuality can you reach a point when sex no longer matters and you can enter the temple.
Inside the 11th century Vishwanath Temple
But this sculpture was described by a writer from my childhood:
“On the consoles inside the sanctuary there were once eight statues of apsaras, of which only one survived. This surasundari deeply shocked the young artist.
Like a consolation in a harsh struggle, like a promise of joy, the naked surasundari, adorned only with a belt, a bracelet and a necklace, floated among the monsters. With her head bowed, the apsara looked over her shoulder, repeating the pose of the right beast, but in an incredible twist along the vertical axis of the body. The sculpture was damaged, the legs below the knees were completely broken off, and despite this, Dayaram could not take his eyes off the sculpture, which seemed to have been created not by a sculptor’s chisel, but by Mother Nature herself.
Daylight, already scant in the dark sanctuary, was quickly fading. Ramamurthy finally found the courage to leave. As a farewell, he shined his flashlight on the statue on the right side. The sunny beauty looked at him over her shoulder, as if alive, alluringly and confidently, and the light of the lantern in his hand, trembling with excitement, gave a play of shadows strange life her shiny body.
...There was nothing more to look for, the best thing that created ancient art his country was here, at arm's length."
I. Efremov "The Razor Blade" 1963
Adinath Temple
Next to this group of temples there is a small but interesting museum. Entrance 5 rupees.
Window in the museum
Southern group most remote. We only visited Dulhadev Temple, the latest of the Khajuraho temples. And they stopped there.
Duladeo was built in the 12th century and is dedicated to Shiva.
You could safely skip it, because... the bas-reliefs look much simpler than the temples of the Eastern and Western groups. Perhaps, it is interesting only because you can see how the art of the masters faded away.
Duladeo was also remembered for the disappearance of our auto-rickshaw. We came out after the inspection, there was no rickshaw. We were surprised because... He drove us around for a long time, but we still didn’t pay him any money. We waited. Noon. Scorching sun. And no one around. We waited some more. Nobody and nothing. I had to walk in the heat in the company of donkeys until the first signs of civilization :)
A final look at the bas-reliefs of the western group of temples
Sister after a busy day
And I’ll end the story with another quote from Efremov:
“Human statues of amazing vitality and beauty, dedicated to the theme of physical love, form one whole with the walls of temples. These solar sculptures stood before the eyes of many generations for ten centuries, and long years they will amaze those who are yet to come, exciting and elevating them with the magnificent beauty of man!”
Practical part.
How to get there.
Now Khajuraho is a small village completely oriented towards tourists.
But due to the popularity of the place, this village even has its own airport with regular flights from Delhi.
So the fastest option is a plane.
We traveled from Agra by train to Jhansi. We caught the last bus from Jhansi to Khajuraho, but it was packed. We didn’t want to drive for several hours while standing. Spend the night in Jhansi too. So we hired a taxi.
They overpaid significantly. I was won over by the words about a new car with air conditioning, and almost without haggling we drove off for 1,500 rubles. Mistake. The driver thought that luck had arrived - rich white tourists. And I tried to push it all the way more money. He whined so annoyingly that halfway through the journey we got out of the car to catch a ride. This brought this “dear man” to his senses. So we drove on in silence.
***When on this trip to India swearing began to prevail in my speech, my sister suggested replacing all obscene terms with “dear people”, it stuck :))
But I’ll tell you about people separately :)
Where to live:
We chose Hotel Surya Khajuraho
We took a suite with access from the room to the garden.
Large room with air conditioning, wardrobe, extra sofa. Clean linen. The first place where everything was immediately in place (usually towels, toilet paper, soap appeared only after a trip to the reception). Poorly working shower. Once the water went out for several hours. The cost of the room after a little haggling was 650 rubles.
Breakfast was included, but I didn't like it.
Entrance to the territory of the Western group of temples for foreigners is 250 rupees.
It is open to the public from dawn to dusk.
Other groups can be visited for free.
IF YOU ARE A PERSON OF MATURE AGE AND AN IMPACTABLE REPUTATION, THEN THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOU.
The Archaeological Museum of Naples has a secret cabinet where sexual frescoes, mosaics, sculptures and household items are collected. Collection of the Secret Cabinet, founded in 1819 , contains frescoes, reliefs, slabs with texts and other objects erotic and pornographic character discovered in Pompeii.
Previously, only a narrow circle of people were allowed to view the collection. The office was opened to the public several times, but always for a short time, and the final opening took place only in 2000
Votive items in the Secret Office.
The dry rationality of the aesthetics of classicism did not jibe with many Pompeian finds, especially those made in the city lupanarium. Among the “inconvenient” objects for display were frescoes and inscriptions of Priapea, sculptural scenes of sodomy and bestiality, and phallic-shaped household utensils.
"Priapus with Caduceus"
Scientists were at a loss as to what to do with the Pompeii " pornography "until the issue was resolved in 1819 by the Sicilian king Francesco I , who visited the excavation sites accompanied by his wife and daughter. The monarch was so outraged by what he saw that he demanded that all the “seditious” items be taken to the capital and locked in the Secret Office.
In 1849, the door to the office was blocked with bricks, then access to it was still open to “persons of mature age and impeccable reputation.”
In Pompeii itself, frescoes that were not subject to dismantling, but offended public morality, were covered with curtains, which were allowed to be lifted only for a fee for males.
This practice existed back in the 1960s. At the end of the 1960s. An attempt was made to “liberalize” the exhibition regime and transform the Secret Cabinet into a public museum, but it was stopped by conservatives. The office was open to the public only for a short time.
The Secret Cabinet, as one of the latest manifestations of censorship, was perceived ambiguously, and its contents caused a lot of speculation. In 2000, it was finally opened to the public by adults. Written parental permission is required for teenagers to visit. In 2005, the collection of the Secret Cabinet was finally transferred to the management National Museum archeology.
There was a lupanarium in Pompeii.
Lupanarium(Also lupanar, lat. lupānar or lupānārium) - a brothel in Ancient Rome located in a separate building. The name comes from the Latin word for she-wolf ( lat. lupa) - this is what prostitutes were called in Rome.
It was discovered in 1862 and has been restored several times since then. The last restoration was completed in 2006, the penultimate one in 1949. It is a two-story building with five cubiculas (bedrooms) on each floor. In the hallway, the walls near the ceiling are covered with frescoes of an erotic nature. In the lower floor cubicles there are stone beds (covered with mattresses) and graffiti on the walls
In addition to the lupanarium, there were at least 25 single rooms in the city intended for prostitution, often located above wine shops. The cost of this type of service in Pompeii was 2-8 asses. The staff was represented mainly by slaves of Greek or Oriental origin.
Bed in the lupanaria.
The inhabitants of the lupanaria received guests in small rooms painted with frescoes erotic content. Otherwise, the furnishings of these tiny rooms were extremely simple; in essence, it was one narrow stone bed about 170 cm long, which was covered with a mattress on top.
At the request of the authorities, everything women lung They wore red belts, called mamillare, raised to the chest and tied at the back..
One of the frescoes from the Lupanarium.
In Pompeii, they tried not to advertise such placesA low and inconspicuous door led from the street to the lupanarium. However, finding lupanarium was not difficult even for visiting traders and sailors.
Visitors were guided by arrows in the form phallic symbol carved directly into the pavement stones.
They made their way into the lupanarium after dark, hiding behind their hoods pulled low. A special pointed headdress called the cuculus nocturnus (night cuckoo)), hid the face of a noble brothel client. There is a mention of this item in Juvenal in the story of the adventure Messalina
To make love, the women of Pompeii collected their hair in complex hairstyles and never went completely naked. Bracelets, rings and necklaces are visible in the frescoes. Pompeian women already practiced depilation, wore bras and even... bras
Italian journalist Alberto Angela, believes that in Ancient Pompeii the inhabitants lived simply full-blooded life according to the principle “seize the moment and enjoy life.”
An Italian journalist claims that the reason for this was “life, short and intense, like a dream.” Life expectancy in Ancient Pompeii was 41 years for men and 29 years for women. An ancient Roman deity who personified life,Kairos, was presented in the form of a young man with wings - he will fly away and you won’t catch him!
Therefore, everything that gave pleasure - love, sex, food, jewelry, feasting and dancing - was the subject of lust and the pursuit of pleasure.
The Pompeians and Pompeian women used love potions, love elixirs, sex toys, artificial phalluses carved from wood and covered with leather. Infertile women used the services of surrogate mothers. There were special areas for filming - circuses, forums, thermal baths.
According to Alberto Angel, in Ancient Pompeii there was “a refined, refined society, distinguished by refined taste, passions, emotions... just one example is enough: while the ancient Romans already used a contraceptive infusion prepared from the silphio plant, which no longer exists in the present time, the barbarian Gauls still kept the heads of their slain enemies in their house!”
Amulets.
Marble figurine depicting copulation ancient Greek god Pan with a goat. Found during excavations of the luxurious Villa of the Papyri.
Pan- ancient Greek god shepherding and cattle breeding, fertility and wild nature, the cult of which has Arcadian origin. According to the Homeric hymn, he was born with goat legs, a long beard and horns, and immediately upon birth began to jump and laugh.
Frightened by the child's unusual appearance and character, the mother left him, but Hermes , wrapped it in hare skins, took it to Olympus and before that he amused all the gods, and especially Dionysus by the appearance and liveliness of his son, that the gods named him Pan, since he brought everyonegreat joy.
Materials from open Internet sites were used.
DEAR READERS, I hope you will be correct and well-mannered in your comments.
Now in major cities In Europe you can find very unusual monuments and sculptures, often striking with their amusing, funny and even ridiculous appearance.
Well, is it really possible to take such a monument standing in Amsterdam seriously? “Don’t drink the branch you’re sitting on”:
By the way, a similar monument was erected in Yakutsk. Here he is:
And in Brussels on the street you can meet an old lady like this with a bag, counting her money.
There, in Brussels, there is this funny monument: a policeman and the prankish thief who caught him:
A queue monument was erected in Washington. Look how tourists organically join it:
The situation with passage through walls is very unusual. If in Los Angeles a clerk with a suitcase could only stick his head into the wall...
That French writer Marcel Aimé, in Paris, has already passed through the wall, and is now in the process of emerging from it...
But the bronze woman from Santa Fe, New Mexico lay down to rest right on the sidewalk. Tourists are joining!
People in Holland love music. Here, a violinist broke through the floor to please the ears of passers-by:
In Bratislava there is even a monument to a plumber leaning out of a sewer manhole:
By the way, there are plumbers not only in Bratislava, but also in Ukraine. This is such a sad “Santa” from Berdyansk. By the way, there are similar monuments in Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, and Yekaterinburg...
And in Oslo a stone man was seen fighting off stone children. Or is he juggling them? What's remarkable is that the man is naked...
In Seoul, street benches are held up not by supports, but by strong teeth! Feast your eyes on these comrades!
By the way, the Danes also have a sense of humor. For example, a monument to uh... how can I put this mildly?
But the Danish madam from Ringkobing will probably have more:
Another rather unusual monument was erected in Melbourne. Something is wrong in the picture, isn't it?
By the way, you can’t hide anywhere from these cyclists... Even at the bottom of the sea!
In addition to stone or bronze people, the world is flooded with monuments to things, and this cannot be kept silent about!
The newest of them is a monument, let's say, political. Monument to the shoe thrown at Bush the Younger:
And in Paris there is a monument to the finger. And he sticks out from under the ground:
In Australia - to the wallet:
In Nakavik, Canada - an axe:
In Springfield (USA) - a monument to a fork:
And in Norway, Oslo - a paper clip:
And even books - in Berlin:
And in Russia they responded to this with a powerful three-meter stool! “Monument to the first stool of the Russian land” was installed in the former estate of the Arshenevsky brothers on Taganka:
And in Germany, in Braunschweig, stray cats were spotted (it’s good that at least these ones don’t yell):
And the tap in Cadiz pouring water from the sky:
London is famous for its traffic lights, and on this occasion there is this monument erected there:
And in Prague - a monument to a woman’s shoe:
And now, let's move to Russia. What is there in Russian land? Let's start with animals. The Russian people love their little brothers!
For example, in St. Petersburg, on Malaya Sadovaya Street, there is a cast-iron cat, who was christened Elisha Kotovich Pitersky. The cat climbed high - to the second floor of the Eliseevsky grocery store, and therefore it is not so easy to notice:
Another cat (or rather a cat) “hangs” at the window of the creative center “Mitki VKHUTEMAS” (Pravdy St., 16) on the 6th floor. Dressed like famous hero cartoon, she was immediately nicknamed Matroskin’s cat:
And in Moscow, in a park by the lake near Novodevichy Convent a whole one opened sculptural composition“Make way for the ducklings!” Little ducklings look around, quack, look for a worm in the grass - in a word, they behave as if they were alive. It’s not for nothing that a guard was placed at the monument - the ducklings are trying to steal them!
By the way, the sculptors did not ignore even such a tiny creature as a bee. In Kuzminki Park, for example, they erected a monument to the bee Kuza, who sits on one of the columns depicting a honeycomb:
Among the most unusual monuments Petersburg is considered "The Nose". By the way, he, like his prototype, loves to take a walk. For example, in 2002 he suddenly disappeared from his pedestal. He was found a year later on the landing of house No. 15, not far from Voznesensky Prospekt, where his rightful place was located:
I am also placing here a selection of monuments whose location is unknown to me, but it is simply impossible not to show them to you, dear readers!
Worldwide famous monument The elephant from Salvador Dali's painting "The Temptation of St. Anthony" is simply amazing!
And these are the real Thick and Thin:
Oh, how the mother hyped up her daughter. If only she didn't let go!
Here the boys jump into the water and squeal with anticipation:
And the girls, remaining on land, play leapfrog:
And who is this? A handsome knight on horseback? But what about the horse?
And lastly: a cow on a tree! Take a closer look. What does she remind you of? Maybe a carton of milk?
It's time to remember the sexual and erotic side of the ancient world - how things were with this in Ancient Egypt.
The opinion that culture Ancient Egypt far from sensuality, wrong. Overt eroticism is present in many of the images that have come down to us. According to the Egyptians, sexuality is the main driving force in the development of the universe.
If you ask the average person what he knows about eroticism in the culture of Ancient Egypt, then most likely he will only shrug his shoulders in bewilderment. Sexuality in ancient cultures is traditionally associated with Greek, Indian and Chinese civilizations, against the background of which, according to a common cliché, Egypt appears monolithic, sacred, chaste and far from everything connected with sensory world. Meanwhile, this opinion is deeply erroneous. What could be more sensual? Egyptian images noble ladies in translucent robes sitting at a feast, or sculptural portraits bare-breasted queens with golden cups in the shape of lotus flowers glued to their nipples? However, behind the external pomp, secularism, and sometimes overt eroticism, there were always others lurking, deep meanings, because according to Egyptian ideas, sexuality is the main driving force divine development of the universe, in which the sexual act of the creator god was the beginning of the life of all things.
2.
The universe in the form of combinations of masculine and masculine and feminine principles. Fragment of a vignette from the mythological papyrus of the priestess Khentuttaui. 10th century BC. London, British Museum.
Egyptian sexuality is inherently sacred. According to the ancient doctrine of the city of Iunu, called Heliopolis by the Greeks, the solar creator Atum creates the first gods through masturbation; his female complement, taking the form of his hand, his wife, his creative energy - Hathor Nebethetepet, the goddess of love and ecstatic intoxication, joy in all its forms, but at the same time the patroness of death as transformation and the guarantee of existence, new life in another world. She is the embodiment of universal femininity, rebirthing the deceased in her womb. The sexual attractiveness of the goddess of love was a stimulus for the development of the world, the eternal renewal of the male deity, and his immortality. Together with the goddess Maat, who embodies the world order, the principles of male creative power and female sexuality, conceiving and regenerating the world anew, were the foundations of the existence of the world in Egyptian ideas.
3.
Votive figurine of Osiris with phallus. Clay. X-VII centuries BC. Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Osiris, the ruler of the world of the dead, who conquered death, was depicted with an erect phallus as a sign of his endless fertile power, which fertilizes the world along with the flood of the Nile waters, after which the first grain sprouts from the ground, providing food. Cut into pieces by the enemy and reassembled by his wife - the mistress of magic and motherhood Isis and sons - Horus and Anubis, Osiris restores its integrity when, according to legend, Isis collects his body together, and the phallus, lost in the waters of the river, is created again from the Nile silt; Only by regaining the phallus can Osiris be reborn, trample death, and then become the guarantee of the rebirth of any deceased.
During mummification, likening the deceased to Osiris, the Egyptians swaddled male bodies with the genitals in an elevated position: sexual power was capable, in their opinion, of defeating death. Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis, enters into battle with Seth, the god of chaos and desert sands, who killed his father; During the multi-stage battle, the Chorus subjugates Seth, tearing out his testes, thereby depriving the enemy of not only his masculinity, but also the ability for his own rebirth and power over the world. Before this, Seth was often associated with Egyptian mythology with aggressive sexuality, which goddesses often used.
4.
Pharaoh kneeling before the statue of the god of fertility Amun-Min. Karnak, 20th century BC. (c) Victor Solkin
Isis, wanting to help Horus in the great confrontation, takes the form of a beautiful virgin, who ultimately deceived the voluptuous god of the sands, or a magical bird, behind which Seth, taking the form of a mighty bull, rushes unsuccessfully along the Nile Valley and, having missed it, spills his seed on the ground in exhaustion , becoming the object of ridicule of the goddess and the progenitor of the beddetkau plants - melons that grew from his seed. Finally, trying to subdue Horus, Seth tricks him into his bed and rapes his rival. It was only by cunning that Horus, who placed his palms under Seth’s genitals and thus remained virgin, was not sexually subjugated by his rival, and therefore did not miss the right to universal power. Isis, planning to take revenge, collected the seed of Horus in a vessel, and secretly poured it over the lettuce, according to the Egyptians, a powerful aphrodisiac and the favorite food of the depraved Seth, growing in his garden. After eating lettuce, Seth found himself impregnated by Horus and again became the object of ridicule of the other gods, unsuitable for kingship over the world.
5.
Statue of the god Min: archaic colossus from Koptos. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
Male sexuality is necessary for power over the world: massive limestone statues of the god of fertility Min, squeezing his phallus with his hand, were created by the Egyptians at the dawn of civilization, approximately in the 32nd century. BC. and are kept in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The iconography of the god who commands the harvest has remained virtually unchanged over the subsequent millennia of Egyptian history.
6.
Statue of the god Min: a sculptural group of Min and King Horemheb. 14th century BC. London, British Museum.
Female sexuality was extremely attractive, but dangerous: the “golden” goddess of love Hathor in anger transformed into the enraged lion-headed Sekhmet, the mistress of flame and rage, trampling humanity. The process of the ritual “sekhetep Sekhmet” - the pacification of the goddess - was one of the main ones in temples dedicated to the wrathful form of the heavenly mother. The key to peace was intoxication with sacred wine and beer, as a result of which the furious lioness became either the cat Bastet, the patroness of femininity, fertility and exquisite eroticism, or, finally, Hathor herself - “sweet love.”
7.
Goddess Hathor. Cedar tree. 4th century BC. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art. (c) MMA
In the 5th century BC. “the father of history,” Herodotus wrote about the famous festival of the cat goddess, held in the city of Bubastis, the center of her cult, located in the northeastern part of the Nile Delta: “when the Egyptians go to the city of Bubastis, they do this. Women and men sail there together, and on each barge there are many of both. Some women have rattles in their hands that they rattle. Some men play flutes all the way. The rest of the women and men sing and clap their hands.
8.
Participant in the feast. Painting from the tomb of Menna. Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Luxor. 15th century BC. (c) SCA
When they approach a city, they land on the shore and do this. Some women continue to rattle the rattles, as I said, others call the women of this city and mock them, others dance, others stand and lift up their clothes. They do this in every riverside town. Finally, upon arrival in Bubastis, they celebrate the holiday with magnificent sacrifices: during this holiday they drink more grape wine than during the rest of the year. According to local residents, up to 700 thousand people of both sexes, except children, gather here.”
9.
Hathor is the mistress of love, the heavenly prototype of the “great royal wife.” Relief from the tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings, fragment. 13th century BC. Paris, Louvre.
The festival symbolized the pacification of the goddess, the revival of her attractiveness and sexual power, divine copulation and, finally, the subsequent pregnancy and birth of the divine child. Aggressive, orgiastic sexuality was transformed by temple rituals into motherhood and true femininity. Another legend tells of Horus, who marries perhaps the most aggressive form of the goddess, “Lady Thabitit,” a huge fiery scorpion, whom the texts, as if ironically, call “the little one in the arms of Ra,” the sun god. Successful first the wedding night becomes the key to the pacification of the goddess, the return of her true appearance, in which she is revered as “the mistress of what is in a woman’s heart.” In return, the terrible poison of the goddess, penetrating the body of her husband, is transformed and becomes a panacea for all diseases and any evil that could previously be in his body.
10.
Seti I and Hathor - the mistress of love, the heavenly prototype of the “great royal wife.” Relief from the tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings. 13th century BC. Paris, Louvre.
What about the earthly world? The “Great Royal Consort” was revered as the earthly incarnation of Hathor, just as the pharaoh was Hora. Governed by main queen or the queen mother there was a huge women's house of the king, very different from the stereotypical one eastern harem, in which the younger queens and “nefrut” lived - beautiful concubines, direct servants of Hathor, called upon to continuously revive the vitality and sexual energy of the king. Dressed in robes of the finest linen, tinkling beaded nets, or naked, with only belts around the hips, but certainly in massive wigs, necklaces, bracelets, they are depicted playing musical instruments and singing, dancing and even playing a game with the king “ Senet" - similar to checkers. It is worth remembering that, for example, the countless wives and concubines of Pharaoh Ramesses II were the mothers of 111 sons and 67 daughters. We are talking only about those children who were officially recognized by the royal father.
11.
Nude dancers at a feast. Painting from the tomb of the nobleman Nebamon. 15th century BC. London, British Museum.
Nudity was common and was in no way considered shameful. On reliefs and paintings in Egyptian tombs we see completely naked fishermen on the Nile, publicly collecting their catch, sobbing mourners, sprinkling sand and ashes on their chests as a sign of grief, and again naked and attractive young maids shaking a tambourine and playing the lute at a feast in a noble house. . The true Egypt of the pharaohs was far from the puritanical appearance that is sometimes attributed to it today, but sexuality here was always at least partly sacred.
12.
Ostrakon with the image of a lute player. 13th-12th centuries BC. Cairo, Egyptian Museum.
In one of famous fairy tales The Westcar Papyrus tells the story of King Sneferu, who was “weary,” i.e. died. He becomes the Sun in another world, sailing on his boat, surrounded by charming companions - “nefrut”. One of the girls, dressed only in ritual nets, loses a turquoise fish - a “decoration” for her hair and the entire flotilla stops: we are symbolically talking about a pilot fish, followed by the sunny “Boat of Millions of Years” across the waters of the sky. For the uninitiated eye, meanwhile, the text speaks only of the entertainment of the “boredomed king,” to whom the court sage Jajaemankh gives truly invaluable advice: “Let your Majesty go to the lake of the pharaoh’s palace... Equip yourself a boat with a crew from all the beauties of the inner chambers of your palace, and your Majesty’s heart will be refreshed when you admire how they row back and forth without ceasing.” The king happily agrees, “I’ll really give myself a boat ride! Let them bring me twenty oars of ebony, trimmed with gold, with handles of sekeb wood, trimmed with light gold. Let them bring to me twenty women who have beautiful body, beautiful breasts, hair braided in braids, and the womb of which has not yet been opened by childbirth. And let them bring me twenty nets. And let these nets be given to these women after their clothes are removed!” The king's heart, in the end, rejoices, i.e. he is reborn to life. Echoes of sacred, ritual sexuality have always been an integral part of everyday life palace
13.
Fragment of the statue of Queen Teye. Yellow jasper, 14th century. BC. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Behind the walls of the royal residence, things were much simpler. Love poetry and some secular texts, among which a special place is occupied by the Ramessida papyrus Chester-Beatty I and papyrus Harris 500, tell of a meeting of lovers, at which the trees of the garden spy on, telling each other about what they saw. “Nedjemmit” - attraction and “merut” - love are presented here as something akin to a serious illness if passion is not satisfied, and the city beauty spends hours at the mirror, completing the necessary makeup to attract the military leader Mekhi, the future pharaoh, passing through the square. Even a crocodile lying on the shallows cannot become an obstacle for lovers standing on different banks of the river, and so it happened: a man is like a “goose caught in bait” in an ebony snare, which is like the hands of his beloved. By the way, it was the Egyptian women who were considered the most beautiful women Mediterranean in antiquity.
14.
Married couple. Relief from the tomb of the vizier Ramose. Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Luxor. 14th century BC. (c) Victor Solkin
We don’t know how marriage was performed in Egypt, but one thing is clear: the woman had enough rights, confirmed marriage contract, at the same time, as often happens in the East, the bride was often still almost a girl - and this is in general, not to mention the numerous conditional dynastic “children’s” marriages in royal families. Marriages between relatives were common and legalized: uncles and nieces, brothers and sisters. According to surviving statistics, for every 161 marriages there were about 38 weddings between brother and sister. However, such was the legendary marriage of Osiris and Isis... “I took you as my wife when I was still a young man. I was with you... I didn’t upset your heart... I didn’t hide my income from you... I never neglected you...", a husband writes to his wife in one of the papyri of the Leiden Museum.
15.
Pharaoh kissing his concubine. Limestone. From El Amarna. 14th century BC. Cairo, Egyptian Museum. (c) SCA
Family in Egypt was always revered; infidelity of a spouse was punishable by death. “Beware of the woman who goes out secretly! - advises the sage Ani. - Don't follow her; she will claim that it was not her. A wife, whose husband is far away, sends you notes and calls you to her every day when there are no witnesses. If she lures you into her network, it is a crime, and death awaits her, even if she does not enjoy her betrayal.” Male infidelity was not prosecuted, but in case of violence by a man against a woman, the perpetrator was liable to trial, and the one who repeatedly beat his wife faced a punishment of 100 strokes of the cane.
16.
A piece of leather from Deir el-Bahri. 15th century BC. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Prostitution was active in the capitals, numerous references to which were preserved in legal documents and on ostracons - pieces of limestone or fragments of vessels that were used for records and, sometimes, for artistic sketches. Often by ladies the oldest profession became maids and slaves, brought during military operations from Syria or Nubia and completing their journey in secluded rooms of taverns, pubs or special establishments “for entertainment”. The experience gained from visiting these dens was sometimes associated with sexually transmitted diseases, in particular gonorrhea, which is mentioned several times in Egyptian medical papyri. The careers of secular musicians and singers sometimes took place on the verge of prostitution: in British Museum there is a figurine of a standing harpist leaning on the instrument and showing her genitals. In the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York there is a painted piece of leather from the Temple of Hathor at Deir el-Bahri, on which, on the contrary, a harpist playing chastely under a vine has her genitals shown by a naked man, carried away by an orgiastic festival of the goddess.
17.
Men's hugs. Relief from the tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep at Saqqara. 24th century BC.
Male prostitution is passed over in silence in classical texts, but already under the Ptolemies it became very widespread and, most likely, was not introduced by the Greeks, but existed from the beginning. Homosexuality was condemned in classical Egypt, but let us remember King Pepi II, who, according to one surviving text, visits the military commander Sisene in the barracks at night, not noticing a servant peeking at him, or the famous Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum, hairdresser and manicurist of the Fifth Dynasty king Niuserra, buried in one tomb. On one of the walls the owners were depicted kissing and hugging. In the Late Period, and especially in the Hellenistic era, male and female homosexuality was almost never condemned. In marriage contracts of the 1st century. BC, found among the mass of papyri in famous city Tebtyunis, it is often specified that a man, taking his chosen one as his wife, promises her not to bring either a concubine or a young lover into the house and not to drive her out for the sake of passion for anyone. Among the magical papyri of this time there are love texts directed from one woman to another, and individual pairs of women lead a joint household, like ordinary heterosexual couples.
18.
Turin erotic papyrus. Drawing. 12th century BC.
Yet sexuality in Egypt, even if it involves a brothel, is sacred. The famous erotic papyrus, kept in the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Turin, preserves images of 12 different positions of sexual intercourse, in which a man and girls from the establishment participate. Papyrus of the 12th century. BC, found in the 20s of the 19th century and badly damaged, at one time created a sensation in the scientific community, was, alas, recognized as “obscene” and therefore for a long time not published. This is by no means just an ancient pornographic scroll, but again an image of ritual intercourse: the man’s special hairstyle reveals him to be a “shaven-headed” priest of the goddess Hathor. The man has a huge genital organ, with which he manages to satisfy women not only on the bed, but also standing at the chariot in which the woman is standing, lying on the floor or depressing the lady with a truly acrobatic pose when she stands on her head and hands (!).
19.
Turin erotic papyrus. Photo. 12th century BC.
Sometimes a man holds a vessel with beer or an amulet of the goddess of love. Next to the women are also depicted objects of the cult of Hathor - her ritual musical instruments, mirrors, unchanging lotuses. IN last scene the man, who has lost the strength and hardness of the phallus, is carried by the maids in their arms. Between the images there are inscriptions that comment on what is happening, or contain remarks from the participants in the action: “Don’t be afraid, what will I do to you?”, “come on, enter me from behind with your love”, “oh, my robber!”, “my big penis is already it hurts from the inside." The scroll also contains instructions about its owner, who was “the bearer of the fan on the right of His Majesty,” “the royal scribe,” and “the military leader.” Alas, the name of the ancient Egyptian erotomaniac has not been preserved. The document is unique in its integrity, but not at all in its content: on the ostracons of the 16th-12th centuries. BC. Similar scenes survive, depicting a man entering a woman from behind or in a “classical” position.
20.
Queen Ankhesenamun holding out bouquets of mandrakes to her husband, Tutankhamun. Scene on the lid of the casket. Bone, painting. 14th century BC. Cairo, Egyptian Museum. (c) SCA
IN royal house they couldn’t portray something like this; The sensuality between the king and his wife was shown by symbols, by the fact that he holds his wife by the wrist, in exceptional cases, sits her on his knees, or walks with her in the garden, receiving from his beloved a bouquet with mandrake fruits - a well-known symbol of sexuality in the East.
21.
Ritual intercourse - so-called. "symplegma". 305-30 BC. New York, Brooklyn Museum.
In the Hellenistic era, along with the penetration of Greek influences into Egypt, erotica became increasingly popular. In places dedicated to the gods of fertility, and some temples were dedicated, as before, numerous terracotta images of phalluses or dwarfs, equipped with giant genitals, which were supposed to bring durability of potency to men and fertility to women. The collection of the Brooklyn Museum in New York contains a "symplegma", or group of connected, intertwined figures, the largest Egyptian erotic sculpture of its kind known today. Central location it is occupied by a large naked figure of a woman in a short wig, leaning on the giant phalluses of four men of different heights, whose heads are decorated with “locks of youth.” In front of the group sit two more smaller male figures holding a tied oryx antelope on their laps. Interpreting the meaning of symplegma is not easy; in general, the monument is closely associated with the Osiric cult: the central male figure, probably personifying the funeral priest, impregnates a woman, possibly a goddess, who will give birth to Horus, the son-heir of Osiris, symbolizing the continuation life cycle. The oryx, the sacred animal of the chaos god and murderer Osiris Seth, is depicted as a sacrificial animal, defeated and prepared for destruction. Emphasized sexual power male images associated with ideas about the inexhaustible fertility of Osiris and the Egyptian land, which is the material embodiment of his body.
22.
Symplegma. I century BC. Brooklyn Museum.
The monument dates back to the Greco-Roman era, when introduced sexual freedom gave rise to new types of monuments of erotic art in Egypt, and especially in Alexandria. However, one should not see only Greek influence in the simplegma; evidence of this is the numerous ancient Egyptian monuments and texts that elevate sexuality to the rank of a cult and are practically forgotten by modern culture.
Public lecture “The Sacred Erotica of Ancient Egypt”, given by Viktor Solkin live on the Dozhd channel, 2011:
A copy of the video.
