Since ancient times, there have been women in society who provide a special kind of service for money. Time and customs either turned them into outcasts, or elevated them to the elite of society.

Servants of carnal love: women of the most ancient profession of different times and peoples

In our review, 10 representatives of the oldest profession - from temple priestesses to modern Muslim women who marry overnight.

1.ying chi

The Chinese ying chi are perhaps the first prostitutes in history to be brought under the control of the authorities.

According to historians, Emperor Wu hired women for the sole purpose of accompanying his armies on campaigns and entertaining the soldiers.

Ying-chi literally means "harlot camp". True, if the opinion is that these are far from the first moths taken under state control in China. Emperor Yue created the first brothels, where he recruited the widows of dead soldiers.

2.Temple priestesses of love

The role of temple priestesses in ancient Greco-Roman society is the subject of much debate. At the same time, the popularity of the priestesses themselves in society is beyond doubt.

The opinions of scientists are divided. Some believe that the priestesses were simply slaves whose services were sold by the temples in order to earn money. Others are sure that intercourse with priestesses was a special cult, worship of the deity of the temple.

3.Devadasi

Devadasis in India.
Devadasis are priestesses in temples where the Hindu fertility goddess Yelamma was worshiped.

When girls reached puberty, their parents put their virginity up for auction. Then there was an initiation to the goddess, and until the end of their days, the cultists gave the girls to whoever paid the most for them.

The parents thought it was a pretty good deal. This custom has been an integral part of the Yelamma religion for centuries. Even though the practice was outlawed in India in 1988, it continues today.

Moreover, devadasis are irrevocable, they have no way back. Even if women decide to give up this lifestyle, they will never get married.

4. Women for soldiers

Women for soldiers' comforts.
In the Second World War, there are many moments that are preferred to remain silent. One such moment is the so-called "comfort women".

Beginning in 1932, the Japanese military began recruiting women, mostly of Korean origin, to work in "comfort centers". The women were promised jobs, but were not told that they would work in brothels for Japanese soldiers. As a result, about 200,000 women fell into real sexual slavery.

According to statistics, no more than 30% of the unfortunate could survive this. Even 11-year-old girls were forced to serve 50 to 100 different men every day, and if they refused, they were beaten.

5.Auletrids

Dance of the Auletrides.

Auletrids - a special class of Greek representatives of the ancient profession, who occupied a special position in society.

They were not only gurus in the intimate field, but also graceful dancers and skillful flutists. Some of them knew how to juggle, fence and mastered the skills of acrobatics. Many auletrids gave public performances in the streets during religious ceremonies and festivals.

In a private setting, the Greek mistresses provided services of an intimate nature.

6. Ganica

Ganika is the Indian version of Japanese geishas.

These women occupied a fairly high position in the social hierarchy. It was believed that a night with ganika would bring good luck, happiness and prosperity to a man.

In the Indian pantheon of priestesses of love, there were 8 types of night butterflies. Ganika is the elite. In addition to being super proficient in the intimate sphere, they were true masters of the fine arts. A woman could be called Ganica only if she mastered 64 types of arts.

While other members of the ancient profession in India tended to be housewives who earned extra money for their husbands, the ganika held a place of honor in the royal courts.

7. Zones(zone)

Biblical priestess of love.
Zonah is a biblical priestess of love.

She did not belong to any of the men and did not give birth to children. The zones existed outside the laws of the Bible and were not subject to almost any rules. Men could not only buy services from the zones, but also marry her. It was forbidden only to priests.

8. hetaera

Hetaerae were high-class courtesans in Athens.

Intimate services were completely legal, and as a rule, slaves became getters. Less often, they were simply residents of the city, whose fathers were not citizens of Athens. Hetaerae often worked in groups at symposiums. They were forbidden to marry citizens of Athens, but the latter could ransom them.

The status of the hetera was for life. If women tried to obtain citizenship, they could be taken to court and made into slaves.

9. Tawaif

Tawaif - priestesses of love in North India in the 18th - 20th century.

Many of them, like the Japanese geisha, were musicians and dancers, but at the same time they did not disdain the provision of intimate services. If the tawaif found a rich patron, then she became a very non-poor person.

If a daughter was born to a tawaif, she passed on not only her accumulated wealth, but also her profession. Officially, they could not marry, but very often their patrons lived with them as with wives.

10.Muta(sharmuta?)

Mutah is an Islamic temporary marriage in which two parties enter into an agreement to be married for a specified time.

The contract can be written or oral, and all the details of the marriage are agreed upon in advance, including how much "dowry" the woman will receive, what kind of physical contact will take place, and how long the "marriage" will last.

On the one hand, Muta supporters say it's a good way for two people to try living together before legal marriage, to make sure they're a good fit for each other. On the other hand, some contracts suggested that the "marriage" would only last a few hours, and that the woman would be paid for it. Thus, Muslims bypass the ban on "love for money."

German word " Hebamme" comes from the old German " Hevianna", where the first part means " heben"(raise), and the second -" Ahnin" - „ancestor/grandmother". That is, the word midwife originally meant " elevating". According to the ancient custom of the Germanic tribes, the midwife raised the newborn on a shield and handed it to the father, and he recognized (or did not recognize) the child. According to the traditions of those harsh times, the father also had the right to kill the child if he saw that he was weak.

The English word midwife comes from the Old English „ mid-wife“-“ with a woman / wife. Guess the German preposition " mit" and the German noun Weib“(woman), huh?) That is “ together with a woman / woman in labor».

Russian word " midwife», « midwife" is associated with the verb " twist / tie» umbilical cord. The modern word midwife» of French origin. Verb accoucher- give birth / give birth.

You can discuss the etymology of this word in other languages ​​in the comments below.

1513. The midwife takes birth.

The reason why women do not give birth as easily as to female animals is, of course, not at all the biblical curse on the daughters of Eve at the moment of their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. ..and in pain you will give birth to your children ... ", and anthropological features of the structure of the female pelvis. In the process of evolution and changing climatic conditions on the planet, human individuals began to walk on two “hind” legs, and the narrowing of the pelvic bones became the “payment” for upright walking and running.

To reduce the fear of childbirth, magic has been called to help since pagan times. Amulets and other amulets were attributed the properties of protection against all kinds of evil spirits, which allegedly lie in wait for a woman in labor and a baby, as well as the properties of reducing pain and "safety net" from possible death. Many midwives used elements of magic in their work. In the room where the birth took place, magic spells were pronounced, bunches of herbs were burned, symbolic fumigation was carried out, the mineral aetite ("eagle stone") was tied to the hips of the woman in labor. Various pagan deities were called to help.

Birth of twins:

When the child was born, the midwife cut off the umbilical cord to the length of four fingers, bandaged it. Then she cleansed the body of blood and mucus and bathed it. The palate of the newborn was smeared with honey to stimulate the appetite. Prematurely born were smeared with pork fat until he himself could not maintain body temperature.

With the spread of Christianity, the Virgin Mary, who herself was a mother, began to be considered the patroness of women in childbirth. By the way, even in the Middle Ages, many midwives questioned the fact of the virginity of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus. But, of course, they kept their opinions to themselves, since the all-powerful church in the Middle Ages was not a joke.

The woman in labor and her family should read the prayer " Quicumque vult". For difficult births in German-speaking regions, a conspiracy was popular: "O child, dead or alive, come into the light, the Lord is calling you!" At least purely psychologically, these measures had a positive effect on the woman in labor.

1505. From the manual for midwives:

The craft of a midwife in the Middle Ages was very honorable and respected. And so it was until the period of the "witch hunt" ....

The "gloomy" era of the Middle Ages was marked by the strengthening of the authority of the church in all aspects of life. And the midwives were also driven into the narrow framework of norms, prescriptions and "Christian" rules, which they were obliged to strictly comply with.

1569. Hospital maternity ward:

The Hammer of the Witches (1486), instructions for exposing witches, detailed how to recognize a witch and why she was dangerous. And midwives were a "risk group" in this terrible massacre.
Given the miserable state of hygiene at the time, the death of a newborn or a woman in labor was a common occurrence. However, the family of the deceased often looked for someone to blame. If in any village the death rate of women in childbirth or newborns increased, suspicion fell on the local midwife. In addition, theologians claimed that midwives prepared their potions from unbaptized babies.

1471
:

The church was most worried that during difficult childbirth, when the life of mother and child hung in the balance, the midwife had time to perform the rite of "emergency" baptism. After all, it was not death that was considered the worst of all, but the fact that “non-Christ” would forever burn in fiery hell, and Satan would take possession of his soul !!! While a baptized baby can die in peace, his soul will immediately go to heaven.

The midwives received "instructions" to perform an "emergency" baptism. In the 21st century, these instructions sound completely absurd. Even if the child partially came out of the mother’s womb, and things did not go any further, the midwife was obliged to concentrate her efforts on the speedy baptism of this “part” of the child that had come out into the world, and only then continue to provide further assistance to the woman in labor and the baby. Each midwife in her bag, along with the tools, had a bottle of "holy" water (which, of course, was often teeming with germs).

In some regions, the midwife could perform the last communion, take confession and forgive the sins of the dying.

Frame from the film "The Midwife", other photos below.

There is some evidence according to which historians suggest that midwives in the Middle Ages were less susceptible to church obscurantism than other people, did not really adhere to these instructions of the church, and most often acted in the interests of the woman in labor and the child. However, ill-wishers could report on her to the church "authorities" that they say she did not have time to baptize the child. And the priest, on suspicion that such and such a midwife "does not observe the faith," could come and be present at the birth. The midwife could be in trouble. And during the periods of the “witch hunt”, the case could end for her in general by a fire. After all, women of this particular profession were the very first “candidates” for “witches”. The midwife owned a lot of secret knowledge - she understood herbs, conspiracies, in her hands was the life of a mother and a child. Sometimes a woman in labor or a newborn died in her - but didn’t she have a hand in this? She constantly dealt with unbaptized babies, which means that, according to theologians, she was most susceptible to the temptations of the devil. The sick brain of church obscurantists came up with completely crazy scenarios - that they say the midwife can succumb to the persuasion and temptations of Satan and throw the child of Satan to the woman in labor, and kill the unbaptized child of the woman in labor. Such scenarios are found in modern horror films, and then it was a reality. In addition, the Inquisition considered a woman to be unclean, sinful by default. The craft of the midwife was associated with women, she touched their genitals, and through them, according to theologians, Satan could move into the body. And the midwife herself was a woman, after all.

1515.

Although this was forbidden both by the church and professional ethics, she, being an herbalist, knew what kind of herb to drink (for example, a decoction of thuja fruits, which are poisonous) so that the pregnant woman would “throw out” the unwanted child, since she was exhausted and already seven hungry for shops. Even if the midwife did not do this, but purely theoretically COULD. And if she COULD, then she is to blame. All in all, " there would be a person, but there would be an article"(With). During the witch-hunt years, hundreds of midwives were tortured and executed. Some, before their death under torture, "confessed" that they had killed dozens of babies (note: under torture, the Pope himself would have confessed that he had committed adultery with Satan)

17th century The midwife came to the woman in labor:

The midwife had to lead a pious Christian lifestyle. She was also charged with eliciting the name of the father of the child from the woman in labor, if she was unmarried. Issues of Christian morality in the Middle Ages were given much more importance than issues of medical and psychological assistance to women in childbirth. One can only guess how the midwives of those times managed to maintain a balance between professional ethics and the requirements of the church. With all their advanced (at that time) medical knowledge, one must not forget that they were still products of their era, with the same fears and problems as others. And they had to live by the standards of their time.

Birth of a noble woman:

Of interest are the medical knowledge of midwives. From time immemorial, good midwives have known that ergot speeds up contractions, and henbane, belladonna and poppy have a narcotic analgesic effect. They knew how to sew a perineal tear with silk threads, made a caesarean live (although many women in labor did not survive). Some of the midwives' skills of earlier times have been lost - for example, how to turn the fetus in the right way with the help of knitting needles and ribbons inserted into the uterus.

Family waiting...

Even in the Old Testament, wise “knowing” women were mentioned who helped women in childbirth at the most crucial moment.

For many thousands of years, the training of the midwife trade among all peoples took place according to the same principle: “learning by doing“, as they would say today. That is, a young novice midwife learned the trade from an old experienced woman, at first she simply accompanied her mentor, helped her to give birth, watched, learned all the secrets, and then she herself began to take birth under the supervision of the elder. This is how knowledge and experience were passed down from generation to generation.

In fairness, it should be noted that not only women played the role of midwives. In remote rural areas, it was common for poor women in childbirth to call male shepherds as midwives. It was believed that if he knows how to take birth from a cow or a sheep, then he can also from a woman. But most of the midwives were still women.

Among the ancient Roman, ancient Greek and Persian doctors, obstetric care was not considered part of medicine. Some ancient treatises dealt with such "gynecological" topics as conception, pregnancy, infertility, and menstruation. In general, as long as the processes took place within the body itself, this applied to medicine. But as soon as the stage of expulsion of the fetus from the mother's womb began, it was no longer medicine, but the field of knowledge of the midwife. Medical scientists referred to the fact that these were “women's affairs” or were content with a couple of superficial advice ... For example, “ force a woman in labor to sneeze so that the fetus comes out faster».

One of the few known works on midwifery written by men dates back to 350 AD. The author, the physician Theodorus Priscianus, expresses in the preface his gratitude to a certain midwife named Victoria, whom he consulted on the practical part of the book. " I just want to support you with my knowledge so that you, having the advantage of belonging to the same sex, can use this knowledge to cure women's ailments. History has not preserved any information about this Victoria, it is not even known whether she was literate to read this book. We only know that she shared her knowledge with the doctor.

Thus, the practical field of obstetric care was completely in the hands of midwives. Doctors did not interfere in their affairs for a long time. Women themselves empirically found methods of helping women in labor with complications. The first textbooks on obstetrics were written by midwives, not doctors.

1819. The midwife carries the child to church. Midwives often became godparents to the children they helped to be born.

One of the first names of such “knowledgeable” women that have come down to us is Trotula from Salerno, who lived in the 11th century. In her book, she described 16 options for complications during childbirth - for example, the head does not pass through the birth canal, transverse presentation, the baby walks on its feet, and so on. lips and face. For each variant of complication, Trotula gives detailed instructions for the midwife.

Trotula also describes recipes for ointments, compresses, potions. Trotula advises water or steam baths with certain herbs to expel the frozen fruit. If this does not help, then follow the instructions on how to extract the fruit piece by piece.
If the midwife saw that the woman in labor had died, and the fetus was still alive, she was OBLIGED to perform a caesarean as soon as possible with a sharp razor blade. This was the rule for all midwives, as well as the requirement of the church synod - in order to save the life of the child. If the midwife did not have the courage to perform a caesarean, she had to call for help from a man, for example, the husband of the woman in labor. Otherwise, she was considered guilty of the death of the child and could be punished. Caesarean sections were carried out mainly in dead women in childbirth.

1774. Childbirth in a wealthy family.

If the child walked with his feet, then he should be slightly "pushed" back and try to turn his head down. If this did not help, especially skilled midwives were able to insert two knitting needles through the birth canal, at the ends of which thin ribbons were tied. With the help of knitting needles, they wrapped ribbons around the legs of the fetus in a special way, turned it in the right direction and pulled it out into the light of day. These knitting needles were the only auxiliary tool that midwives were allowed to use. The use of tongs was an absolute taboo for them, for them one could go to jail or at least get into serious trouble. Forceps had the right to impose only doctors. The midwife was OBLIGED, at the first request of the "district" doctor, to show him her bag so that he could check the presence of forceps, abortion devices, and also "forbidden" herbs.

A midwife advises a pregnant patient:

When the contractions started, the midwife knew her stuff. But as soon as complications came, she had few means in the Middle Ages. Proof of this was the high mortality of women in labor and newborns literally until the 19th century. After all, every manual intervention (all these knitting needles, hooks ...) was associated with the risk of infection or bleeding. Turning the fetus in the womb was fraught with the danger of detachment of the placenta or compression of the umbilical cord. There were no serious painkillers.

They were very afraid of puerperal fever, which was due to an infection introduced during childbirth. Most often it happened at the first birth.

Data from the archives of the city of Florence for 1424, 1425 and 1430 show that 20% of all married women in the city died in childbirth or from puerperal fever. In English aristocratic families in the period 1330-1479, 36% of all boys and 29% of all girls died before reaching the age of 5. Data on the death rate of English women in childbirth is 25%.

Historical research also sheds light on the topic of infertility. 16-17% of all marriages of ducal families in England in the 14th-15th centuries were infertile (marriages where both spouses lived to infertile age were taken into account).

1510. Noble woman in labor:

As for the lower classes, here more or less reliable (sketchy) data on the mortality of women in childbirth from the poor strata of the population exist only from the 17th-18th century. But undoubtedly before that they were as tall, if not even higher, than among noble women in childbirth. The midwives weren't sorceresses. But without their help, the death rate would have been even higher.

18 century. Male obstetrician in England. It can be seen from the clothes that he was not allowed to look at the genitals of the woman in labor, he did his work by touch:

Midwives were paid differently. In most cases, their income was the funds received from the families of women in childbirth. Therefore, another midwife preferred to visit rich patients, and refuse the poor from time to time. To avoid this, the magistrates of some wealthy cities themselves paid the (fixed) salary of their midwives. For example, in 1381 the city of Nuremberg paid each midwife a guilder every three months. The city of Bruges paid 12 groszy a day for 270 working days a year. The authorities of Ulm in 1491 issued a law where midwives were forbidden to refuse poor patients. But still, the vast majority of midwives lived at the expense of payment for their labor by the family of the woman in labor with money or "naturals".

Until the 20th century, midwives in many regions were persistently rumored to perform abortions as well. And even the reputation of those midwives who never did it suffered because of her fellow abortionists. In German, women who have abortions are called Engelmacherin - « making angels". It could be either a professional midwife, or just a housewife who decided to earn extra money in this way. The latter were taken for a "service" quite inexpensively, but after all, they did not have any qualifications. They sometimes performed abortions using the most absurd and dangerous methods.

Childbirth with husband:

The 18th century (the Age of Enlightenment) brought significant changes to science and to the centuries-old way of life. European states began to take control of the training of midwives. Now they were not allowed to practice without a license. A license can be obtained only after a course of study at the hospital. The patients in the hospitals were mostly unmarried and other pregnant women with no means of subsistence. In exchange for shelter and food, they agreed to be studied by doctors, students, and would-be midwives.

Noble women always gave birth at home, often under the supervision of several midwives.

The scene in the hospital (frame from the movie "The Midwife"):

Undoubtedly, it was very humiliating. These women were treated unceremoniously, like guinea pigs. But on the other hand, without this experience in hospitals and the mistakes of doctors, it was impossible to move medicine forward. It is to those nameless women that we owe the fact that in the 21st century, the death of a woman in labor or a child is extremely rare.

The midwives, especially the elderly and experienced, were very unhappy with the fact that they were required to have a license. They were offended that some young, beardless doctor, yesterday's student, who had only seen a pregnant woman in a picture, would examine her and tell her how to deliver. And even worse - to have the right to check her bag for "forbidden" funds.

Mid 20th century. Rural midwife (Germany):

Gradually, the rights of midwives were curtailed. And not because of the church, but because of the medical authority of male doctors. With birth complications, they increasingly began to call a doctor. By the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th centuries, it was simply safer to give birth with doctors, as discoveries (by doctors!) in the field of anesthesia, asepsis and antiseptics were made, which made possible the successful delivery of caesarean section. The death rate of women in childbirth has decreased significantly.

Rural midwife:

It is worth noting that in remote regions, the role of a midwife was often taken on by neighbors or relatives, for whom this was not the main craft, they did this from time to time. After all, there was an acute shortage of professionally trained midwives in rural areas, and they gave birth there many and often. And as long as the self-taught did not charge for their services, they did not come into conflict with the law. Problems only started if they started charging for their services - this was only allowed after training in midwifery school and obtaining a diploma and license.

First swim:

But in rural areas, midwives remained authorities in the field of obstetric care until the middle of the 20th century.

Early 20th century. Rural midwife (country?)

Women who provide "special services" for money have existed since ancient times. We offer a look at how this phenomenon has transformed over time in different countries of the world.
Ying-chi (“harlot camp”) in ancient China became the first prostitutes in the public service. Emperor Wu hired them to escort soldiers on campaigns.
In ancient Rome and ancient Greece, there was a class of temple priestesses. Visitors paid the temple a certain amount and had sex with the girl they liked.
Devadasis officially existed in India until the end of the 20th century, and unofficially exist today. Parents brought girls to the temples of the goddess Yelamme and put up for auction their virginity. The girl was given to the highest bidder. Moreover, even today, if a woman decides to stop being a devadasi and wants to start a new life, she will never get married.
In preparation for World War II, the Japanese military recruited girls to work in "comfort centers." They weren't told that the job was to serve dozens of Japanese soldiers every day. According to the documents, more than 200,000 women were practically in sexual slavery. Only a third of them were able to survive it.
Auletrides in Ancient Greece was a special class of priestesses of love who danced well, knew how to fence, juggle, play musical instruments, and also provided intimate services at a very high level.
Ganiki is the Indian version of the Japanese geisha. It was believed that a night with ganika is not only very pleasant, but also brings good luck to a man. To become a ganika, a girl had to master 64 arts.
In Athens, sexual services were provided legally. Elite courtesans were getters - slaves or free women whose parents were not residents of the city.
Tawaif were called priestesses of love in North India in the 18th-20th centuries. They knew music well, danced beautifully, were skilled in sex. If a tawaif found a rich patron, she could also accumulate a fortune. If a daughter was born to a tawaif, then the “profession” of the mother was passed on to her.
To circumvent love for money, which is forbidden by the Koran, Muslims enter into a muta - a marriage for a specified amount of time, for example, several hours. The couple enters into a contract, which indicates the duration of the marriage, as well as the amount that the woman will receive at the end of it. To be fair, muta is also used if young people want to live together and get to know each other better before entering into a legal marriage.

Women in Russia have always been famous as great craftswomen, and found many unusual activities for themselves. Let's take a look at a few of the most notable.

potters

In ancient times, pottery was entirely in the hands of women. The beauty and functionality of these products did not differ. Usually these were bowls made in a simple, unpretentious way. A hole was squeezed out of the clay coma, approximately in the middle or rolled between the palms of a long sausage and laid in a spiral. But handmade and author's style. Each mistress of the bowl had her own secrets of making. Craftswomen added various impurities to the clay - both white river sand, and pebbles, and some small pearls. Needlewomen “baked” and other things: clay beads, toys for kids, whistles.

Plasterers

“Strong girls are required for marshmallows” - manufacturers of airy delicacies could well request. They recruited young ladies strong and hardy. Two girls non-stop beat for two days a homogeneous mass of sour antonovka. Then the peasant women laid out the paste in an even layer to dry and waited for several days for the applesauce to harden. And only then carefully cut into even strips. But it was possible to enjoy plenty of the remaining scraps. So - on the one hand, tasty and sweet, on the other - hard work.

Nauzniki

In mythology, various knots are often mentioned. Evil spirits in Russia confused horse manes and yarn. And especially mischievous spirits could tie a long journey or even fate into a knot. But people also had their own specialists in artistic knitting - the nauznitsy. According to beliefs, these healers of a narrow specialization could call for good luck, cure a serious illness, bewitch or even destroy. For difficult cases, connoisseurs of intricacies made amulets "ladders". Very exotic items were woven into these long silk or woolen ropes. It could be bones, needles, bat wings, snake crawls. Such magic was considered very strong.

mourners

Seeing off the family on their last journey, relatives had to vote properly. Otherwise, they would have been suspected, at least, of indifference to the deceased. The masters of "artistic" sobbing with their talent set everyone on the right tragic wave. In many villages, they not only created the mood, but also dictated to the departed soul how and where to move in order to find bliss. Professional women were valued not only for the ability to moan for hours, but also for the ability to add up their accounts specifically for each case. They were invited not only to funerals, but also to weddings. After all, the bride at a peasant wedding was supposed to be sobbing and mournful, and not every girl managed to be so upset. And as soon as the mourner yells: “Oh, forgive me, goodbye, dear dear ...” - so, you see, tears well up by themselves, which means that all decency has been observed.

matchmakers

The profession of a matchmaker is not rooted in antiquity. Previously, marriages were concluded unpretentiously - either stole or bought. But with the complication of this process and the development of ritualism, an intermediary was required. A real “pro” could do the impossible: to persuade dissenting mom and dad to marry, to convince a picky girl that this or that “freak” is her destiny. Even the loss of innocence by the bride before marriage could be hidden by these craftsmen. The first person who was allowed to enter the bedroom of the newlyweds was the matchmaker. In addition, she had to know a million suitable signs, speak sweetly and convincingly. Yes, and all the time you had to be on the alert: the parents of the bride or groom now and then strove to unexpectedly come to visit each other. And then it was necessary to catch up with them, overtake and arrange a worthy reception.

midwives

If a woman accepted a child in your family, then she should have been welcomed all her life. Otherwise, in the next world she would have to lick her palms for an infinitely long time (so the rumor kept saying). Good midwives were put into the coffin in mittens, out of respect for their magical hands. These women had a whole code of conduct. It was impossible to refuse help, it was necessary to know the ancient prayers and conspiracies, to have prosperity in the house (so as not to infect the newborn with poverty). The grandmother stayed with the newly-made mother for 40 days - she helped to bathe, treat and ... twist. It was vytyom that used to be called swaddling.

Since ancient times, there have been women in society who provide a special kind of service for money. Time and customs either turned them into outcasts, or elevated them to the elite of society. In our review, 10 representatives of the oldest profession - from temple priestesses to modern Muslim women who marry overnight.

1. Ying-chi

The Chinese ying chi are perhaps the first prostitutes in history to be brought under the control of the authorities. According to historians, Emperor Wu hired women for the sole purpose of accompanying his armies on campaigns and entertaining the soldiers. Ying-chi literally means "harlot camp". True, if the opinion is that these are far from the first moths taken under state control in China. Emperor Yue created the first brothels, where he recruited the widows of dead soldiers.

2. Temple priestesses of love

The role of temple priestesses in ancient Greco-Roman society is the subject of much debate. At the same time, the popularity of the priestesses themselves in society is beyond doubt. The opinions of scientists are divided. Some believe that the priestesses were simply slaves whose services were sold by the temples in order to earn money. Others are sure that intercourse with priestesses was a special cult, worship of the deity of the temple.

3. Devadasi

Devadasis are priestesses in temples where the Hindu fertility goddess Yelamma was worshiped. When girls reached puberty, their parents put their virginity up for auction. Then there was an initiation to the goddess, and until the end of their days, the cultists gave the girls to whoever paid the most for them.
The parents thought it was a pretty good deal. This custom has been an integral part of the Yelamma religion for centuries. Even though the practice was outlawed in India in 1988, it continues today. Moreover, devadasis are irrevocable, they have no way back. Even if women decide to give up this lifestyle, they will never get married.

4. Women for soldiers' comforts

In the Second World War, there are many moments that are preferred to remain silent. One such moment is the so-called "comfort women". Beginning in 1932, the Japanese military began recruiting women, mostly of Korean origin, to work in "comfort centers". The women were promised jobs, but were not told that they would work in brothels for Japanese soldiers. As a result, about 200,000 women fell into real sexual slavery. According to statistics, no more than 30% of the unfortunate could survive this. Even 11-year-old girls were forced to serve 50 to 100 different men every day, and if they refused, they were beaten.

5. Auletrides

Auletrides - a special class of Greek representatives of the ancient profession, who occupied a special position in society. They were not only gurus in the intimate field, but also graceful dancers and skillful flutists. Some of them knew how to juggle, fence and mastered the skills of acrobatics. Many auletrides gave public performances in the streets during religious ceremonies and festivals. In a private setting, the Greek mistresses provided services of an intimate nature.

6. Ganica

Ganika is the Indian version of Japanese geishas. These women occupied a fairly high position in the social hierarchy. It was believed that a night with ganika would bring good luck, happiness and prosperity to a man.
In the Indian pantheon of priestesses of love, there were 8 types of night butterflies. Ganika is the elite. In addition to being super proficient in the intimate sphere, they were true masters of the fine arts. Ganikova woman could be called only if she mastered 64 types of arts. While other members of the ancient profession in India tended to be housewives who earned extra money for their husbands, the ganika held a place of honor in the royal courts.

7. Zones

Zonakh is a biblical priestess of love. She did not belong to any of the men and did not give birth to children. The zones existed outside the laws of the Bible and were not subject to almost any rules. Men could not only buy services from the zones, but also marry her. It was revived only by the priests.

3. Hetera

Hetaerae were high-class courtesans in Athens. Intimate services were completely legal, and as a rule, slaves became getters. Less often, they were simply residents of the city, whose fathers were not citizens of Athens. Hetaerae often worked in groups at symposiums. They were forbidden to marry citizens of Athens, but the latter could ransom them. The status of the hetera was for life. If women tried to obtain citizenship, they could be taken to court and made into slaves.

2. Tawaif

Tawaif - priestesses of love in North India in the 18th - 20th century. Many of them, like the Japanese geisha, were musicians and dancers, but at the same time they did not disdain the provision of intimate services. If the tawaif found a rich patron, then she became a very non-poor person. If a daughter was born to a tawaif, she passed on not only her accumulated wealth, but also her profession. Officially, they could not marry, but very often their patrons lived with them as with wives.

1. Muta

Mutah is an Islamic temporary marriage in which two parties enter into an agreement to be married for a specified time. The contract can be written or oral, and all the details of the marriage are agreed upon in advance, including how much "dowry" the woman will receive, what kind of physical contact will take place, and how long the "marriage" will last. On the one hand, Muta supporters say it's a good way for two people to try living together before legal marriage, to make sure they're a good fit for each other. On the other hand, some contracts suggested that the "marriage" would only last a few hours and that the woman would be paid for it. Thus, Muslims bypass the ban on "love for money."