Re: Looking for magic
Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on November 12, 1999 at 03:41:08:
In Reply to: Re: Looking for magic posted by Kenzi on November 12, 1999 at 03:03:58:
The traditional societies tried to make sure a girl will be married
right around the time of her first period.... to go longer was
considered really bad news. I ve never heard of hennaeing to relieve
menstrual pain, but menstruation was extremely threatening to the
well-being of the husband, the household and the group at large. The
menstruating woman was polluted, and for her to even glance at a man
could render him impotant, and kill all the goats. I think this is
because djinn were so attracted to her menstrual blood, that she was
very dangerous. Her skirts (stained) were really dangerous, her
footprints in the sand were dangerous, her glance was dangerous
(veil????), her food had to be prepared separately...the list goes
on and on. At the end of her period, ritual bathing and hennaeing
ended the pollution and she could go back to cooking, cleaning,
tending the flocks, taking care of her husband, having sex, all that
stuff. (I wonder how many were tempted to have really long
periods.....) Most women though, had very few periods during their
lifetime what with uninterrupted pregnancy and lactation.