Re: moon's rosy fingers

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Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on June 8, 2001 at 22:50:43:

In reply to: moon's rosy fingers posted by Kree on June 8, 2001 at 19:59:16:

: INteresting -- I never put 2+2 together. Greek epics had
: certain "conventions" which were descriptions used over and over
: again in their epic poetry -- one of which is "the rosy fingers of
: dawn." Perhaps next day's stain?? Or maybe just pink clouds...
Dawn clouds do have fingerlike shapes .... so that could just be
descriptive ... but the moon?

Hard to say! I'd need to be able to translate the old languages, and
see the original texts .... the ones that intrigued me were the ones
that mentioned fingers the color of a rosy-colored moon! These were
in reference to houris or courtesans, who were wearing henna at the
time and place of the poems. It's one of the few clues that
prostitutes in the southern Greek-Turkish islands during the classical
Greek period were using henna. Greek women often hennaed their hair,
but it's harder to find any evidence that they were hennaeing their
fingers. Some Greek sex workers may have favored henna. Women from
farther sourth and east down the coast, (whatever their employment)
into Syria and Palestine were certainly hennaeing their hands then
(well, from 7000 BCE to present, continuously, as far as I can tell),
but hennaeing among regular women seems to have disappeared in Greece
by 400 BCE (except for Boetia). In the Roman period, I've found one
(but only one) painting of a sex worker who has reddened fingertips
... perhaps someone had a fancy for foreign girls...., or perhaps she
needed especially soft attractive hands for her endeavours. Astarte
certainly had hennaed fingertips judging from an old ivory statue, and
sex workers were often devotees of Astarte.

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Re: moon's rosy fingers Kree 19:57:00 6/10/2001 (1)
- Re: moon's rosy fingers Catherine Cartwright Jones 20:29:52 6/10/2001 (0)

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: : INteresting -- I never put 2+2 together. Greek epics had : : certain "conventions" which were descriptions used over and over : : again in their epic poetry -- one of which is "the rosy fingers of : : dawn." Perhaps next day's stain?? Or maybe just pink clouds... : Dawn clouds do have fingerlike shapes .... so that could just be : descriptive ... but the moon? : : Hard to say! I'd need to be able to translate the old languages, and : see the original texts .... the ones that intrigued me were the ones : that mentioned fingers the color of a rosy-colored moon! These were : in reference to houris or courtesans, who were wearing henna at the : time and place of the poems. It's one of the few clues that : prostitutes in the southern Greek-Turkish islands during the classical : Greek period were using henna. Greek women often hennaed their hair, : but it's harder to find any evidence that they were hennaeing their : fingers. Some Greek sex workers may have favored henna. Women from : farther sourth and east down the coast, (whatever their employment) : into Syria and Palestine were certainly hennaeing their hands then : (well, from 7000 BCE to present, continuously, as far as I can tell), : but hennaeing among regular women seems to have disappeared in Greece : by 400 BCE (except for Boetia). In the Roman period, I've found one : (but only one) painting of a sex worker who has reddened fingertips : ... perhaps someone had a fancy for foreign girls...., or perhaps she : needed especially soft attractive hands for her endeavours. Astarte : certainly had hennaed fingertips judging from an old ivory statue, and : sex workers were often devotees of Astarte.
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