> * Prax
Unless I missed something, I don't think anyone attempted to answer the Praxian sex survey, so I thought I'd tackle a few issues.
> 1. how are women expected to behave in public in each of these
> cultures? for example do they need to be veiled, are they expected to
> be accompanied by chaperones at all times, etc?
Praxian women have considerable social and political authority at certain points. For example Eiritha priestesses make all major decisions involving the health and safety of the herds. But this seems to be an extension of the tradition role of women as mothers and nuturers. Thus while the activity is important, it may not be high status.
In all-female spaces, they are quite bold, but in mixed society they are more quiet, letting the men be more prominent, except in situations where their opinion is relevant, when they are extremely vocal and may even shout down the men. Veiling is probably limited to unmarried girls. Chapperoning seems pointless in such a society.
> 2. what spaces are all-male? all-female?
Praxian society recognizes the bachelors' tent as a male space, while unmarried women seem to live with their families. The only all-female spaces would be those devoted to Eiritha, although the places animals are kept would also probably be all-female. The places of butchery would be all-male.
> 3. what is the legal status of women? are they allowed to own
> property on their own? divorce their husbands? be educated?
Praxian women own all the animals, which gives them considerable social clout. It follows that they would also own other property, but no other form of property is anywhere near as importance. Given that they control property, and that polygamy and polyandry both occur (which seems improbable to me, but that's what G:CotHW says), women probably do have the right to initiate divorce. Valid causes for divorce, IMO, include physical abuse, mistreatment of herd animals, denial of conjugal relations, cowardice in battle, and impotence.
A more pressing question is whether Praxians are exogamous or endogamous. Given that individual tribes can be fairly small, endogamy seems dangerous for the long-term viability of the tribe. Rather, they seem more likely to practice exogamy, with the men transferring from one tribe to another upon marriage. The tribe retains the females in order to maintain the herd size, since otherwise marriage would reduce the herd size, which in turn could endanger the survival of the tribe. If a man wishes to live with the tribe he was born into, he needs to capture a bride in a raid. This is considered a lower-status form of marriage because it doesn't bring any property into his family. Exogamy would also help maintain clan identity and practices throughout the various tribes.
> 4. if divorce occurs, what is the legal status of the woman
> afterwards? can she remarry? does she receive alimony?
Definitely, she can remarry. The tribe cannot afford to be without her productive capacity. Possibly post-menopausal women might be forbidden to remarry, since it squanders the husband's productive capacity, but the number of post-menopausal women is probably low in Praxian society, given how hazardous childbirth is in this sort of society. She wouldn't receive alimony of any sort, since her property is more important than his. She retains all the property of the couple.
> 5. how are female children treated? is there infanticide? are they
> educated? all the time or only for upper classes?
Girls are treated as women in training, and are taught the ways of Eiritha from a very young age, since they are needed to help out. Whether they would be trained for anything other than being Eiritha women is more dubious, but those who show proper aptitude are probably trained as shamans, since the tribe can't afford to ignore anyone who might be able to deal with the spirits.
As far as infanticide is concerned, it is common only when children are sickly or deformed. The former are a drain on resources, the latter are touched by chaos (and their mothers would need to be purified before engaging in sex again). The Eiritha women determine whether a child needs to be exposed, and the men take the child out and leave it under a bush with a gourd of water. Since Foundchild was originally abandoned (apparently), Praxians acknowledge that even a sickly child might survive, and so give it at least a small chance to live. The cult of Foundchild considers raising foundlings as a holy act, although it is not manditory.
> Hot topic #2 is sexuality. Again, for each of the cultures above:
>
> 1. how public is personal sexuality? are married couple allowed to
> touch in public? kiss?
Praxian sexuality is quite open. They live around animals and everyone has seen animals copulating. Praxian spouses touch each other openly, but sexual activity in public is considered crude, since men are above animals. Kissing and other displays of affection are reserved for private spaces. Uroxi routinely violate these rules.
> 2. how public is representational sexuality? are there nude statues?
> sexual art in public?
Praxian art is probably more abstract than that, but certainly contains figures with enormous breasts and penises.
> 3. what is the view towards pre-marital and extramarital sexual
> relationships? if discouraged/forbidden, what is the effect of
> getting caught, on the man and the woman?
Adultery with a married woman is criminal for the man, since he is breeding another man's 'cow', which is an inherent challenge to the cuckold. The offended husband has a right to challenge the man to a fight, and death in such a battle is not considered murder. Adultery is not criminal for the woman, since property passes through the woman. All of a woman's children are legitimate, especially among those tribes which practice polyandry. Both men and women may carry on sexual relationships with slaves, but children born to slave women are considered slaves themselves.
> 4. what is the view of bisexuality? of adult male homosexuality? of
> paedophilia?
Bisexuality and homosexuality among men are considered unnatural, and outside the law of Waha. They are non-procreative and weaken the men involved. Storm bulls in particular deride the practice and may sodomize their captives to prove their dominance. These activities among women are tolerated so long as they do not prevent procreative sex.
Paedophilia is a serious crime, as are rape and incest. These actions attract chaotic spirits and can poison the tribe. Those who commit them are outlawed.
So what do people think?
Andrew E. Larsen
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #420
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