Re: Taboos, prudishness, etc

From: donald_at_...
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 22:36:24 GMT

In message <20050227193015.NXHI1187.aamta01-winn.mailhost.ntl.com_at_master> "Jane Williams" writes:
>
>> Do they have many such taboos? Adultery I recall from KoDP
>> (and other sources, but the KoDP ones stick in my head best)
>> but are there many "prudish" customs amongst the Heortlings?
>
>I always have to remember that in a communal society such as the
>Heortling one, a lot of things that we'd regard as unthinkable in public
>would be the norm, due to lack of choice. A lot of it of course we just
>gloss over so as not to upset our modern sensibilities (and why not?
>this is meant to be fun!).
>
>For instance, I doubt if the average tula has lavatories situated in
>convenient places. Nor are there service stations along even the Royal
>roads. And even when such things did exist in history, we know the
>Romans had those massive multi-seat jobs, where you're in full view of a
>LOT of other people, not even hiding behind a bush.

You mean like men's urinals today?

Another modern example is breast feeding babies - a century ago in spite of all the Victorian morality breast feeding babies in public was common and unremarked at. Fifty years ago with the widespread adoption of bottle feeding it became something to avoid and an embarrassment to both the woman and witnesses. Now it's become more acceptable again.

>So do the Heortlings (and other Gloranthans) just do everything (not
>just that sort of bodily function) in public and not care? Or is there a
>set of elaborate manners where you "don't notice" certain things, the
>way we ignore the sound-effects from the next cubicle today?

Those manners follow from the combination of strangers and a need to avoid giving/taking offence so tend to be more prevelant in societies where strangers meet regularly. So I'd expect fewer among the Heortlings than in a Lunar city.

The Heortlings are probably just down to a few such as ignoring and not interrupting a couple engaged in sex.

Of course "in public" has varying meanings - do Heortlings regard being in their longhouse with only family present as in public? They may well have different standards of behaviour for within and outside the longhouse.

>And what *do* they find embarrassing to be seen doing in public, if
>anything? I seem to remember some recent TV advert telling me about a
>culture where showing the soles of your feet is incredibly rude -
>anything like that?

That's an extreme example of what is generally an insult across the muslim world - symbolically putting your feet on someone. Any embarrasment is more on the part of person's associates - that they should be associated with someone who's being rude.

An equivelent among Heortlings might be baring or sharpening a blade.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/