>It seems to me that emulating the behavior of Yinkin, especially
>his lascivious nature, would not be accepted of women in the
>Heortling culture. It's really hard to find a dependable husband
>for your Ernaldan daughter if there are a handful of flirtatious
>Yinkin initiates in your clan. While Yinkin may be gender-indistinct,
>the culture traditionally limits gender roles. Not to mention that
>it is hard to be continuously lascivious for a woman in a era without
>birth control. While woman-specific cults may have some control over
>reproduction, Yinkin certainly doesn't.
Why the assumption there is no birth control?
Condoms have been made from animal intestines for centuries and most women can avoid sex during the fertile part of their cycle. Not as reliable as modern contraception possibly but charms and such like compensate for that.
I don't see Heortlings having Victorian hangups about sex and contraception so mothers will drum into their daughters the importance of taking responsibility for their fertility before they are old enough to decide to follow Yinkin. Nor is an unplanned pregnancy automatically a disaster. Someone in the extended family will take care of the baby even if the Yinkini doesn't want to.
While I can see Yinkini, male or female, causing problems if they pursue sexual relationships with married people there will be plenty of unmarried ones in the typical clan. In the marriage stakes a Yinkini is going to be well down the list of suitable wives. Can she cook? can she weave? No son, you're not bringing that girl into this family.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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