Reading Notes: How to Spot a Lesbian in Sacred Indian Art
-The female form is celebrated in Hindu temples
-Carvings on the wall explore many aspects of the female body
-Female figures are depicted in a wide variety of ways
-This includes both erotic and non-erotic positions and behaviors
-Dancing, stretching, mediating, bearing swords, exposing themselves, fondling their breasts, ect.
"Who amongst these women could be a lesbian – a woman who desires another woman erotically and emotionally?"
-This quote fascinated me, because I have never really considered homosexual relations might appear in ancient texts
-Because many ancient societies were patriarchal, women often get left out of narratives about the past; what other dimensions of female sexuality might there have been?
-And how can relics from the past reveal this to us, if we look closely enough?
4 Reasons why the question of lesbianism in these depictions of female figures might scare people:
-Homophobia
-Puritanical inclinations separating the sexual from the sacred
-The assumption that "women in sacred art desire men – or gods"
-The belief that temple walls are objects of desire for men
"Why lesbian, not gay? Because the female gaze and female desire has traditionally not been given preference."
^This.
-Carvings on the wall explore many aspects of the female body
-Female figures are depicted in a wide variety of ways
-This includes both erotic and non-erotic positions and behaviors
-Dancing, stretching, mediating, bearing swords, exposing themselves, fondling their breasts, ect.
"Who amongst these women could be a lesbian – a woman who desires another woman erotically and emotionally?"
-This quote fascinated me, because I have never really considered homosexual relations might appear in ancient texts
-Because many ancient societies were patriarchal, women often get left out of narratives about the past; what other dimensions of female sexuality might there have been?
-And how can relics from the past reveal this to us, if we look closely enough?
4 Reasons why the question of lesbianism in these depictions of female figures might scare people:
-Homophobia
-Puritanical inclinations separating the sexual from the sacred
-The assumption that "women in sacred art desire men – or gods"
-The belief that temple walls are objects of desire for men
"Why lesbian, not gay? Because the female gaze and female desire has traditionally not been given preference."
^This.
Erotic female figures. Source: Devdutt
~~~
Bibliography:
Pattanaik, Devdutt. "How to Spot a Lesbian in Sacred Indian Art."
Bibliography:
Pattanaik, Devdutt. "How to Spot a Lesbian in Sacred Indian Art."
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