The Whore Archetype: Part 1

We hear lot's of things about sluts, whores, prostitutes, courtesans, and fast women.  We've heard that the creature known as The Slut, is in fact a myth.  We've also heard about, and perhaps known women who've 'slept their  way to the top' in one way or the other.   The pilot episode of Sex in the City, ponders the question of whether women can have unattached sex like men and then the inevitable follow up question of whether they should?  We Our Puritan/Gluttonous dichotomy of a culture teaches us to view sexually adventurous women as both the ideal 'liberated' woman & as a home-wrecker (poor Angie) or tart.  We've, more recently, heard that The Mythical Slut (see above), does in fact exist and it is NOT okay to rape her! (Love these Gals, check to see if they've got something going in your area!)  Prostitution has been called the oldest profession, and we have archeological evidence dating back to Pompeii and earlier of a thriving industry.  We know the Bible references the cult of Ashera or Ashtoreth, and the sacred prostitution involved in worship (though at one point, the all powerful YHWH was known to seek the pleasures of her bed).  And we know that, at least in Judea, Sacred Whores did not like to be likened to prostitutes, as there was a HUGE difference between the two.
Webster gives us the following definitions:
 Courtesan: : a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele.
 Whore: a woman who engages in sexual acts for money. 
Slut: : a promiscuous woman.


At this point, we know a prostitute is the same as a whore and they would both prefer to be Courtesans.  A slut, a tramp, a floozie, a coquette, etc all have sex for fun, not money (but maybe drinks and baubles).  And there has been ritualized prostitution in a number of cultures for religious purposes throughout history.  Now on to the touchy subject of marriage, prostitution, and philosophy.  It can be said that every marriage is a form of prostitution, more frequently than not involving both parties acting as prostitute.  Before you pull out your scythe, hear me out.  Prostitution is generally defined as the the exchange of services (sex) for money or other tangible valuables.  Now be honest, your husband would not be out working while you take care of the kids if you weren't in a relationship (these almost always involve sex, in my experience).  At the same time, even if you are both working outside the home for monetary gain, you (as in both of you) are still using sex as a way to reduce your bills by cohabiting.  So relationship = sex = cohabiting = splitting the bills = monetary gain.  Go ahead, have your hissy fit, I know you liberated women out there are smart enough to realize that this is the case and essentially the only way to have a relationship.  We trade sex for all sorts of things that aren't tangible as well.  We stay in a marriage for the sake of the kids.  We have sex because he/she was having a bad day, even if we weren't in the mood.  (What did we get out of that? you may ask.  Simple answer: to comfort your mate.)  Hopefully you've heard me and understand that I am not cheapening marriage with my statement. :)  Ladies with a life-partner are doing willing sex work with someone who is (hopefully) also doing willing sex work, & with double the intangible rewards.  So a married woman is a cross between a prostitute and a slut with a preference for one lover.  Hell, in some cases (I don't have to mention this religion by name) married ladies are practicing a form of Sacred Prostitution, as their religion may dictate that it might piss of a male deity if they dare say no to their husband.  Needless to say, there is one last form of The Whore;  She is the slave.  The one who has been stripped of her power, who has lost her autonomy, and the one who is unwilling and then has the blame heaped upon her. 

The Whore has always fascinated me.  In fact, I come from a long line of 'traditional' prostitutes, several generations actually.  My mother was a self-loathing whore, victim of the Virgin/Whore conundrum.  So naturally, being raised in the church, she felt it necessary to confess to me all that she had done, and by the time I was 8, I could accurately describe various sexual acts, std's, and the resulting damage incurred by the female reproductive tract.  Despite my mom's best efforts, I managed, by age 25 to really embrace my sexuality in all it's glory.  It seems as if I can identify with each type of whore at different points in my life.  Perhaps you can too.  Right now, I am feeling particularly attracted to The Courtesan, so the second part of this series will deal with her in detail.  With any luck, I'll have that out by next Sunday.