LordHyperion
Virgin
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2004
- Posts
- 9
I read a LOT, taking notes on damn near everything and piling them together in some way or another to build a piece of fantasy environment.
This is something I pulled together from notes on Ancient Rome, the Celtic Tribes of Northern England, and Middle Ages Medicine. I am using it myself to explain certain aspects of Women's Medicine in the fantasy realm I am currently role-playing in.
You will not that I left the level of overt sexuality ambiguous. I did that to allow individual authors to interpret the setting to whatever degree most well suits them.
Here we go! Enjoy!
The Island of Euratas
The Island of Euretas is a special finishing school for high-born young women. Originally the flying island home of a giant, Euretas has been completely rebuilt a number of times over the years to it's current form. As a flying island, Euretas is easy to close off from the world below in times of plague, and can move to safer locales in times of war- even though an acknowledged, if not official, pact exists between all contributing nations that the floating island is inviolate.
Euretas was founded by a council of nobles following a devastating series of civil wars that lead to a long period of abductions among the noble families. It became an all too common and accepted practice for girls of high birth to be abducted by married nobles whose wife could either no longer become pregnant, or refused to do so. Since the abductor would usually imprison the young woman until she bore him a son, then either released her or expelled her from his lands, her family usually ended up beginning another war to avenge the insult to her and the family.
Now the nobles, including the Ruling Families of no less than six nations, send their daughters to Euretas to learn once they first experience menses (around 13-14). They are each shorn of their usual long hair, as long tresses are normally a sign of position and power and the short hair is considered 'starting from the beginning'. Although most cultures consider the short hair a sign of bondage (only slaves and chattel wear short hair). After the initial cut, their hair is allowed to grow throughout their apprenticeship. All the young women are also given a small tattoo of an Euretas dove on their left hip, save true princesses, who are given a dove and serpent. The Dove was chosen as the symbol of the school as an open symbol for femininity- the breasts, love-goddesses, and the soul. The addition of the serpent is a token of royalty. Ambitious noblemen are entranced with the thought of glamourous foreign brides and the Euretas tattoo on a prospective bride usually means that there will be a greater political bond between the husband and his wife's family. Most men will not see their future wife, selecting her instead from magnificently crafted miniatures created by craftsmen housed on the island.
The students are versed in a variety of subjects to make them well-rounded wives, but not mindless trophies (although this was the case at one point, until older 'graduates' returned to remove the Headmaster and place a Headmistress in charge of the school). The students receive instruction in a variety of courtly practices- manners, dress, etiquette and ceremony, as well as the usual classes in writing, reading, sewing, language and music. Also in their course of study are in depth courses in religion, politics, household management and court intrigues. They are also carefully trained in matters of sex.
New arrivals wear a white collar to denote their newness and are instructed only by women during the first year or so of their apprenticeship. Only when their instructors agree that the apprentice is ready both mentally and physically does she move on to the second stage.
After a careful selection from among the male staff is made is the young woman prepared and brought to a special chamber. Under careful supervision, the apprentice has her first male-female sexual encounter and is awarded her second rank- the red collar. Once an apprentice has achieved the red collar, men may instruct her in all of her classes, and she will continue her sexual instruction with arranged liaisons- not only with men of Euretas, but with carefully selected (i.e. healthy) visitors to the floating island. During this training period, it is considered a point of honor for an apprentice to get pregnant by a stranger they may never meet again. Pregnancy in this manner not only proves that she is no longer a virgin, but also her ability to produce heirs for her future husband.
The children from these pregnancies, if they are healthy, are either raised within the Euretas society or sold as servant labor. Males are trained to serve in the small army that protects the island from the rare attack or raid or as servants in the school's many small industries. Females become servants, midwives and even instructors, although some are turned out to the cities as prostitutes.
There were great concerns with promoting fertility in sterile women and with the childbirth itself. A penalty of exile (or death if the mother died) was levied on anyone who came to the island and secretly trafficked in drugs or magic for the sole purpose of abortion. Abortions, although rare, are preformed occasionally if the health of the mother and/or child is in question, and since these pregnancies are planned after a fashion, contraceptive compounds are never used- even though often some of the same drugs are recommended for both. It falls under the guidance of the Head Midwife to make the decisions in all matters concerning the pregnant woman’s health, not only delivering babies, but preforming abortions and other gynecological procedures. The Head Midwife was also skilled enough to be able to examine infants and recognize which were healthy enough to be worth rearing. Unfortunately, even though these women had access to midwives and physicians throughout their pregnancies, death in childbirth was still a reality. The welfare of the mother during birth took precedence over the welfare of the baby, but often the bearing of children by immature females was a contributing factor to deaths in childbirth.
During and following these pregnancies, the women are given a new, blue collar to wear. They will continue with the blue collar until a marriage is arranged for them through a combination of their family and the Headmistress of Euretas. During this period, they are allowed to continue with their sexual education, selecting their own lovers from among the staff and guests with approval from their instructors. But this freedom comes to an end once a husband is selected for her and she is given the black collar, effectively barring her from any man save the one selected for her.
The donning of the black collar begins the betrothal year, during which the woman's schooling is finished and she is prepared for her life off the island. To this end, she is given a few 'graduation gifts'. First among these is a ceremonial silver comb and mirror, both of which are often seen as symbols of royalty being regained as by now the woman's hair has grown to a point where her station is once again reflected by her tresses. The second 'gift' comes in the form of a special servant.
Warriors form the surrogate and secular arm of the island, as well as their defending duties. They bear arms for warfare, judicial combat to decide the innocence or guilt of accused third parties where the evidence is otherwise unclear, and even handle the few executions that take place on Euretas. The Headmistress meets in concert with the Master of Arms, the Dean of Students, and a representative from each the woman’s family and that of the husband to select for the ‘black collar’ a champion at arms. This knight, raised and trained on the island, will then act as an intermediary between her and her husband-to-be. He will also be required to reply with his life all imputations against her- answer in single combat all heavy charges laid against her, rescue her if assailed or captured, stand beside her during testing, and avenge insults, humiliations and torture. With such a commitment being set upon him, the champion must swear to love, honor and obey her without question or hesitation.
Of course, not all the students take to their lessons well. To combat this problem, Euretas has one major punishment. Should an apprentice be prone to constant disobedience, continual inattentiveness to her lessons, should sink into nymphomania or the reverse- frigidity (without cause), then she will most likely be sent to the Bander House. In the Bander House, the young women are made to do nothing but pull and twist hempen threads to make rope for twelve hours a day. As this is work normally reserved for unlicenced prostitutes and debtor women elsewhere, it is not a place most students care to be. Punishment terms rarely last longer than a week.
One of the most carefully instructed classes is in cosmetics. There is a great room in the school that is like an apothecary. Jars of crystal, glass, clay, tin and copper line the shelves filled with all manner of rouges, emollients, substance of stag morrow and honeysuckle water to refine the skin and other mixtures and ingredients. There was a whole shelf devoted to pastes to turn the user’s hair blond- rye, soda niter, alum, yarrow, a mixture of green ilex. Compounds of stallion, bear, snake, rabbit, whale, mare, doe otter and other animals were used to change complexion. There was even a small but generally unspoken of section devoted to the alchemy of potions with the sole purpose of ensnaring a lover or ensuring the love of their husband- viper’s tongues, pile wort, stones from an eagle’s nest, quail heads, and hearts made of tallow thick with broken needles.
This is something I pulled together from notes on Ancient Rome, the Celtic Tribes of Northern England, and Middle Ages Medicine. I am using it myself to explain certain aspects of Women's Medicine in the fantasy realm I am currently role-playing in.
You will not that I left the level of overt sexuality ambiguous. I did that to allow individual authors to interpret the setting to whatever degree most well suits them.
Here we go! Enjoy!
The Island of Euratas
The Island of Euretas is a special finishing school for high-born young women. Originally the flying island home of a giant, Euretas has been completely rebuilt a number of times over the years to it's current form. As a flying island, Euretas is easy to close off from the world below in times of plague, and can move to safer locales in times of war- even though an acknowledged, if not official, pact exists between all contributing nations that the floating island is inviolate.
Euretas was founded by a council of nobles following a devastating series of civil wars that lead to a long period of abductions among the noble families. It became an all too common and accepted practice for girls of high birth to be abducted by married nobles whose wife could either no longer become pregnant, or refused to do so. Since the abductor would usually imprison the young woman until she bore him a son, then either released her or expelled her from his lands, her family usually ended up beginning another war to avenge the insult to her and the family.
Now the nobles, including the Ruling Families of no less than six nations, send their daughters to Euretas to learn once they first experience menses (around 13-14). They are each shorn of their usual long hair, as long tresses are normally a sign of position and power and the short hair is considered 'starting from the beginning'. Although most cultures consider the short hair a sign of bondage (only slaves and chattel wear short hair). After the initial cut, their hair is allowed to grow throughout their apprenticeship. All the young women are also given a small tattoo of an Euretas dove on their left hip, save true princesses, who are given a dove and serpent. The Dove was chosen as the symbol of the school as an open symbol for femininity- the breasts, love-goddesses, and the soul. The addition of the serpent is a token of royalty. Ambitious noblemen are entranced with the thought of glamourous foreign brides and the Euretas tattoo on a prospective bride usually means that there will be a greater political bond between the husband and his wife's family. Most men will not see their future wife, selecting her instead from magnificently crafted miniatures created by craftsmen housed on the island.
The students are versed in a variety of subjects to make them well-rounded wives, but not mindless trophies (although this was the case at one point, until older 'graduates' returned to remove the Headmaster and place a Headmistress in charge of the school). The students receive instruction in a variety of courtly practices- manners, dress, etiquette and ceremony, as well as the usual classes in writing, reading, sewing, language and music. Also in their course of study are in depth courses in religion, politics, household management and court intrigues. They are also carefully trained in matters of sex.
New arrivals wear a white collar to denote their newness and are instructed only by women during the first year or so of their apprenticeship. Only when their instructors agree that the apprentice is ready both mentally and physically does she move on to the second stage.
After a careful selection from among the male staff is made is the young woman prepared and brought to a special chamber. Under careful supervision, the apprentice has her first male-female sexual encounter and is awarded her second rank- the red collar. Once an apprentice has achieved the red collar, men may instruct her in all of her classes, and she will continue her sexual instruction with arranged liaisons- not only with men of Euretas, but with carefully selected (i.e. healthy) visitors to the floating island. During this training period, it is considered a point of honor for an apprentice to get pregnant by a stranger they may never meet again. Pregnancy in this manner not only proves that she is no longer a virgin, but also her ability to produce heirs for her future husband.
The children from these pregnancies, if they are healthy, are either raised within the Euretas society or sold as servant labor. Males are trained to serve in the small army that protects the island from the rare attack or raid or as servants in the school's many small industries. Females become servants, midwives and even instructors, although some are turned out to the cities as prostitutes.
There were great concerns with promoting fertility in sterile women and with the childbirth itself. A penalty of exile (or death if the mother died) was levied on anyone who came to the island and secretly trafficked in drugs or magic for the sole purpose of abortion. Abortions, although rare, are preformed occasionally if the health of the mother and/or child is in question, and since these pregnancies are planned after a fashion, contraceptive compounds are never used- even though often some of the same drugs are recommended for both. It falls under the guidance of the Head Midwife to make the decisions in all matters concerning the pregnant woman’s health, not only delivering babies, but preforming abortions and other gynecological procedures. The Head Midwife was also skilled enough to be able to examine infants and recognize which were healthy enough to be worth rearing. Unfortunately, even though these women had access to midwives and physicians throughout their pregnancies, death in childbirth was still a reality. The welfare of the mother during birth took precedence over the welfare of the baby, but often the bearing of children by immature females was a contributing factor to deaths in childbirth.
During and following these pregnancies, the women are given a new, blue collar to wear. They will continue with the blue collar until a marriage is arranged for them through a combination of their family and the Headmistress of Euretas. During this period, they are allowed to continue with their sexual education, selecting their own lovers from among the staff and guests with approval from their instructors. But this freedom comes to an end once a husband is selected for her and she is given the black collar, effectively barring her from any man save the one selected for her.
The donning of the black collar begins the betrothal year, during which the woman's schooling is finished and she is prepared for her life off the island. To this end, she is given a few 'graduation gifts'. First among these is a ceremonial silver comb and mirror, both of which are often seen as symbols of royalty being regained as by now the woman's hair has grown to a point where her station is once again reflected by her tresses. The second 'gift' comes in the form of a special servant.
Warriors form the surrogate and secular arm of the island, as well as their defending duties. They bear arms for warfare, judicial combat to decide the innocence or guilt of accused third parties where the evidence is otherwise unclear, and even handle the few executions that take place on Euretas. The Headmistress meets in concert with the Master of Arms, the Dean of Students, and a representative from each the woman’s family and that of the husband to select for the ‘black collar’ a champion at arms. This knight, raised and trained on the island, will then act as an intermediary between her and her husband-to-be. He will also be required to reply with his life all imputations against her- answer in single combat all heavy charges laid against her, rescue her if assailed or captured, stand beside her during testing, and avenge insults, humiliations and torture. With such a commitment being set upon him, the champion must swear to love, honor and obey her without question or hesitation.
Of course, not all the students take to their lessons well. To combat this problem, Euretas has one major punishment. Should an apprentice be prone to constant disobedience, continual inattentiveness to her lessons, should sink into nymphomania or the reverse- frigidity (without cause), then she will most likely be sent to the Bander House. In the Bander House, the young women are made to do nothing but pull and twist hempen threads to make rope for twelve hours a day. As this is work normally reserved for unlicenced prostitutes and debtor women elsewhere, it is not a place most students care to be. Punishment terms rarely last longer than a week.
One of the most carefully instructed classes is in cosmetics. There is a great room in the school that is like an apothecary. Jars of crystal, glass, clay, tin and copper line the shelves filled with all manner of rouges, emollients, substance of stag morrow and honeysuckle water to refine the skin and other mixtures and ingredients. There was a whole shelf devoted to pastes to turn the user’s hair blond- rye, soda niter, alum, yarrow, a mixture of green ilex. Compounds of stallion, bear, snake, rabbit, whale, mare, doe otter and other animals were used to change complexion. There was even a small but generally unspoken of section devoted to the alchemy of potions with the sole purpose of ensnaring a lover or ensuring the love of their husband- viper’s tongues, pile wort, stones from an eagle’s nest, quail heads, and hearts made of tallow thick with broken needles.
