Historically Accurate v. Modern squick

gothicangel said:

I was reading something the other day, that said [in a quite snooty way] 'after all, look at those Romans using blood-sports to divert attention away from a political situation.' Yes, we just have ultra violent movies instead and put on big shiny show of sports to deflect us from the incompetence of the government . . .

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Makes me think of this Tool song.

Just because it's in the Kama Sutra doesn't mean it was normal or typical.

Girls in olden days were often engaged very young--might as well let them know right off the bat that they're not going to decide on a spouse on their own. But after a "wedding" ceremony, girls often went back to their home families for several more years, because what 14/24/64 yr old guy really wants to hang out with an 8 yr old girl? Then when the girl begins menstruating, she'd go join her husband.

I am generalizing from different cultures. But 8 yr olds still need their parents and don't make very good spouses no matter where you are.

Whoever wrote the Kama Sutra probably knew these weddings were happening and wanted to provide some helpful advice. And yes, there were some folks who 'kept' their child-brides. But most of your society isn't literate, anyway. But for the most part, there probably weren't a lot of sexual relationships involving 8 yr olds.

The book Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind, deals with the topic of young-teen brides in Pakistan in a way that's palatable to Western tastes, IMO. You might take a look at it.

Um, you have to marry the girls off before menses start in order to make sure of the paternity of any kids they have/to make sure that if the girl does become pregnant in any way, she has a husband to take care of her/the kids.

In a world without birth control, it protects both parties' interests.

As for slavery, slave holders genuinely believed (for the most part) that slavery was a moral good.

On Being Brought from Africa to America

'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a diabolic die."
Remember, Christians, Negro's, black as Cain,
May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.
--Phillis Wheatley

Folks in the 1800s weren't going around saying, "Oh my God, we are monsters, slavery is an abomination." No, they actually believed that slavery was a good thing, because they rescued a bunch of half-naked savage pagans from destitution, and gave them clothes, food, civilization, and Christianity. They were saving lives and saving souls from the fiery furnaces of Hell. Abolitionists in the early 1800s were seen as nuts, and the early slave rebellions were led by folks who heard voices in their heads or were otherwise disconnected from reality. Whites regarded these rebels not as fighting for their freedom, but as homicidal maniacs--and other slaves helped end these rebellions.

It wasn't until the industrial revolution started making slavery less economically valuable that the idea that slavery is bad began to spread.

I just wrote a little essay on this: http://users.livejournal.com/little_e_/360616.html

There seems to be a great deal of medical evidence that 110 pounds is the tipping point for the beginning of menses. So, during periods of abundance, especially amoung the upper classes, girls could potentially start their "flowers" at 13-14. The nobility in Europe liked their women on the rounder side. It showed off wealth. I know very little about the aristocracy in the Kush region.