How is Menstruation perceived in other cultures throughout history? Historically, menstruating women was considered sacred and powerful with increased physic abilities and strong enough to heal the sick but others have a more negative view...
In hunter-gatherer cultures menstruation is quite a rare event and a woman's
menstrual status is loudly signaled, so that everyone in the community knows
that this is her 'sacred' or 'special' time. She must neither cook nor permit marital sex to occur for several days until her period ends.
In some cultures, such as that of the Dogon,
women stay in a special hut during their menstrual period.
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| Dogon Menstrual Hut |
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| Beautiful Dogon woman in her Menstrual Hut |
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Khoisan
women in the Kalahari,
are ritually most powerful when menstruating. In her special hut, the 'New
Maiden' is thought to be inviolable – having only to snap her fingers to bring
down lightning on any disrespectful male. (You Go Girl! :))
According to the Cherokee, menstrual blood was a source of feminine strength
and had the power to destroy enemies.
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| Cherokee mother and child |
In Ancient
Rome, Pliny the Elder wrote that a menstruating
woman who uncovers her body can scare away hailstorms,
whirlwinds and lightning. If she strips naked and walks around the field,
caterpillars, worms and beetles fall off the ears of corn.
Menstrual blood is especially dangerous to men's power. In Africa, menstrual
blood is used in the most powerful magic charms to both purify and destroy.
Most Christian denominations do not follow any specific rituals or rules
related to menstruation. Some Christian denominations, including many
authorities of the Eastern Orthodox Church (also known as the
Russian, Ukrainian, or Greek Orthodox Church, distinct from the Roman Catholic
Church), advise women not to receive communion during their menstrual period.
The traditional Islamic interpretation of the Qur'an forbids
intercourse, but not physical intimacy, during a woman's menstrual period. They are also excused from performing prayers and fasting.
In the Qur'an it is considered a "harm" or a nuisance, and women
should not be pestered during this time. Respect for women on their cycle is
valued. Although they are restricted from entering the mosque, they are
encouraged to be present at religious services. After the period, a spiritual bath, which is also required of both
partners after sex, Ghusl,
is also required before prayer and fasting may continue.
In Judaism, a ritual exclusion called niddah applies to a
woman while menstruating and for about a week thereafter, until she immerses
herself in a mikvah (ritual bath). During this time, a married couple must avoid sexual intercourse
and physical intimacy. Orthodox Judaism forbids women and men from even
touching or passing things to each other during this period.
Hindus in India
tend to view menstruation, especially first menstruation or menarche, as a
positive aspect of a girl's life. In South India, girls
who experience their menstrual period for the first time are given presents and
celebrations to mark this special occasion. However, most of the Hindu girls
refrain from visiting temples during their cycle. Also in orthodox families,
the menstruating women are asked to stay away from domestic activities for a
period of 4 days, indirectly a form of rest during the blood loss period.
Hindus in Nepal
have a more negative view, traditionally keeping women isolated during
menstruation, when women who are menstruating are not allowed in the household
for a period of 3 nights. A recent court ruling in Nepal
has abolished this practice.
In Buddhism (Theravada or Hinayana) menstruation is viewed as "a
natural physical excretion that women have to go through on a monthly basis,
nothing more or less". However in Japanese Buddhism menstruating women
are banned from attending temples.
In Japan,
the religion of Shinto did and still does play a part in their society. The
Kami, the spirits they worshiped, would not grant wishes if you had traces of
blood, dirt, or death on you. While menstruation is not entirely blood, the
ancient Japanese did not know that. As a result, women who were menstruating
were not allowed to visit any of the Kami shrines for the duration of their
menstrual period. Even today, women are not allowed to enter Shinto shrines and
temples during menstruation, and in some instances, women are completely banned
from climbing the tops of sacred mountains due to their 'impurity'.
Furthermore, the tradition is kept somewhat alive in the belief that the
shedding of the endometrial lining is a kind of death. It is theorized that the
Kami are the reason Japan
is kept so clean and, in many houses, minimalistic.
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| women climbers banned in Japan |
In Bali, women are not allowed to enter the kitchen
to perform her usual duties, nor is she allowed to have sex with her husband
while menstruating. She is to sleep apart from the family and has to keep her
clothes that she wears while menstruating away from any clothes that she could
wear to the temple. One of the most important taboos is that a woman is not
allowed to attend temple while menstruating.
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| Bali temple |
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In Sumba, women keep their cycles secret, which makes
men see them as deceitful. Women from Sumba believe that
because of their secrecy, they will always have control of the men. “Men will
never know how much we really can do to control these things. We have all kinds
of secrets, and they should always believe that we can control even more than
we really can”.
