It was marked
even among the heathen Arabs, as among Semites and old
civilizations generally; we must not be deceived by the
occasional examples of immodesty in individual cases. The Sunna
prescribes that a man shall not uncover himself even to himself,
and shall not wash naked--from fear of God and of spirits; Job
did so, and atoned for it heavily. When in Arab antiquity
grown-up persons showed themselves naked, it was only under
extraordinary circumstances, and to attain unusual ends.... Women
when mourning uncovered not only the face and bosom, but also
tore all their garments. The messenger who brought bad news tore
his garments. A mother desiring to bring pressure to bear on her
son took off her clothes. A man to whom vengeance is forbidden
showed his despair and disapproval by uncovering his posterior
and strewing earth on his head, or by raising his garment behind
and covering his head with it. This was done also in fulfilling
natural necessities." (Wellhausen, _Reste Arabischen Heidentums_,
1897, pp. 173, 195-196.)
Mantegazza mentions that a Lapland woman refused even for the sum
of 150 francs to allow him to photograph her naked, though the
men placed themselves before the camera in the costume of Adam
for a much smaller sum. In the same book Mantegazza remarks that
in the eighteenth century, travelers found it extremely difficult
to persuade Samoyed women to show themselves naked.
Pages:
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64