um no I'm saying the OP and the views it represents are pretty fringey and have more to do with the individual posting them than with his national origin. pretty sure.

 

Ah, pardon! I completely misread you there.

1) The idea that in a world of true gender balance, prostitution wouldnt exist is problematic. In fact there is a influential school of feminist thought that prostitution is empowering. Political and social power may be balanced, but they dont wave away the supply and demand for sex. There will always be those who cant get what they want in the bedroom but have the resources to buy it, and those willing to sell.

 

2) Prostitution is the exchange of sex for money. Trading sex for power, favor, affections or whatever else is not exactly prostitution, or you go down a real ugly road (does anyone give sex away truly freely, aside from sex addicts? If you have sex on a first date did you just trade sex for dinner?).

 

3) I dont understand the question posed in this thread either.

 

 

We know that the very concept of prostitution is totally unknown in Randland (or not?), 

 

 

There is prostitution in Randland. When Gawyn is riding into the Rebels camp outside Tar Valon in TGS he comments on the many different Camp followers. Cooks, servers, washers, wagon drivers, etc. And less reputable merchants there to profit off the soldiers battle pay and women that sot to do the same. 

It is just viewed in a different way. Pretties receive many gifts of coin, clothing, and jewelry. Tylin gave Mat gold to have his ear pierced. There were also rules where it was okay for him to be starved and carried into her bed chamber.

I remember someone seeing Sevanna's breasts (from Sevanna's pov) and the man was almost hypnotized!

 

 

That's because Sevanna has magnificent cans.

 

premarital sex seems rare among characters.

 

Totally...just look at Mat.

 

It's more of a "woman's choice" perspective, though usually the guy does the chasing, unless you are in Ebou Dar and you become a Pretty...

Aiel had a lot of pre-marital sex, particularly the Maidens. When they got pregnant they had a choice to either be a mother and get married or give the child to the wise ones to be descretely given to foster parents. Thier professies further put that into their culture because He Who Comes with the Dawn would be a child of a maiden.

 

Their whole situation with Rand and the maidens comes about because he was the first "Child" that they knew was the son of a maiden.

I do not recall any Aiel confessing premarital sex.

 

All romantic activity among the Aiel seems to be the decision of the female.

any Maiden I take would "give up the spear" before she does sex with a man; and I take all Aiel would wed before doing sex.  Rand's mother seems to be the only exception on both.

 

ji'e'toh I imagine would be against premarital sex.  Not entirely sure on that.

I do not recall any Aiel confessing premarital sex.

 

All romantic activity among the Aiel seems to be the decision of the female.

any Maiden I take would "give up the spear" before she does sex with a man; and I take all Aiel would wed before doing sex.  Rand's mother seems to be the only exception on both.

 

ji'e'toh I imagine would be against premarital sex.  Not entirely sure on that.

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There is also the Maiden Melindhra that Mat shared a bed with.

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like I told in earlier posts, sharing a bed does not necessarily mean having sex.

though I do not recall Mat allowing her into his bed; in any scene.

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OK. I am just going from memory, but is that not when Mat is attacked by the Darkhounds, then Moiraine heals him. Plus later on when she attacks him and he kills her, I thought that they were still sleeping together.

 

My memory is a bit foggy on these scenes.

the darkhounds; Mat tells Rand that he was going to get some wine.

her attack on him; his discussion with Rand seemed to occur shortly before that scene.  And she seemed to stay at the doorway until she started the attack.

Not to mention she was naked giving him a back rub when the Trollocs attacked in TFOH.  He commented on aiel as she ran out of the tent with no clothes on and he took time to get dressed.  Its one of those there is never an actual statement they are having sex but plenty of hints its occurring. 

I do not recall any Aiel confessing premarital sex.

 

All romantic activity among the Aiel seems to be the decision of the female.

any Maiden I take would "give up the spear" before she does sex with a man; and I take all Aiel would wed before doing sex.  Rand's mother seems to be the only exception on both.

 

ji'e'toh I imagine would be against premarital sex.  Not entirely sure on that.

I can't quote it, but Avi explains that she had shared a man's blankets before on a raid, and not referring to just warmth.  There are other examples of it, the giving of interest gifts of jewelry for one example, especially to maidens.

 

I do not recall any Aiel confessing premarital sex.

 

All romantic activity among the Aiel seems to be the decision of the female.

any Maiden I take would "give up the spear" before she does sex with a man; and I take all Aiel would wed before doing sex.  Rand's mother seems to be the only exception on both.

 

ji'e'toh I imagine would be against premarital sex.  Not entirely sure on that.

.

There is also the Maiden Melindhra that Mat shared a bed with.

.

 

Great example above.  And there was the the time when the trollocs attacked and she was naked rubbing Mat down in their tent, the darkhound attack, and even when he had to kill her I think from the top of my mind.  Wow.  Mat must have been terrible to bed what with all the attacks happening to distract from things.  She was a DF after all, probably was too eager to supply information to the baddies conducting the raids.  Poor Mat!

Avi never inferred she shared a mans blankets for anything more than warmth.  If I remember right she mentioned something about having chances to be with  a man and she never took it.

About Aviendha; Fires of Heaven chapter 5?  She tells that sharing the blankets were only for warmth; not for anything else.

 

About Mellindhra & Mat; talked about the Darkhounds and her attack on him.  http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/88377-berelains-lie/page-2?do=findComment&comment=3311846

rubbing back; I do not count as having sex.