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A Fanfare of Strumpets

All Anthology of prose

The various world religions and cultures have taken different attitudes towards prostitution which is as old as human history.

The ancient countries of the East such as Egypt, Phoenicia and Persia, practised the temple worship with its wild orgies of the flesh. The priestesses were prostitutes. The religion was used as an excuse to indulge in prostitution which was apparently not regarded as a moral evil.

Greece has known various stages. Solon's legislation aimed to ostracise and segregate. The prostitutes were forced to live in isolation, not allowed to be in certain parts of Athens and compelled to wear distinctive dresses.

It was not until following the Persian wars and after the law had fallen into disuse that drastic measures were again taken. The ladies of easy virtue were brought under police control.

A period of laxity returned and the prostitutes gradually achieved social standing. Their sisters of the upper class, called the "Hetaerae", exerted a great influence on the society.

Later on the Greeks reverted to the Egyptian system of temple worship. They established a temple in honour of Aphrodite at Corinth. The rituals were performed by prostitutes.

Prostitution has always thrived in China. Religion has not interfered, which is not surprising, for Taoism and Confucianism are two philosophies rather than religions: both only deal with the art of living.

The Chinese people are very down-to-earth and realistic. They never tried to stop prostitution since they looked upon it as something human.

In the days of the Old Testament prostitution existed in abundance in Palestine. It was tolerated as long as it had no repercussion on the chosen race or the Jewish religion. It was not forbidden provided only Gentile women were involved.

The Romans were rather strict: they took a very poor view of prostitution and despised men who visited brothels. They were the first people to introduce the system of registration. In the days of the Republic women could register as prostitutes. They had to pay a fee and their names could never be removed from the records.

Inevitably laxity managed to creep in.

Christian ethics regard sexual intercourse outside marriage as sinful. Consequently prostitution is disapproved of.

Reviewing history it is interesting to note how gradually the gap between prostitution and religion has widened in the course of the ages.

The first Christians, however, children of the pagan world of Rome with its moral decadence, were tolerantly understanding.

One of the most prominent Fathers of the Church, St. Augustine, considered prostitution as a necessary evil.

He was of the opinion that sup pression would encourage it: "Forbidden fruit is sweet".

Prostitution was thriving throughout the Middle Ages. Rather than endeavouring to stamp it out direct, the Church followed an indirect line of attack. It sought to convert the black sheep that had strayed from the fold. Special convents were formed for repentant prostitutes. Bachelors were encouraged to marry them and were highly thought of if they did so.

The movement of the Reformation made a firm stand against prostitution and advocated the closing of brothels. Severe punishments were introduced.

The epoch of Rationalism weakened the influential position of Christianity in the West. The world became less susceptible to Christian reasoning. A more realistic attitude towards prostitution caused the nations to ignore its moral aspect as much as possible as time went by.

On the other hand the various Governments began to take much more notice of the health angle owing to the alarming spread of venereal diseases. The 18th Century returned to the old pattern of the Romans and established the system of registration under police control. Application fees were not required and names could be erased.

The present legislations are based on protection of the general public rather than on suppression of this apparently unconquerable evil.

In 1949 the British Social Biology Council made extensive investigations into London prostitution. It has found that one of the main causes for taking up prostitution is the background of an unhappy home life. Most prostitutes come from the lower classes.

The homes of the poor are often overcrowded which invariably stimulates promiscuity. The girls, when still very young, notice loose living going on. The parents need all their time and energy to make ends meet. As they have no time for anything else, the children are neglected. The little ones miss out on the love and affection they are craving for and nothing is done about their moral education. Disappointed in their home life they break away from their family. Morally ill-equipped they have to stand on their own feet and to fend for themselves in a big lonely city. They are unsettled and soon they associate with the wrong people. They may get into further trouble: the birth of an illegitimate child has often caused the unfortunate mother to become a prostitute.

There's the other side of the picture; the force of demand. Even some family men, who live an un-satisfactory married life, patronise brothels.

Many prostitutes in London are of the opinion that young amateurs spread V.D. which is alleged to be the result of unorganised sexual activity. According to them organised houses of ill-fame, run by professionals, controlled by Police and Health authorities, are not likely to endanger the health of the public.

As far as the prostitutes are concerned the solution seems to lie in the improvement of the home conditions. Moral education and character training should start at home and be continued at school. Proper instructions to teenagers before marriage may save many matrimonial relationships.

Here is a task for parents, churches, teachers, and psychologists.

However it is not as simple as all that: history has proved that prostitution cannot be completely eradicated. The ultimate responsibility has to be borne by the sinners themselves. It is a private and moral matter between God and man's conscience in which no legislator has the right to interfere.

(The author wants to make it clear beyond doubt that he himself has never patronised any brothels anywhere in the world.)

—John C. Hendrikse.