SEX TABOOS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
There are different sexual taboos around the world. You might know some of them, while there are some you've never heard of. Find out more about sexual taboos and related issues from this article.
It doesn’t matter where you come from, but the culture and society have some taboos regarding intimacy and sex. Kulick, D., & Willson, M. (Eds.). (1995) says that sex taboos have affected the production and practice of anthropology. Although the world might be full of crazy sex practices, anybody can revel in that weirdness. It is objective to compare what you know to what you don’t know and exchange some ideas. The following sexual taboos are not crazy, as said, but they are the ones that raise a high alarm in most communities. These sexual taboos are arrived at after thorough research from cultures seldom represented to the outside world. The taboos found are mainly related to where and when people should have sex. They include:
The Night is the Right Time To Have Sex
Most people believe that sex should only be done at night and not any other time during the day. Although there are people who enjoy sex in the morning after they wake up or even in the afternoon, there are high odds that such people never come from the indigenous group. These indigenous groups, such as the Kuna and the Semang located in Panamá and Malaysia, respectively follow that mandate strictly, and it is taboo to break it.
Although the Kuna people don't believe that having sex during the day is not in line with God's wishes, the Semang people claim that the practice causes wicked thunderstorms that drown countless people. It offends some people who enjoy having sex in the afternoon or during the day, creating differences.
Sex is Bad for Battle and Bear Traps
Some communities have taboos that do with sex but directly affect something unrelated to sexual acts. For instance, professional athletes should not have sex the night before the day of their biggest match or when having playoffs. In Uganda, the Ganda people forbid sexual acts before engaging in battle and during the processing of trees used to make canoes. They believe that by avoiding sex during such times, the only wood that remains in action is the one used for making the canoes. Some taboos are extreme to some people. For instance, going for more than three months without any sexual activity because you are hunting or the activity is about to start. Also, if you are from the Lepcha people of Northern Asia, you must avoid sex for some months after setting up your bear traps. That makes people think that being a vegan is a perfect idea.
Location For Having Sex
When we talk about taboos, the location you have sex matters a lot. In western cultures, having sex outdoors is common, and it is now something you should include on your bucket list. However, it is different from the Bambara tribe of Western Africa, who believe that having sex outdoors will cause all plants to die. The Semang people mentioned earlier forbid having sex within the vicinity of the village. They believe that having sex within the village makes the spirits guarding them angry. That means that for them to have sex, they have to leave the village and get to another town where they can make things naughty at night.
Homosexuality, Transvestic, and Bestiality
These sexual practices were established in societies to try and defend strong religious, ethnic, and institutional boundaries. If military, religious, or even political leaders decide to enhance their boundaries, they always do so by imposing harsh penalties on the way of sex. That breaches societal values and brings in boundaries. Since they have nearly adopted all codes of belief in conduct, it may be that all emphasize the need to maintain all types of boundaries. These boundaries include those between animals and humans, males and females, or cutting off the possibility of forming relationships that cut across external and internal boundaries of different organizations. The principal groups and organizations examined are those from the Parsees, The Old Testament Jews, The Early and Medieval Christianity, Ancient Greek, the Northern British Military, And The German National Socialists Movement.
Some shameful sexual ideas usually bind most people. Like in liberal households, people are still directly exposed to the popular culture that offers detailed and heavy messages related to sex. For instance, ladies should only be sexy but not sexual. Men want sex badly, but women don't want it. Others include: porn and vibrators are addictive and will probably ruin your sexual life. Gay partners are promiscuous, and there are many useless things people talk about sex in different societies.
With all those crappy ideas about sex, one idea pops out of peoples’ minds – sex is taboo, and if you explore it without holding back, you are in the minority. However, to some people, that is false. They believe that sexuality is taboo because of the mentality they are raised with. Exploring sex is not a taboo, but some sexual activities are deemed taboos by some societies. These taboos differ depending on the societal values of your place. The sexual taboo in your village might not be same to some people.
The Bottom Line
Throughout human history, people have always flocked to what is prohibited. Prohibiting some sexual activities does not make people give up the idea of trying it. However, it raises anticipation among people. For instance, abstaining from sex has never stopped teenagers or anyone from having sex. Since the beginning of time, people have been engaging in kinky ideas no matter what the catholic church says against it. People will always go for what they want, and the need rises when the thing they want is prohibited or considered taboo. Taboos about sex only exist because they have been labeled so by the earlier founders of the society.
References
Kulick, D., & Willson, M. (Eds.). (1995). Taboo: Sex, identity, and erotic subjectivity in anthropological fieldwork. Psychology Press.