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The Conception of Virginity in Greek Culture
Svobodová, Markéta ; Chlup, Radek (advisor) ; Pehal, Martin (referee)
Maidenhood is an interesting topic in the context of ancient Greek mythology and ritual. Despite the fact that women had a marginal position within the Greek polis, they were important in myth and ritual. Maidens in particular played an interesting part in Greek myth and ritual, mainly because they were in a transitional state between childhood and womanhood. Myths and rituals concerning maidens involve the goddesses Artemis and Hera, who help them with this transition. At the same time, this transitional state of maidenhood helped the girls learn to be women. Maidenhood transformed them from "wild" children into women ready to accept their roles as mothers and wives. One of the key questions that I would like to answer is how Greeks defined the concept of maidenhood. The maidens in myth and ritual that I'm concerned with are for example Pythia, Pandora, Atalanta or the Danaides. But who was a maiden? Why was she such an important figure in myth and ritual? To find an answer to this question I have turned to ancient Greek texts concerning the anatomy and health of women, and ancient Greek mythology and rituals have helped me interpret them. In the context of Greek thought, maidens were self-consistent in a way. They were pure, untouched and that is where their power came from.
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The Conception of Virginity in Greek Culture
Svobodová, Markéta ; Chlup, Radek (advisor) ; Pehal, Martin (referee)
Maidenhood is an interesting topic in the context of ancient Greek mythology and ritual. Despite the fact that women had a marginal position within the Greek polis, they were important in myth and ritual. Maidens in particular played an interesting part in Greek myth and ritual, mainly because they were in a transitional state between childhood and womanhood. Myths and rituals concerning maidens involve the goddesses Artemis and Hera, who help them with this transition. At the same time, this transitional state of maidenhood helped the girls learn to be women. Maidenhood transformed them from "wild" children into women ready to accept their roles as mothers and wives. One of the key questions that I would like to answer is how Greeks defined the concept of maidenhood. The maidens in myth and ritual that I'm concerned with are for example Pythia, Pandora, Atalanta or the Danaides. But who was a maiden? Why was she such an important figure in myth and ritual? To find an answer to this question I have turned to ancient Greek texts concerning the anatomy and health of women, and ancient Greek mythology and rituals have helped me interpret them. In the context of Greek thought, maidens were self-consistent in a way. They were pure, untouched and that is where their power came from.
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