Egypt was and is a civilization of vast diversity. Ancient Egypt had many different sexual behaviors and diversities: homosexuality, transgenderism, incest marriages, exhibitionism, prostitution, adultery, bestiality, necrophilia, and others. There were different customs among nobility, common people, and slaves. Nobility had a wide range of marital customs and practically all sexual behaviors were both accepted and condemned depending on the time period and the ruling class. This was similar with the common people, only there seems to be a more strict regime in marriage, and a variety of punishments to those who broke the laws. What was acceptable among slaves and concubines was dependent upon their owners. Although Egypt has similarities to other civilizations, they also had unique sexual imagery and customs.
Cleanliness
Egyptians thought highly of cleanliness and shaved not only their heads, upon which they wore wigs, but also their pubic hair, which prevented forms of pubic lice. Circumcision was also practiced which eliminated smegma (dirt and bacteria build up under the foreskin).
Contraception and Potions
Different types of contraception were attempted, such as the use of animal dung as a form of a spermicide. If this failed, potions were derived to induce miscarriage. Potions were also used as aphrodisiacs.
Lineage of Pharoahs
Ancient Egypt's lineage was traced through women and property was passed through women. For this reason, Ancient Egypt originated as a matriarchy. The pharoahs were trustees of the property passed down and their reign was decided by their matrilineal status. Because of the matrilineal structure, husbands would lose their property and status if their wife died. The property was passed down to the daughters and granddaughters. Many incest relations began with fathers and daughters and granddaughters because the men wanted to stay with the property. There were also numerous brother/sister incest marriages.
Sexual Imagery of Gods and Religious Rites
One Creation Story
Chaos (probably the Roman name equivalent of the Egyptian deity), the god of creation, masturbated, and from his ejaculation he created the other gods.
Isis and Osiris
Osiris was hacked into pieces by his brother Seth. Isis pieced him back together but was unable to find his phallus, so she created a new phallus. Egyptians would have a celebration of this event, during which women would walk through the streets singing and walking with puppets that had extremely large genitals.
Bes
Bes was the dwarf god with a very large phallus. He was considered a protector of women and some would tatoo Bes on their thigh. Bes is celebrated in physical sex and rooms came to be known as 'Bes Chambers.'
Hathor
Hathor was the goddess of love and music. In one story she exposed her genitals to her father, the sun god who smiled.
Bastet
Bastet was the cat goddess, associated with Hathor, and also a fertility goddess. During the festival for Bastet, women would expose their genitals.
Cult of Apis
For 40 days, women would go to the Temple of Apis, the Bull. They would expose their genitals to the statue. Once they left, they never returned again.
Temple of Amun
The Temple of Amun had different practices over Egyptian history, but at one point, a woman would go into the temple, have sex with whomever she pleased until menstruation, after which there was a celebration. Then she was married.
“Iubirea nu inseamna doar trup, din moment ce are in vedere sentimentul, si nu este doar spirit, din moment ce se consuma intre doua trupuri” - Maurice Merleau-Ponty (Elogiul filozofiei si alte eseuri)
Sex Nudity was an accepted part of Egyptian life and had little to do with sex. Children were often naked and even grown ups removed their clothes when the work they were doing required it. Depictions of phalli are not infrequently found in temples as part of fertility scenes rather than sexual activity. The purification rites priests had to undergo before entering their temple point to there having been a taboo on sex in sacred grounds. In Egypt, unlike in some Middle Eastern countries, there was apparently no 'temple prostitution' [5].
Little is known about the sexual mores, and the rarity of any mention of sex has been variously interpreted as being the result of prudish attitudes or, conversely, of it being an accepted, natural phenomenon [8]. Depictions of sexual character [3] have been described as satires or as symbols of the creation acts of the gods [4]. The fact that there was some pornography might be interpreted that there were at least periods when sexuality was repressed. How widespread prostitution was cannot be verified; that there would have been customers of such services we can be sure of [9]. As Ankhsheshonq said in his demotic Instruction: Man is even more eager to copulate than a donkey; his purse is what restrains him.
M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume III, p.178
To the fictitional Setne Khamwas, son of Pharaoh Usermare, one hour with Tabubu, the daughter of the prophet of Bastet, was worth 10 pieces of gold:Setne said to the servant: "Go, say to the maid, 'It is Setne Khamwas, the son of Pharaoh Usermare, who has sent me to say, "I will give you ten pieces of gold - spend an hour with me....
Setne Khamwas and Naneferkaptah M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume III, p.134
In the story Tabubu was less offended by the proposition itself but rather that she was being treated like a low woman of the street. While there was little explicit sex in literature, erotic love poetry was widespread in Ramesside times. The terms 'brother' and 'sister' generally referred to one's beloved.My heart desires to go down to bathe myself before you, That I may show you my beauty in a tunic of the finest royal linen... I'll go down to the water with you, and come out to you carrying a red fish, which is just right in my fingers. I'll set it before you, while looking upon your beauty. O my hero, my brother, Come, look upon me!
Michael Fox, The Song of Songs and Ancient Egyptian Love Songs (Madison: Univ. of Wisconsin, 1985), p. 32.
Dancing too could often be titillating erotic, when scarcely clad young women performed sinuous dances at banquets [6]. The preferences of ancient Egyptian men were remarkably similar to those of modern Westerners. In a story from the Westcar papyrus Pharaoh Snefru decides on an outingIndeed, I shall go rowing! Have brought to me twenty ebony oars worked in gold with handles of skeb wood worked in fine gold. Have brought to me twenty women with beautiful bodies and breasts and hair who have not given birth. And have brought to me twenty nets and give these nets to these women in place of their clothes.
Papyrus Westcar
Generally speaking - and as has been the case throughout most of history and in most societies - men had much more social and sexual freedom than women; but, at least in theory, wives of other men were out of bounds. Beware of a woman who is a strange, One not known in her town. Don't stare at her when she goes by, Don't know her carnally. A deep water whose course is unknown Such is a woman away from her husband. "I am pretty," she tells you daily. She is ready to ensnare you, A great deadly crime when it is heard.
The Instruction of Any M. Lichtheim, Ancient Records of Egypt, Volume II, p.137
How much men could and did permit themselves with their female servants and slaves is not known. They often did not restrain themselves as this mourner did:Three years have passed since that day (since his wife died). I do not enter another house, and a man of my rank does not have to abstain from this... The sisters who dwell in the house, I did not visit any of them.
From a papyrus at the Leiden Museum
As to homosexual behaviour, of which there is very little testimony [7], it was, at least in certain quarters, frowned upon. Sexual misconduct ranked high in the list of misbehavior men were at pains to distance themselves from when confronted with their judges in the other world.Hail, Qerrti, who comest forth from Amentet, I have not committed adultery, I have not lain with men. Hail, Tutu, who comest forth from Ati, I have not debauched the wife of any man. Hail, Uamenti, who comest forth from the Khebt chamber, I have not debauched the wife of [any]man. Hail, Maa-antuf, who comest forth from Per-Menu, I have not polluted myself.
According to the Contending of Horus and Seth the Egyptian attitude towards homosexuality may have been similar to that of the Greeks who considered the man performing the part of submissive to be inferior but did not attach opprobrium to homosexuality per se. The story relates that Seth caused his phallus to become stiff and inserted it between Horus's thighs. Then Horus placed his hands between his thighs and received Seth's semen. Isis, when Horus told her about what Seth had done let out a loud shriek, seized the copper (knife), cut off his hand(s) with which he had received Seth's semen. Seth clearly considered Horus to be unworthy to rule, as did the other gods:Said Seth: "Let me be awarded the office of Ruler, l.p.h., for as to Horus, the one who is standing (trial), I have performed the labor of a male against him." The Ennead let out a load cry. They spewed and spat at Horus's face.
