:dubious: I read with interest the SDSTAFF “Do eskimo men lend their wives to strangers?” dated 21 Jan 2003.
I have been trying to find out the truth behind an Australian’s male statement that culturally, in the past, “visitors entering an igloo will be greeted with an eskimo wife/woman baring her breasts for HIM to warm his feet upon. Thereafter, also humbly accepting the time honoured ritual of sleeping with the “master’s” wife…”
:smack: Of course, being a single minded and independent Kiwi female, I introduced this interesting piece of information to, of course, a group of female friends. Well, needless to say it did not go down to well…
So, I have finally found the CLOSEST piece of information that may help me to find out the truth… thereby either revealing my breasts to my Australian male’s feet to warm upon if he is right, or whacking him severely across his skull for being an egg head.
Please provide me the truth via website / books.
Thank you.
Welcome to the SDMB angel chameleon. A link to the column is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/meskimowifeswap.html
A few weeks back I was chatting with an outdoor ed insturctor. She had to call off a winter camping exercise due to the cold. She had spent most of the morning warming people’s feet against her armpits. Nothing fun about that.
“Honey, remember that Eskimo fellow I told you about? The one who lent me his missus as a bit of ‘cultural exchange’? Well, he’s here in Wellington, on business, and naturally I invited him to stay with us…”
Hi there Bryan, and thanks for replying to my thread…
Yes, it does seem rather small minded that other cultural practises (i.e; ethnic, religious, sexual - just to name but a few) would be regarded as shameful, abhorrent and downright degrading. In this case, a group of women found the idea of baring breasts to a pair of freezing digits horribly painful and extremely uncomfortable. Then, the usual retorts of “but why shouldn’t the women be allowed to practise the same ritual”… etc etc… Interestingly enough, the topic then became rather romantic with notion’s of “handsome, swaggering, male strangers with well sized… er digits.” Kiwi people in general are certainly not close minded. But a nation that is proud of allowing its female population to have the first vote all those years ago, would perhaps struggle with inequality - no matter how well meaning that practise may appear to others.
Ps… any facts or websites that I may check to reveal whether my Australian male friend has been enlightening me or kidding me around re: eskimo women’s breasts to well meaning male digits… Cheers!
I do recall reading something of the sort, but I’m not sure where. As best I can recall, it was something that Jo Peary was scandalized about when she visited Greenland. I doubt it was the sort of treatment you could expect as a matter of course, especially the part about sleeping with the master’s wife afterward. It seems breasts were less sexualized in traditional Iniuit culture. Inuit women often did go topless outside in summer and inside even in winter, another thing that scandalized Mrs. Peary.
Dear Bibliophage moderator…
Thank you re: Mrs Peary. I do believe in most traditional cultures - breasts were not to be ashamed of, than to be monumentally treasured as a source of nutrition and protection with babies/children. In fact, some still regard their female counterparts as powerful and precious due to the beauty of producing life. To remain neutral, I also must add that the choice of male is usually related to strength, virility and how much he brings home the bacon so to speak. I look forward to hearing sources of where I can find facts supporting evidence of Inuit women baring breasts to warm male visitors feet.
Neither the Answer nor anyone else has mentioned a genetic reason for having such customs. In small communities, inbreeding is a serious danger. Occasionally introducing genes from distant parts helps avoid this. Works for Florida panthers and humans.
