20th Century Chinese Folklore Classics: Social Folklore Volume

Author: Yuan Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features: However, why does God have the right to the "first night"? In other words, why must humans first offer their bodies to God for a "taste of the new" before they can marry? I believe this is due to one of the following reasons or motivations. To understand the rationale behind this custom, we must first ask what the purpose of marriage is. Of course, the purpose of marriage for primitive people was nothing more than procreation. In the minds of primitive people, procreation was not a human right but a divine right, managed by deities specifically responsible for reproduction. If humans wanted to reproduce, they had to obtain this ability from God or receive His blessing. This superstitious belief was firmly held by primitive people and is still believed by ignorant people today. A close examination of the etymology of the names of gods in various ethnic groups provides strong evidence. For example, the Phoenicians called their god Asher, and the male penis was also called "Asher." The word "Asher" carries three meanings: upright, powerful, and open, all of which are related to reproduction. Therefore, the Phoenicians believed that God had the power to pierce the hymen and open the uterus. As a result, Asher was also called the "Lord of the Hole" or the "God of the Orifice," and sometimes simply referred to as the "Vulva God." The Hebrew god Jehovah also means "the Opener." Moreover, it was believed that a woman must be opened by God—Jehovah—to conceive and give birth. This belief is expressed in several places in the Old Testament. For example, Genesis says, "God—Jehovah—spoke kindly to Rachel, heard her plea, and opened her womb," and "Jehovah saw that Leah was not favored and opened her womb." These examples sufficiently prove that primitive people truly believed that women must obtain divine power to fulfill their reproductive role. Conversely, a woman who had not been "opened" by the divine spirit, even if married, could not conceive—wasn’t it like gaining nothing but a barren field? Not only women but also men had to offer themselves to God before marriage to gain reproductive power. In some places, similar methods to the "first night right" were adopted, where priestesses of goddesses or temple attendants accepted the offerings of virgins on behalf of the gods. Regarding this custom, you may refer to my articles "The Primitive Form of Prostitution" and "On Superstitions and Customs Related to Sex" (New Women, Vol. 3, No. 10). However, the more common method is still called "circumcision." The meaning and origin of "circumcision" are explained as much as those of the "first night right," but most scholars seem to have not noticed the common points between the two customs. Now, let’s compare these two customs in detail. The term "circumcision" refers to the removal of the foreskin of the male genitalia. The foreskin and the hymen are both obstacles to sexual intercourse, so it is necessary to remove this obstacle first to fulfill the reproductive function. Secondly, the breaking of the hymen results in bleeding, and the cutting of the foreskin also causes bleeding. Thirdly, an analysis of the customs of circumcision in various regions shows that the period when men undergo circumcision is always before marriage—earliest shortly after birth, such as the Totonacs in eastern Mexico; or eight days after birth, such as the Jews and Abyssinians; and latest no later than adulthood, such as the general Melanesians and Masai. Unless for special reasons, it is rarely performed after marriage and childbirth.