Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c9.4

v1.c9.4

² But the German city-fathers may usually have had quite other ends in view in laying down such marks for them. See, e.g., G. Wustmann, “Frauenhäuser u. freie Frauen i. Mittelalter,” *Arch. f. Kulturgesch.*, Bd. 5, p. 469 ff.; Max Bauer, *Die Dirne u. ihr Anhang*, p. 110 ff. Mantegazza (*Geschlechtsverhältnisse d. Menschen*, p. 363, note) reports a catalogue of the sixteenth century which came out in Venice, and offered for everyone’s needs the most exact information as to the public women living in this city. Suchlike lists from old and from modern times are to be found in Iwan Bloch, *Die Prostitution*, i, 491. About the red garb of the harlot see *Daçakumāracar.*, p. 51. Red is the most favoured colour on earth (Stratz, *Die Frauenkleidung*³, p. 74), and also in India the colour of life, passion, love (*Hindu Tales*, p. 106; Tod, *Rajasthan*, i, 612; red at the Holi festival; and so on); it is the most usual colour for women’s clothing in the Epic also (e.g. i, 221.19; 212.9; xii, 296.20; xiii, 45.5), and then yellow. Both are very elegant, as yellow was the modish colour, too, in the German Middle Ages. Cp. Billington, *Woman in India*, pp. 76; 181; 183. Then harlots and criminals like keeping up survivals from a rougher culture, as for instance tattooing and a superstitious religiosity among ourselves also (cp. e.g. Maupassant’s “Maison Tellier”). As red is so mighty a scarer of demons, it is no doubt on this account that it is to the liking of the always-highly-endangered lightning conductors of public vice. At the love visit by night, it is true, Rambhā in the Rām., and Urvaçī in the MBh. wear dark clothing, but naturally to be less seen. The white garments of the fair one hastening to the tryst is often mentioned in Indian literature, and made use of for poetical feats of skill. Red wreaths are worn too by the hetæræ of heaven when they make their way to the hour of dalliance (Rām., iv, 24.34).