Courtesan

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A courtesan in mid-16th century usage was a high-class prostitute or lover/mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or upper-class men who provided luxuries and status in exchange for her services. In Renaissance Europe, courtesans played an important role in upper-class society, sometimes taking the place of wives at social functions. As it was customary during this time for royal couples to lead separate lives-commonly marrying simply to preserve bloodlines and to secure political alliances-men would often seek sexual gratification and companionship from a courtesan. There have been a few isolated cases of courtesans providing services to wealthy females, however. Courtesans usually enjoyed more freedoms than was typical of women at the time. For example, they were financially stable and independent. Being in control of their own resources meant that they did not need to rely on their spouses or male relatives to survive, as was the case for the majority of women.

Modern times

While the old model of the Courtesan royal still exists, it is somewhat rare. With the fall of most Monarchies and the rise of democratic societies, the role of the courtesan changed. In government, they have acted as spies such as was alleged with Mata Hari. Courtesans are not necessarily kept for the purpose of companionship or sexual pleasure.

Types

Essentially, there were two types of courtesans. In one category were the courtesans known (in Italy) as the cortigiana onesta, or the honest courtesan, who were cast as intellectuals. In the other were the cortigiana di lume, which designated a lower-class of courtesan. Although the latter were still considered better than the average prostitute, the former were the ones most often romanticized and treated more or less equal to women of royalty. It is with this type of courtesan that the art of courtisanerie is best associated.

The cortigiana onesta were usually well-educated and worldly (sometimes even more so than the average upper-class woman), and often held simultaneous careers as performers or artists. They were typically chosen on the basis of their "breeding"-social and conversational skills, intelligence, common sense, and companionship-as well as their physical attributes. It was usually their wit and personality that set them apart from regular women. They were prostitutes in the sense that sex was one of their obligations, but unlike the average prostitute, sex constituted only a facet of the courtesan's array of services. For example, they were expected to be well-dressed and ready to engage in a variety of topics ranging from art to music to politics.

In some cases, courtesans were born from well-to-do backgrounds and were even married but to a husband lower on the social ladder than that of her client. In these cases, their relationships with those of high social status had the potential to improve that of their spouse's and as such, it was more often than not, that the husband was aware of his wife's profession and dealings. A brief history of the Courtesan

Difference in perception based on status

Serving as courtesan as a primary employment

Courtesans from unwealthy backgrounds were expected to provide charming companionship for extended periods, no matter what their own feelings or commitments might have been at the time, and had to be prepared to do so on short notice. They were also subject to lower social status, and often religious disapproval, because of the sexual aspects of their profession and their reliance upon courtisanerie as a primary source of income. In cases like this, a courtesan was solely dependent on her benefactor or benefactors financially, making her vulnerable.

Often, courtesans serving in this capacity began their career as a prostitute, or were passed from one benefactor to another, thereby resulting in them being viewed in society circles as lower than both their benefactor and those of wealth and power with whom they would socialize. Often, in instances of this sort, if the courtesan had satisfactorily served a benefactor, that benefactor would, when ending the affair, pass them on to another benefactor of wealth as a favor to the courtesan, or set them up in an arranged marriage to a semi-wealthy benefactor. In the event that the courtesan had angered or dissatisfied a benefactor, they would often find themselves cast out of wealthy circles, returning more often than not to street prostitution.

Wealthy, but serving as courtesan for social or political benefits

Those from wealthy backgrounds, either by birth or marriage, and who were only acting as courtesans for the social or political advancement of themselves and/or their spouses, were generally treated as equals. They were more respected by their extra-marital companions, both placing one another's family obligations ahead of the relationship and planning their own liaisons or social engagements around the lovers' marital obligations.

Affairs of this sort would often be short-lived, ending when either the courtesan or the courtesan's spouse received the status or political position desired, or when the benefactor chose the company of another courtesan, and compensated the latter financially. In instances like this, it was often viewed simply as a business agreement by both parties involved. The benefactor was aware of the political or social favors expected by the courtesan, the courtesan was aware of the price expected from them for those favors being carried out, and the two met one anothers demands.

This was generally a safe affair, as both the benefactor's spouse and the courtesan's spouse usually were fully aware of the arrangement, and the courtesan was not solely dependent on the benefactor. It, rather, was simply an affair of benefits gained for both those involved. Publicly and socially, affairs of this sort were common during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the early 20th century, and were generally accepted in wealthy circles.

Courtesan intrigues, witchcraft allegations

Prior to the Victorian era, courtesans were sometimes limited in their apparel by various sumptuary laws and were restricted in where they could appear at social functions. Periods of overt religious piety in a city would often lead to persecution of the courtesans, up to and including accusations of witchcraft. In many cases prior to the 18th century, women leading the life of a courtesan in a royal court, with romantic relationships with kings, achieved wealth and status, but eventually it would lead to many of them being executed following very public trials that often left them appearing to have been evil, or power-hungry, when in fact they more often than not were nothing more than a lover and mistress to the king.

Very often, courtesans would betray one another in acts of political intrigue in attempts to climb into higher positions of power within royal courts. There are many cases throughout history where one courtesan would attempt (sometimes successfully) to supplant the mistress to a king or emperor. This was typically preceded by her discrediting the ruler's companion, often by divulging secrets that could lead to her rival being cast aside and replaced by her. However, this was a delicate process, and if a courtesan of lower status attempted to replace a courtesan who wielded a substantial amount of power within the court, it would often result in the lower courtesan being exiled from the royal court, or married off to a lesser noble in an arranged marriage, or even at times eliminated altogether. There are also many examples of courtesans who took advantage of their involvement with powerful individuals, which usually ended in their downfall.

Longevity of a courtesan's career

In later centuries, from the mid-18th century on, courtesans would often find themselves cast aside by their benefactors, but the days of public execution or imprisonment based on their promiscuous lifestyle were over. There are many examples of courtesans who, by remaining discreet and respectful to their benefactors, were able to extend their careers into or past middle age and retire financially secure. By the late 19th century, and for a brief period in the early 20th century, courtesans had reached a level of being socially accepted in many circles and settings, often even to the extent of becoming a friend and confidant to the wife of their benefactor.

More often than not, a woman serving as a courtesan would last in that field only as long as she could prove herself useful to her companion, or companions. This, of course, excludes those who served as courtesans but who were already married into high society. When referring to those who made their service as a courtesan as their main source of income, success was based solely on financial management and longevity. Many climbed through the ranks of royalty, serving as mistress to lesser nobles first, eventually reaching the role of mistress to a king, or prince. Others were able to obtain a position on that high level early on, but few lasted for any length of time, and there was nowhere to go but down after serving a prince or king.

Pietro Aretino, a Renaissance writer, wrote a series of dialogues (Capricciosi ragionamenti) in which a mother teaches her daughter what options were available to women and how to be an effective courtesan. Emile Zola wrote the book Nana about a courtesan in nineteenth century France.

Famous courtesans

The term "courtesan" has often been used in the political context to damage the reputation of a powerful woman, or disparage her importance. Particularly striking examples of this are when the title was applied to the Byzantine empress Theodora, who had started life as a burlesque actress but later became the wife of the Emperor Justinian and, after her death, an Orthodox saint; the term "courtesan" has also been disparagingly and inaccurately applied to influential women like Anne Boleyn, Madaline Bishop, Mathilde Kschessinska and Eva Perón.

The movie Dangerous Beauty tells the story of Veronica Franco, a Venetian Courtesan starred by Catherine McCormack.

17th century and before

18th and 19th centuries

20th century

Future/Potential Future


See also

Call girl
A call girl or escort is a sex worker who (unlike a street walker or prostitute) is not visible to the general public. Nor does she usually belong to an institution like a brothel. One must summon her, usually by calling a telephone number-hence the name call girl.
escort
A person who accompanies another person to a location or (usually formal) event such as a ball, cotillion or wedding to
A sex worker engaged in acts of prostitution. See call girl or male prostitute.
harlot
In the past, the word harlot has been used to refer to a man. The word is first recorded in English in a work written around the beginning of the 13th century, meaning "a man of no fixed occupation, vagabond, beggar,"
hetaira
In ancient Greece, hetaerae were courtesans, that is to say, sophisticated companions and prostitutes.
Geisha
traditional, female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as music, singing, and dancing. They also engage their clients with light conversation.
Kisaeng
female Korean entertainers similar to the Japanese geisha and the ancient Greek hetaerae. kisaeng were not prostitutes, but artists.
Mistress (lover)
a man's long term sexual partner and companion. Historically, the term has denoted a "kept woman", who is maintained in a comfortable (or even lavish) lifestyle by a wealthy man so that she will be available for his sexual pleasure; essentially a kind of highly expensive, single-client prostitute.
prostitute
a person (often a woman or girl) who performs sexual activity for payment
Sing-song girl
(also known as Flower girls) were learned courtesans in Shanghai during the late 19th and early 20th century. Sing-song girls were trained from childhood to entertain wealthy male clients through companionship, singing and dancing in special sing-song houses.
tawaif
a courtesan who catered to the Muslim nobility of South Asia, particularly during the Mughal era.
Nagarvadhu
("bride of the city") was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India. Women competed to win the title, and it was not considered a taboo. The most beautiful woman was chosen as the Nagarvadhu.
A Nagarvadhu was respected like a goddess, but in fact she was a prostitute; people could buy her time and body. A Nagarvadhu's price for a single night used be very high, and she was only within the reach of the super-rich -- the king, the princes, the lords.
Oiran
were high-class courtesans in Japan. The word "oiran" consists of two kanji, 花 meaning "flower", and " meaning "leader" or "first." Cultural aspects of oiran traditions continue to be preserved to this day.
Tayu
tayū (太夫, tayū?) was considered the highest rank of courtesan or prostitute, and were considered suitable for the daimyo. Only the wealthiest and highest ranking could hope to patronise them.

References

  • Griffin, Susan. The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues. New York: Broadway Books, 2001.
  • Hickman, Katie. Courtesans: Money, Sex, and Fame in the Nineteenth Century. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
  • Lawnes, Lynne. Lives of the Courtesans: Portraits of the Renaissance. New York: Rizzoli, 1987.
  • Rounding, Virginia. Grandes Horizontales: The Lives and Legends of Four Nineteenth-Century Courtesans. London: Bloomsbury, 2003.
Related "Courtesan" articles

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