"Some have even viewed the removal of the hair as the de-masculinising of an unnaturally bold and powerful female ruler."
De-masculinizing, maybe. Or it could be read as de-wilding. The wisdom of Solomon being rooted in a system of justice and human-made rules required to live together in ordered civilization. The very opposite of the unfettered, un-ruled wilderness of an unshaven animal.
Solomon stripping the Queen of her primal intuititive wisdom and her unwilded, untamed freedom in the name of cultural conformity.
also depending on when various translations occurred, you know of course that "demon" was the word that the Christians used to refer to mythical beings representing wildness (not to mention unhibited sexual energy) like fauns and satyrs, Pan, etc.. So it's also likely thatt in addition to dewilding, the shaving of the legs also represents a taming of her sexual lifeforce energy (which is of course the same thing)
And I"m now thinking of Deana Carter's song "Did I Shave My Legs For This?" 😎
Oh, and also it makes me think of the myth of --- I think -- the Handless Maiden -- where she's discovered in the woods wearing a coat made of every kind of animal fur, and to become a queen/princess in the castle, she is divested of her coat (I don't recall if it's voluntary or not, but I feel like it's involuntary) and put into a lovely ball gown. Again, a dewilding in the name of civilization.
Okay, back to writing. But thank you for the fun aside! I hadn't consciously thought about this part of the Sheba/Solomon story.
Jonathan Stroud uses some of this background in his Ring of Solomon
Yea they’re really well researched!
you had me at “supernatural hair removal.”
I didn’t know leg hair removal was such an old custom, I always thought it was a more modern invention…
I think it has a very different significance, Egyptian priests used to remove their hair as a sign of purity if I remember rightly
I mean I guess there’s still some overlap there 😅 I’m currently boycotting the industry
Think of it as a sign of untameable powers!
Yessss
Informative and entertaining. Thank you!
Thank you, Martin!!
Fascinating. What a great piece. I feel like I knew nothing of this to my shame.
It is quite obscure mythology, the sort of thing I only know because I read some very odd ancient texts during my PhD!
All of these conquest myths of Sheba, surely she was one of the smartest, wisest, and strongest women of her age. Go her.
Agreed!
Irresistible headline! I now have a new reason not to shave my legs - it might deplete my demonic powers.
"Some have even viewed the removal of the hair as the de-masculinising of an unnaturally bold and powerful female ruler."
De-masculinizing, maybe. Or it could be read as de-wilding. The wisdom of Solomon being rooted in a system of justice and human-made rules required to live together in ordered civilization. The very opposite of the unfettered, un-ruled wilderness of an unshaven animal.
Solomon stripping the Queen of her primal intuititive wisdom and her unwilded, untamed freedom in the name of cultural conformity.
That's a really interesting point, Faith, I think you're right
also depending on when various translations occurred, you know of course that "demon" was the word that the Christians used to refer to mythical beings representing wildness (not to mention unhibited sexual energy) like fauns and satyrs, Pan, etc.. So it's also likely thatt in addition to dewilding, the shaving of the legs also represents a taming of her sexual lifeforce energy (which is of course the same thing)
And I"m now thinking of Deana Carter's song "Did I Shave My Legs For This?" 😎
Oh, and also it makes me think of the myth of --- I think -- the Handless Maiden -- where she's discovered in the woods wearing a coat made of every kind of animal fur, and to become a queen/princess in the castle, she is divested of her coat (I don't recall if it's voluntary or not, but I feel like it's involuntary) and put into a lovely ball gown. Again, a dewilding in the name of civilization.
Okay, back to writing. But thank you for the fun aside! I hadn't consciously thought about this part of the Sheba/Solomon story.
Haha, I know, it’s an interesting choice…