| Sex and Eroticism in Mesopotamian Literature Contributor(s): Leick, Gwendolyn (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415311616 ISBN-13: 9780415311618 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $52.24 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: April 2003 Annotation: "Sex and Eroticism in Mesopotamian Literature" allows a glimpse of a world with a sexual culture and erotic values very different from our own, through exploration of the earliest preserved written evidence on the subject - the Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform sources of the 21st to 5th centuries BC. Drawing on sophisticated and astonishing literary texts - courtly love poems and bridal songs, myths, narratives and incantations - Gwendolyn Leick uncovers a fascinating range of perspectives on the subject of passion and pleasure. The reader is treated to eloquent and freely-expressed views on topics from prostitution, love magic and deviant sexual practice to gender, fertility and potency. This revealing and candid volume celebrates a wealth of erotic material from one of the world's earliest literate civilizations, and encompasses archaeological, religious, historical, anthropological and gender-based themes and approaches. It will be of interest to students and teachers in all these disciplines. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Australian & Oceanian - Literary Criticism | Ancient And Classical - Literary Criticism | Middle Eastern |
| Dewey: 899.950 |
| LCCN: 93049776 |
| Physical Information: 0.61" H x 6.38" W x 8.5" (1.03 lbs) 336 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) - Cultural Region - Middle East |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Sex and Eroticism in Mesopotamian Literature is a new contribution to current debates about sex and eroticism. It gives an insight into Mesopotamian attitudes to sexuality by examining the oldest preserved written evidence on the subject - the Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform sources - which were written between the 21st and the 5th centuries B.C. Using these long-neglected and often astonishing data, Gwendolyn Leick is able to anlayse Mesopotamian views of prostitution, love magic and deviant sexual behaviour as well as more general issues of sexuality and gender. This fascinating book sheds light on the sexual culture of one of the earliest literate civilisations. |