Publish at January 11 2023 Updated January 11 2023
Manhood is a social construct. Anyone who has been interested in the subject knows today that in human history, the definition of manliness has been constantly changing, with a few exceptions. Nowadays, when the question of gender and also masculinity is raised, the youtuber specialized in history Manon Bril has been looking at the phenomenon since ancient times. Walking around New York, she tells the story of manhood.
In fact, manhood has always been a way to emancipate oneself from the feminine. It is therefore often associated with war. Nevertheless, each period has its vision of things. Small penises are preferred in Antiquity since they show the height of humanity. Until modern times, the private parts, including the testicles, should not be disproportionate. Africans, during colonization, are seen as animals because of the size of the reproductive system of some. Phenomena that are now criminalized were nevertheless seen as the epitome of virility.
In ancient Greece, all boys had to be the eroma of an eraste (adult male) whose seed was to bring him masculinity... And if during the time of Louis XIV, wigs and make-up were the assets of gentlemen, these were turned to derision with the French Revolution since they were associated with "debauched" royalty.
From ancient Egypt to the present day, the question of procreation and erection seems fundamental. Major philosophers such as Aristotle greatly diminished the role of the woman in the birth that would not be her fruit but that of the father's sperm.
Having many conquests is also highly regarded. The poet Maupassant, for example, will brag to a friend in a correspondence that he caught the pox. Moreover, this prescription even comes with a price since between the 16th and 18th centuries there were courts of erection where marriages could be annulled if the man failed to perform his marital duty.
In the end, as she points out, manhood remains mostly a construct that varies over time, events, and social needs. Today, men are fortunate to be able to question these injunctions.
Time: 30min50
Picture credit: en.depositphotos.com
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