In ancient China, concubines are thought to have used a drink of lead and mercury in order to prevent pregnancy. (Possible side effects: sterility, brain damage, kidney failure and death.)
Concubines did get pregnant, and sometimes that was their role: if the official wife was infertile then a concubine's child might become the heir, especially if the concubine was the wife's servant, making the concubine and her child the property of the official wife.
Barrier methods were always very popular. A halved, emptied lemon skin placed over the cervix worked well, for example, as did sponges soaked in natural spermicides such as vinegar.
Although a concubine could produce heirs, her children would be inferior in social status to a wife's children, although they were of higher status than illegitimate children. The child of a concubine had to show filial duty to two women, their biological mother and their legal mother—the wife of their father.
The duties of the concubine were quite simple. She existed solely and completely for the entertainment and sexual gratification of her master. She was not expected to perform any household duties or to have any responsibilities other than those of the bed chamber.
The origins for a male to hold a concubine were for sexual pleasure and to ensure numerous children. Mostly concubines served to satisfy sexual pleasure since any children that resulted from a mistress was considered illegitimate, and unless allowed by their father, had no rights of inheritance.
Adultery VS Concubinage
Adultery is committed by a wife and should be charged together with the other man, while concubinage is committed by a husband and should be charged together with the other woman or concubine. In adultery, a proof of sexual intercourse will suffice to file a case.
Concubines had to be beautiful enough to satisfy the emperor – and his parents. Social background was no barrier and many emperors chose concubines from the general public. The empress was one exception – she was always selected from the family of a high-ranking official.
Genesis 35:22 says, "And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it." As a result of this adultery, he lost the respect of his father, who said: "Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer; For when you mounted your father's ...
There are early records of concubines allegedly being buried alive with their masters to "keep them company in the afterlife". Until the Song dynasty (960–1276), it was considered a serious breach of social ethics to promote a concubine to a wife.
In ancient times, there was no electricity in Japan, and most facilities were only lit by candlelight. Since candlelight was not bright enough, Geishas painted their faces white to enhance their skin tones and to contour their faces, making their faces more visible and recognizable.
1920s. In the 1920s, German-born physician and scientist Ernst Graefenberg developed a silver intrauterine device that women could insert into the uterus to prevent pregnancy.
At its worst, the geisha tradition involves force, fraud, and deception, and the horrifying practice of selling one's own children into slavery for purposes of sexual exploitation.
The empress and other wives slept with the emperor around the time of the full moon because it was believed children of strong virtue would be conceived on those nights. The lower-ranking concubines were tasked with nourishing the emperor's Yang with their Yin, sleeping with him around the time of the new moon.
Long fingernails were a mark of high status indicating that one did not have to engage in manual labor, and in order to protect the nails from breaking Qing noblewomen wore metal guards. The guards were very often worn in pairs, one on the little finger and another on the ring finger.
Concubinus. A masculine of concubine, concubinus, "man in a concubinage", "male-lover", was also regularly used in Latin, although it is attested less often than concubina. See, for instance, Tac.
Maternal incest
Some modern scholars, such as Bergsma and Hahn, have suggested that Ham engaged in intercourse with his mother, Noah's wife. Support for this theory can be found in verses such as Leviticus 20:11: "And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness".
Amnon, King David's eldest son and heir to the throne, raped his half-sister Tamar. Tamar's brother, Absalom, learned of the incident and, two years later, ordered his servants to have Amnon killed. In vain with Amnon, Tamar said, "Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee".
In the Torah, Reuben is briefly described as having had sexual activity with Bilhah, his stepmother's maid and father's concubine. On his deathbed, Jacob declares that Reuben "will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it".
Ying Zheng also known Qin Shi Huang had numerous concubines. The Qin Dynasty, he founded (pronounced 'Chin') changed its name to China and it was he who first initiated the building of the Great Wall and construction of the Grand Canal.
The imperial consorts were either executed by palace eunuchs or chose to commit suicide, normally by hanging themselves with a silk scarf or by taking poison. In the first part of the Ming dynasty concubines were often immolated and buried in separate tombs near the deceased emperor.
Wu Zetian went down in history as the only female sovereign to have ruled China in more than two thousand years, in both title and deeds. She entered the imperial court at 14 as a concubine to Emperor Taizong, the second emperor of the Tang dynasty. Taizong died when Wu was 25.
While infidelity and adultery are often considered to be immoral behaviours, they are not crimes in Australia. In fact, since 1994, there have been federal laws in place under section 4 the Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Act 1994, which essentially allows sexual behaviour to occur between consenting adults.
Further, the penalty on the wife under adultery is heavier than on the husband under concubinage.
: consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other.