Lesson plan
Ayoni
(954 CE), a man receives fellatio from a seated male as part of an orgiastic scene. Ayoni is non-vaginal sex in Hindu culture. The concept of ayoni is broad and can include oral, anal, and manual sex, intercourse with other animals, and forms of masturbation. Hindu law books tend to prohibit ayoni, but epic narratives and Puranas, on the contrary, describes the birth of heroic children or even gods from this kind of sex. Sometimes such a contradiction can be found even within the same text, such as in the Mahabharata. Thus, ayoni is presented either as impure or as sacred. This inconsistency can be explained by the fact that normally taboo practices can be sanctified by ritual contexts.
Article summary
(954 CE), a man receives fellatio from a seated male as part of an orgiastic scene. Ayoni is non-vaginal sex in Hindu culture. The concept of ayoni is broad and can include oral, anal, and manual sex, intercourse with other animals, and forms of masturbation. Hindu law books tend to prohibit ayoni, but epic narratives and Puranas, on the contrary, describes the birth of heroic children or even gods from this kind of sex. Sometimes such a contradiction can be found even within the same text, such as in the Mahabharata. Thus, ayoni is presented either as impure or as sacred. This inconsistency can be explained by the fact that normally taboo practices can be sanctified by ritual contexts.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.