Anal sex has been many things for many people through the ages. As cultures differ from one another, so do their views on sexual practices, which is why anal sex was a common thing in certain parts of the world or a despised practice in others. To this situation we can also add the very important fact that anal sex had a different place in the lifestyles of people than today. Attitudes varied from approval to indifference and to outright bans on such practices.
Modern readers should bear in mind that homosexuality has always been a controversial issue in most cultures, despite the fact that anal sex was tolerated. Throughout history, communities and nations have struggled to survive, which is why individuals were required to marry and have children. In many cultures it did not matter much if a man liked to have sex with other men, but a man who did not want to marry and have children was seen as abnormal. Holy men who renounced worldly pleasures could get away with this, but homosexuals could not.
From the sexual point of view, medieval Japan was a liberal minded place. Men could have sex with both men and women, while women could enjoy themselves with dildos and other toys. Women were still not free to have sex as they wished, but it was far better than the restrictions posed by European culture. But, as mentioned above, a man was expected to marry and have a family in order to carry on the legacy of his ancestors. Homosexuals who could not perform with women and who failed in their duty of strengthening the family were seen as weak men.
The ancient Greeks had similar views on this issue. Sex between older men and teens was part of the process of reaching maturity. This kind of sex included anal sex, but was not restricted to it. Not every man engaged in anal sex and some Greek cities had a very strict policy on it. Men who accepted to be penetrated anally were stripped of their citizen status, which was an extremely harsh punishment. Traditionally, cultures around the world have not been comfortable with those men who played the woman’s role. Therefore, anal sex was replaced in many cases by intercrural sex (where the penis is placed between the thighs of another man).
One of the strangest ancient cultures is the Moche civilization from the northern part of Peru. The pottery left behind by these mysterious people is filled with erotic scenes. The strange thing about the erotic pottery is the limited number of pieces depicting what we’d call normal sex, which is the vaginal intercourse designed for procreation. There is no homosexuality; everything takes place between men and women. But the most common practices are anal sex, oral sex, fellatio and masturbation. Unfortunately, few details are available about this fascinating civilization and its views on sex.
On the other hand, we know very well what Western culture had to say about homosexuality. The three religions based on the Torah (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) have rejected anal intercourse between men and have declared it to be an unclean act. Nevertheless, these views have changed slightly in time and heterosexual anal sex is not a big issue anymore. Homosexuality is somewhat accepted in the progressive Christian and Judaic communities, but from the strict religious point of view, sex between men is still a sin and forbidden.
